In My Daddy Era: Confessions from a First-Time Father
In My Daddy Era is a place for me to slow down and say the things I don’t want to forget.
Each episode is a short reflection on becoming a first-time father. The moments that catch me off guard, the feelings I didn’t expect, the fear, the joy, and the quiet in-between. Sometimes it’s something big. Sometimes it’s something small. But it’s always honest.
This isn’t a parenting podcast or a guide on how to do things “right.” It’s more like an audio journal of me talking through what fatherhood is teaching me in real time, while I’m still learning it myself.
The episodes are short, lightly edited, and recorded whenever life makes something feel worth capturing. Just reflections I want to remember… and maybe something my daughter will hear one day and understand how deeply she was loved.
Episodes
8 episodes
Canceled Birthday Dinner to IV Drips - The Daddy Pivot
They say being a father is about being the rock of the family, but even rocks can get taken down by daycare germs. I thought I’d be spending my birthday week at a nice dinner; instead, I found myself in the hospital watching an IV drip. <...
My First Night Away: The Georgia Trip and the $25 Bear
I used to think traveling for work was exciting. Then I sat on a plane heading to Georgia and realized that every foot of altitude was another foot further away from my daughter. It was the first time I’d ever broken our "bedtime streak," and t...
Jingle Bells in April: Confessions of an Off-Key Dad
They say singing to your child is the easiest way to get them to sleep. They don't tell you that in the heat of a 2:00 AM meltdown, the only song your brain will remember is "Jingle Bells" in the middle of spring.In this episode, I’m con...
She Gave Me a Sly Smile and Told Me the Future
Before we even knew the gender, my sister came to me in a dream with that familiar, sly smile and said three words: "Take care of her." From that moment, I knew I was a Girl Dad. But being a father to a daughter carries a weight I didn't fully ...
The Slowest Minute: The Youngest She Will Ever Be
When my daughter was a newborn, she had this specific stretch arms up, elbows bent, and the cutest little "duck lips" you’ve ever seen. I watched her do it every morning until, one day, she just stopped. It was the first time I realized that in...
The Reason I Make Christmas Cookies Every February
Traditions are often just things we do because "that’s how it’s always been." But for Rick, a new tradition was born out of a promise made in a hospital room. In this episode, Rick explores the bittersweet reality of his daughter growing up wit...
Building the Crib: The Heaviest Furniture I've Ever Built
Before the baby arrives, every dad goes through "The Prep." For Rick, it wasn't just about moving a desk or mounting a shelf, it was about making the transition from "Me" to "Her" physically. In this episode, Rick discusses the weight of a crib...
Five Nurses, Five Swaddle Techniques, and One Tiny Human
Episode Summary: In the quiet chaos of a hospital room, a simple text message triggers a massive identity shift. Rick shares the raw, unedited realization of moving from "son" to "father" in a matter of hours. From the terror...
