Leaving the hospital after the birth of your child may be one of the most anti-climactic experiences you’ll ever face. It’s really quite strange.

You see, for the previous twenty-four hours (or more!), it has felt like the world revolved around your wife and your new baby. As a father, this is exciting for you, too, even though you’re definitely not as important as mom and baby. You’re kinda like the roadie at a concert. Everyone is there to see the band, but it still feels pretty cool to stand on stage and wrap cords.

Then the moment comes when you’re finally able to leave the hospital. There’s more scrambling as you fill out more forms, help your wife get dressed, load up the car, and pull it around to the pick-up spot in front of the building. Your beautiful wife holds your newborn child as she’s wheeled to the curb by a nurse. You jump out to help your wife and child into the car, and the nurse waves goodbye and heads back into the hospital while you’re still fumbling with the carseat.

There are no hugs. There are no handshakes. There are no words of encouragement or sage advice. It’s just... OVER. And for the first time since your child was born, you think to yourself, “God, what have I gotten myself into?!”