>first and foremost is health. it's obviously too soon to
>tell, but it appears to have 10 fingers and 10 toes, which is
>a good start.
>
>My brother was a schizophrenic, and there's history of mental
>illness in my family, so there's that to worry about.
>
>She's going to be a girl, so there's all that stuff to worry
>about.
>
>My biggest worry is that I'll do something wrong that ruins
>her. It seems like you're always one careless mistake away
>from utter devastation.
>


Most of those fears vanish the moment you hold your healthy kid for the first time. then they all resurface again with the next kid, and along with the the new fears when you see they do shit the way they do it. You matter, you guide and protect them, but they really do have their own personality, and will.

>What was the thing about being the father of a daughter that
>you wish someone had told you beforehand?

Great question, but I don't know, because i tried to avoid any preconceived notions. Most people had a lot of religious advice, or the standard 'she will be a daddy's girl if...', or 'watch out for boys", stuff.

I am not religious, and i really believe you will have to approach every kid differently. So, I just focused on my daughters temperament, and went with that. She has damn near been an angel behaviorally. like its scary how good and focused she is. This year is her freshman year in highschool, and she has been fantastic. No boy troubles. She talks to me about her problems. She is an A/B student, and she is drug free.

My new daughter will be here in May... we'll see how that goes down.