Congratulations man!
You have no idea how awsome its going to feel having a little one hug you and call you daddy. No other feeling like it.
Your wife will be going through some changes during the pregnancy. Especially in the first months of the pregnancy and after the baby is born. You gotta take things with a
pinch of salt sometimes, if u know what i mean. Might be moodswings, being tired, feeling "sick" or hormonal changes. They will pass. She might start crying for no reason. Its normal.
Like no1 mentioned above, every child is different. One pregnancy can be easy, another one can be difficult. One child can be sleeping 8 hrs at night from day 1 and another can take 1-2 years to get to a sleeping pattern. Usually girls (they say) sleep better than boys. Our neighbour's girl was sleeping 12 hrs at night (from 8pm till 9am next day) while our first son was waking up, 5-6 times at night for 17 months. I thought i was going to loose it. But somehow it works out in the end.
Atm our 2nd one has reflux and he needs alot of hugging. Lots of crying too and it stresses me and his mom alot sometimes. But you learn to handle it.
Babies are so cute. Sometimes they can drive ya nuts, but 5 minutes later you love em to bits again
tips:
1) dont let your wife smoke, drink or toke during pregnancy or while nursing.
She should avoid taking antibiotics too.
she should eat good, feel happy/positive and get plenty of rest. Go for walks in the park. Rub her belly. dont let her eat spicy stuff (cajun stuff, hot wings, etc during pregnancy and especially when she is nursing. Otherwise the baby will freak out from crying (stomach pains) and keep u up all night...
2) be there during the birth. Its a wonderfull experience. "Friends" were telling me not to be there cause i was gonna "freak out" and other stupidities.
Nonsense. I enjoyed it the first time and in the second time i was even watching closely (taking lessons) to see what the ob gyn does. I thought to myself, hey u never know. U might be camping one year and a girl from a nearby tent might need assistance if her waters break. Its good to know stuff.
So definatly be there for your wife. Rub her back, hold her hand and its gonna go fine.
3) You both should get plenty of sleep and rest before the baby comes to the world. You gonna need all the patience and stamina, after u bring the baby home from the hospital.
Magic word : be patient.
Help your wife with things at home.
Wash the dishes for her, prepare the babys bath, do the shopping, etc etc
When u hold that baby for the first time, you ll feel like Hermes with wings on your feet. Thats how great u gonna feel.
Kids have work. Real work. I think you become a man, after being a daddy. It takes u to the next level. The level of responsibility.
You will love this child more that you love yourself.
good luck to both of you
Btw, some great advice in this thread from No1 and Sputnik.