It takes more than DNA to make a Daddy

You don’t get to choose your family, but it’s not always DNA that makes a family. Any man can father a child but it takes someone special to be a Daddy.

Baby Bear… I want to tell you about Mike…

Actually, you know him as Daddy. In the beginning, we called him “Daddy Mike” but now we have dropped the Mike part, because he knows what it really means to be a truly amazing Daddy.

Mike is the man who talked to you through my belly when I was pregnant and he simply couldn’t wait for you to be born. He was desperate to meet you and hold you and see how much you look like me. He was at the hospital early, eagerly waiting for the first glimpse of you. And when he saw you… oh my… you looked into each others eyes and it was love at first sight. Mike was so overwhelmed by love for you that happy tears sprung from his eyes. He cuddled you and you fell asleep in the warmth and safety of his arms. 

Each day since then I’ve watched fondly as the father-son bond between you has flourished. When you hear his voice, you quickly scan the room until your eyes find his and then you light up the whole house with the biggest beaming smile I’ve ever seen.

Mike was the first person besides me, that you smiled at. Mike was the first person besides me, that fed you. Mikes hand was the very first thing you reached out to touch with your hands. He is the only person besides me who knows your every smile, noise and cry and exactly how to comfort you when you need it. He has changed as many of your nappies as me, helped with most of your baths and bought many of your clothes. 

He’s the man who wakes up in the middle of the night to cuddle you back to sleep if you wake. He’s the man who changed his job to spend more time with you. He’s the man who misses you when he is at work and would never say he was too busy to see you. Because you come first. The love between you and Mike is unconditional and so strong that it’s visible.

Mike bought you your first pair of Converse (that’s a big deal… I’m 30 and still not had my first pair). When you cry, he picks you up and your cry turns to a smile. We call you “our liccle man” and he tells you over and over again how much he loves you. Not that you can put it into words.

Mike is the man who will teach you how to ride a bicycle and then bandage your knee if you fall off it. He’s the man who will get emotional at the school gate when you start school. He is the man who will teach you how to respect women and give you advice if a girl breaks your heart. And because he loves you as if you were his own son, he’ll feel sad when you feel sad and happy when you feel happy. And all your achievements will make him proud. It won’t ever matter that you don’t share his DNA because not only is he EVERYTHING that a Daddy should be, but he chose to be your family. He chose to love us all. 

Daddy is the man you’ll find standing next to mummy, with his arms outstretched ready for a hug.