Mommy missed it...

Timing is everything in those first brief but amazing years when your child is growing up.  I don't mean to sound like an expert, but I have learned from experience.  Your child's first smile, first tooth, and other notable moments.  For my son, I have enjoyed a couple of huge firsts!  Unfortunately, both times my wife was unable to witness.  Kind of sad actually.  The first big 1st was my son's first rollover:

My wife gave me a specific time period after this artwork was completed

One morning in the spring of 2010, my wife had to leave our very young little duder with me as she left for a dentist appointment.  Up to that point as my son has grown up a little bit, we began to teach him the joys of laying on his tummy.  We called it "Tummy Time."  He HATED it.  My son would protest with crying and screaming at the top of his lungs.  Thanks to my contribution of genes, this screaming could be quite piercing.  So for 5-10 minutes that felt like hours, we sang and danced encouragement while my son would cry with increased vigor.  Finally after an eternity, he would give us the 5-10 minutes in peace, until he had enough.  Then this one eventful morning, while my wife was away, I watched as he shifted his hips and noticed he was rocking.  He continued, back and forth, and then to my amazement, he rolled onto his back.  He looked at me with eyes that spoke to me, "Daddy, what just happened!"  I'm bouncing off the walls, roll him back onto his back, and lamented that my wife missed this blessed event.  So I texted her, and we celebrated through the miracle of text messaging.

Event 2, my son's first steps;

No, there was never a bunny, except in legend

  This is a more stressful event.  My son was a late walker.  In the world of parenting, when your kid is over a year old and people say, "I bet he's walking all over the place" and you say, "Not yet," you get the look of concern and suspicion.  Concern that he isn't walking, and suspicion that your parenting skills are somewhat lacking.  At this stage in life (March 2012) no one cares when he started walking, but in those stressful months the thoughts plague you.  You compare notes, and even though you tell yourself, "He's going to walk one day, he has to!", you wonder and worry.
  Then on the quiet evening of April 30th, 2011 (thanks to Facebook's Timeline I have the post to confirm!), my son was taking toys back and forth to the fireplace hearth, on his knees of course.  I joined him to hand him some of those toys.  Then he pulled up to his feet next to the hearth to place the next toy.  He turned to see me hold out one of his building blocks.  I saw the hesitation in his face as he wondered, "Is there an easier way?  Why not."  Then he let go, walked to my outstretched hand, took the block, and took a couple of steps back to the hearth to continue!  I am cheering with sheer delight!!!  But where is my wife?  In the kitchen, cleaning up I think.  Go figure...

  I am sure my wife has witnessed such wonderful firsts with our son....I just can't think of any at the moment.  That said, if you do find yourself at the right place at the right time in the beginning of the life of your little duder, WRITE IT DOWN!  Treasure it!  You'll never get another 1st again, and these are wonderful things worth remembering.