โWeird but awesome.โ
Thatโs how new dad Dylan Gordon describes parenthood.
With son Marley still only four weeks old, Gordon has already surprised himself- and wife Anna- already with his increase in maturity.
Itโs been equally the journey of nappy-changes, fatigue and cleaning up as the small milestones and day-to-day moments thatโs brought the 24-year-old great satisfaction.
โBefore Anna gave birth, I would see newborns and shy away from trying to hold them because theyโre so fragile but with Marley I pick him up, I donโt have any issues,” Gordon said.
“I was pretty scared to hold him the first day we got him, but as soon as I got him, I didnโt want to put him down so that was something that was very surprising.
โGoing into being a dad beforehand I actually said to my missus โIโm never gonna change his nappyโ,โ Gordon recalls.
โBut Iโve changed his nappy heaps of times now, Iโve wiped up his vomit off my shoulder or off him and it hasnโt bothered me.
โItโs got to a point where I jump straight in my car from work or from training and I go straight home. I just want to hang out with him and hold him and also give Anna a rest.
Thereโs only one thing Gordon dislikes: โI hate seeing him cry; I take it personally, like Iโve let him down,โ the Frankston defender said candidly.
Given the impending birth, the isolation period was stressful and bare, even still, with only close family members, friends, and the Frankston Football club guernsey able to greet the newest Gordon.
Gordon also spoke honestly about raising Marley as an Indigenous Australian and hopes to show his son the positives his proud culture.
โCultural wise, growing up in Darwin was pretty cruisy so I hope one day myself and Anna can go back up there and take Marley for a couple of years and show him all the things that I did: going fishing, shooting, going out bush and camping.
โAnnaโs been great. When I first met her, she had never met an Aboriginal person before me, soโฆ sheโs learnt a lot of stuff and (as a child-care worker) goes to her workplace and teaches them about the Indigenous cultureโ
-By Jonty Ralphsmith
