I was watching The Real Housewives of New York the other day (okay, every day) and the ladies were talking about how biologically, we are attracted to certain people to breed with. Yes, yes, yes, I know it's hardly Descartes but it really resonated with me. That we meet and love the people we meet and love so that certain people can be born.
Our baby has not been born yet, but I know we are going to be great parents.
We have not even met her, yet we both love her.
I've never seen Welsh be a dad, but i know in my heart that he is going to make an amazing dad.
This is how I know:
He never misses an appointment. He asks the consultant questions about scans and dates and stuck our first ultrasound photo on the dashboard of his work van, even though at eight weeks, she looked like a bean.
He speaks to her through my stomach and has conversations that I am not supposed to be a part of. If I pipe up with something he glares at me like "excuse me, private conversation here." Usually I just watch TV while he chats and sometimes I zone back in while he is saying things like "and you just come out whenever you are ready" and I have to have a private conversation with her of my own about staying in there for a few more weeks at least.
When i complain about being kicked 24/7 he defends her and says she is just a baby and that she is not doing it on purpose. When i ask him whose side he is on, he says "duh...the baby's."
And i've seen him with his nieces and how he makes up stories about what we are naming the baby. And how he cuddles them and how they tease him and he pretends to take the bait and sends them screaming down the hallway. I've also seen him when enough is enough and he tells them to go to bed NOW GIRLS but once they've settled, he goes in to kiss them goodnight.
I've also seen him practice doing up a nappy and hand stitching a bit of the pram that i tore within 5 minutes of owning it. I've seen him go gah-gah over a tiny pair of shoes and bring home a baby bath and a change mat and a million things I had not thought of.

Mostly though, I know he will be a good dad because there's something about his broad hands and capable mind, his sense of humor and sense of fun, his big heart and short temper that reminds me of the best dad I know. My own.

xxxx