Back on 10/22/12, I wrote this piece about what I was thinking about once I realized I was going to be a dad for the first time. It was an exciting, yet scary time for me personally, but has been one hell of a ride since her birth.
Now that Kylie is approaching 2 years old, Rachel came up with a great idea to revisit this post and respond to some of the things I had written. Sections of the original post will appear in this entry in italics, while my responses will be in bold.
I hope you enjoy this look back at how I originally felt and how I see things now.
I don't want that same experience for my future kid (or kids). I don't want them to grow up and wonder the same things I wondered. I always envisioned myself being a better father to my kids than my dad was towards me. I want for them what I missed, what I wished I would have experienced.
This is still something I strive for. There are so many "what-ifs" revolving around my childhood experience, and while there will always be missed opportunities, I want to keep those to a minimum with Kylie and Payton.
I can't overstate how awesome it is to have a girlfriend in Rachel who loves football and baseball though. Guys, always appreciate it when you find a girl like that because there are certainly a number of them out there who could care less about sports in general.
This is no joke. It's always easier to be in a relationship when both of you have similar interests. Hell, she even sits and watches the Cavs with me. That type of thing goes a long way.
I don't want my child to have to do that. I want him/her to relish the moments we have, grow up and know that I'm there when they need me to be, but also to push the way my mom tried to push us. I want my child to fondly remember his/her childhood moments, not possibly be the plot behind some made-for-tv special about child abuse and drugs.
I admittedly probably enjoy this last line a lot more than I should, but it's still true.
Why all this gibber gabber? Rachel is pregnant and expecting her second child and my first. We were trying to wait to make an official announcement, but the cat's out of the bag and I can now openly write about what will be first experience in fatherhood.
What are my emotions? I'm excited, I'm happy, I'm anxious, and even a little scared. This is as unknown a territory as a person can possibly enter. Sure, there are thousands of books, online articles, and other sources of information on being a parent. There's the expertise of Rachel, who has three years experience now. Yet you never really know what to expect. Is it a boy, is it a girl, will they be a loud baby, a quiet baby? Will they listen when they get older or will they be defiant? Will they need meds? Will everything come out okay?
The emotional roller coaster went on the entire time Rachel was pregnant, maybe more so for her, but I definitely experienced them. You start thinking about what if the child has some kind of birth defect, or genetic issue, or anything that could be bad. You see stories online all the time of babies not living beyond a few hours or days and you hope and pray that isn't you.
In summary, all the books in the world won't prepare you enough, but being mentally strong will get you through most anything. We found out it was going to be a girl, and after some wrestling with names, we settled on Kylie Brooke. For the most part she was quiet, but she had her loud moments. She's become somewhat defiant as she's gotten older, but nothing too horribly bad. And while she tried to scare us all by not breathing on her own initially due to her cord being around neck, she pulled through and is a completely healthy, feisty, yet small little girl.
Yet despite all the uncertainty that comes with the pregnancy and then actual raising of the child, I'm excited. I look forward to being the dad that squishes his kid's face just because it looks funny to him. I look forward to carrying him/her around as an infant, then complaining when they can walk but still want to be carried. I look forward to their first words, then getting irritated because they won't stop talking back to me because they want that one singular toy.
Rachel mentioned last night as we discussed me writing this that one thing that's unique about us as a couple is either one of us is likely to mess with Kylie. Carrying her around and watching her take in the world was amazing to me, and while she still likes to be carried (more I think because she likes snuggling up to us), she can move pretty fast on her feet. The words are coming more and more with each week, and while she doesn't babble on about wanting a toy, she will grab anything she thinks she wants off the store shelves.
I have a chance to do the things with this child that I wanted my dad to do with me. If I'm lucky, this child will enjoy video games like me and I'll have a video game buddy (even better if Payton and Rachel join in). I've always admired a youtuber by the name of paulsoaresjr who plays and records Minecraft, but also plays with all three of his kids and his wife on occasion. It may not seem like much to most, but it's a way for him to stay connected with his kids as they get older, something most parents have to face at some point (two of his kids are in high school now).
Payton has shown a mild interest in games, so I'm fairly certain in a little while she'll be able to play some with me. Kylie likes running around with my broken Xbox 360 controller, but I can't say for sure if that means she's going to be into games or not. I still have an admiration for any gamer/YouTuber who plays and records games with their family. It's pretty cool to me.
I look forward to all the appointments leading up to the child being born, the first laugh, the first cry (after that, I'll probably be done with the crying), the first time I have to get up to take care of the baby in the middle of the night (again, probably done after that), the first crawl, the first steps, the first fall, the first run, the first big fall, the first teeth, and so on.
This is when things started to get wild. Hearing her heart beat for the first time, seeing the ultrasound pictures, and seeing the progress being made prior to her birth are things I won't forget. Nor will I forget the first time I was able to hold her. The crying is disheartening when they're younger because they can't tell you what's wrong and it's not always super obvious. It's sometimes trial by error as you try to figure out what's wrong and hope you hit on a solution.
While Rachel was breast feeding, we were both getting up in the middle of the night. I'd change Kylie, then hand her off and we'd all pass out in the bed together. Once Rachel stopped feeding her and started on a medication to help her sleep, it became and has stayed primarily my responsibility to grab Ky when she wakes up in the middle of the night. More often than not she's sleeping until the 5-7am range, so it's not too bad. Rachel will attempt to grab her if she happens to wake up before she goes to bed, but that doesn't happen a lot.
I wasn't around for the very first crawl, but I did manage to catch her next attempt (which was motivated by pizza). I happened to be recording her again when she took her first big steps by herself, and while it's hard to say if I saw her first fall, I've seen plenty, including her rolling off of the couch and the bed. Her first teeth led to an explosion in what she could eat. The kid had already become a vacuum towards food, but having teeth has made it easier for her to eat just about anything.
The words are most exciting right now though. She's learning different words and phrases and hearing her use them correctly is more than a little exciting.
So while there are uncertainties and questions, there's also excitement and joy. I get to be a dad, and it gets to be my minion.
Yes, I've been calling it a minion. There's nothing any of you can do about it either.
She was also a Velociraptor for a long period of time too, which was only reinforced once she was born and would make this ungodly squealing noise when she'd see the cats. She doesn't make it as often anymore, but it was her battle cry for many months.
The end of May is a long way away though. That means there's plenty of time to prepare for all the things that come with having a new baby. Supplies will be bought, a bigger living arrangement will be pursued, and we will try to be as prepared as possible when the new life comes into the picture.
The truth is, you can never be fully prepared. Many times, you will realize you're out of diapers or wipes. The baby will need Motrin when you can't find it or have just run out. That said, we did move into a bigger apartment (that's no longer big enough) and have tried to at least keep up with how she's developing.
Our minion will need a name once we know whether we're having a boy or girl, and that to me is going to be one of the more challenging parts of the equation. In the past, I had thought about names, but when I go through and think about it now, nothing jumps out at me yet. Maybe it's because we don't know the sex of it yet, but as of now, even going through some lists of baby names, nothing has jumped at me just yet.
Kylie Brooke!
Life will certainly change come the end of May. Rachel is still encouraging me to sign up for next year's Warrior Dash, but I've been hedging since it takes place at the very beginning of June and I don't want there to be a conflict. Now, don't get me wrong, if Rachel is in labor when the Warrior Dash takes place, I'm not going. Simple as that. In an ideal world, the child would come either before or after the actual event.
Kylie decided that she was done playing in Rachel's belly and was born May 19th, which was about a week and a half before her actual due date. It ended up working out in the long run.
The world isn't ideal though and things already somewhat revolve around the unborn child. I have to consider the idea of buying as many baby supply items as possible so that we don't have to worry about that as much during the first couple of months. I have to make sure I have money set aside because there is going to be a period of time when Rachel isn't going to be able to work.
Money...it's always an issue, isn't it?
In the end, I'm excited for the future new addition and the changes it will bring. I'm excited for the memories that will be created by this addition.
Most importantly though, I'm excited about the chance to be the dad that I wish that I had.
Get ready world, our minion is coming.
And boy did she ever arrive.
On a side note, we ran in the Run of the Dead this past weekend and it was a pretty good time. Some of the zombies talked a little more than I thought and some of the zombie kids were a bit rambunctious, but it was still fun and something we'd both do again given the opportunity. It was down in Plymouth, OH, so it was a bit of a drive to get there, but we got there early and ran at a pretty decent pace considering Rachel hadn't run in a while and is a couple months along with the pregnancy.
But yeah, the main point of this? I have a minion on the way.
Duck and cover people, duck and cover.
I ducked, I covered, and it hasn't helped. My child is somehow able to break my defenses every time.
Showing posts with label infant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infant. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Monday, November 5, 2012
Kids change things
I know.
The title is about as obvious a statement as you can make when it comes to kids and what happens. The thing is, most probably don't realize how true it is.
Let's back up a step though. Being in a relationship changes things. Simple decisions aren't as simple, choices you make can often have unseen repercussions. That simple night out with the boys is now the basis for an argument. That extra hour to play a game means you don't want to spend time with your significant other.
These aren't things that I've necessarily experienced with Rachel, but they are things that happen. People say they're okay with certain things, like video games and the night out, then when it happens, flip out as if you just committed the most awful sin imaginable. Some people have earned the scrutiny that was brought onto them, but sometimes it's just an overreaction that gets taken way too far.
You have to work to manage your time better in a relationship, work to find common ground, and work together to resolve issues that pop up. Relationships, as everyone already knows, require trust to get very far and a little bit of faith as well. If you can't trust the person you're with, then it's bound to fail. If you lack faith, then it can makes more of a struggle, but it can be worked through.
Having a kid adds to the changes.
For a guy, it means less time for you (if you've managed to maintain some of your "me" time) as you now have someone who depends on you and your significant other to raise them, protect them, and feed them. That hour you had before or after work to play your game? That likely won't be there unless the child is sleeping at that desired time.
The nights out? If you'd rather continue going out week after week than spend time with your growing child, then I have to say something is wrong with you. This of course excludes the occasional night out, which I recommend spending with your significant other as she's probably ready to get out away from it all for a little bit before she panics about the well-being of the kid and you end up going home early.
I've already seen how kids can change things. 75% of the tv time is spent on either the HUB or DisneyJR with the rest of the time split between Rachel and myself depending on the day of the week. The living room and Payton's room is a perpetual mess as those are the two main areas she can be found. There's usually at least one mishap a week involving a spill of some sort, the most recent being a glitter explosion in Payton's bedroom.
If you are a neat freak, I would suggest therapy before having kids as you will probably have a mental breakdown. I've resigned myself to the fact that it's inevitable that our apartment will be a mess. You have to pick and choose your spots to clean, just as you have to stay on top of laundry and dishes or before you know it, you're buried.
Just about anything can be disrupted by a child, from a simple trip to the store, to getting food, to bedtime procedures. Things will change, become more complicated, and often leaving you ready to pull your hair out and just sit down and call it quits.
But then you'd be missing the best parts of having a kid around. The hugs, the playing, the fascination with simple things, the endless energy, and the laughter. Sure, they cry too, but they laugh a lot and as they grow, they understand more and more about what's going on around them.
Having an infant around, as we will be introducing next spring, adds a new dimension to things. Until it learns to crawl and eventually walk, it's completely dependent on you to get around, to eat, and stay warm (or cool depending on the time of year). Sleep, already a precious commodity for most, becomes harder to come by. Diapers will be changed several times a day up until the point the child finally decides that potties are useful, and not just for playing.
There will be doctor appointments, check-ups, near heart attacks when the child discovers the joys of power cords and outlets, incidents with the animals, and any number of other things that would cause any person to stop in their tracks and hope to God that their child is okay.
Am I ready for this? I think like a lot of hopeful parents (that is, people who really do want kids, not just the ones who say so), I want to believe that I will be. I want to believe tht I'm ready for the challenge and will rise up and raise a healthy, beautiful child who will eventually rule the world.
Will there be rough spots? Yes. Will there be disputes on what's okay and what isn't okay? More than likely. Will I fold like a cheap lawn chair the first time my child cries? Probably. Will I do my best to not be like a lot of first-time fathers who get walked on? I will, but I can't promise anything. This is one area where I'm definitely heading into the unknown, and while I've been around kids, this will be the first one that is truly of my creation, not the result of dating someone who already had them.
The main thing I feel right now is excitement. I'm ready for this, as much as I can be anyway. I don't think I'm going to falter, I don't think I'm going to be a pushover, but I honestly don't know how it's going to go. I do know I want to be there at every step of the way as much as I can be.
The changes are coming, but it's going to be a blast.
Now get out of the laundry basket, you damn kid!
The title is about as obvious a statement as you can make when it comes to kids and what happens. The thing is, most probably don't realize how true it is.
Let's back up a step though. Being in a relationship changes things. Simple decisions aren't as simple, choices you make can often have unseen repercussions. That simple night out with the boys is now the basis for an argument. That extra hour to play a game means you don't want to spend time with your significant other.
These aren't things that I've necessarily experienced with Rachel, but they are things that happen. People say they're okay with certain things, like video games and the night out, then when it happens, flip out as if you just committed the most awful sin imaginable. Some people have earned the scrutiny that was brought onto them, but sometimes it's just an overreaction that gets taken way too far.
You have to work to manage your time better in a relationship, work to find common ground, and work together to resolve issues that pop up. Relationships, as everyone already knows, require trust to get very far and a little bit of faith as well. If you can't trust the person you're with, then it's bound to fail. If you lack faith, then it can makes more of a struggle, but it can be worked through.
Having a kid adds to the changes.
For a guy, it means less time for you (if you've managed to maintain some of your "me" time) as you now have someone who depends on you and your significant other to raise them, protect them, and feed them. That hour you had before or after work to play your game? That likely won't be there unless the child is sleeping at that desired time.
The nights out? If you'd rather continue going out week after week than spend time with your growing child, then I have to say something is wrong with you. This of course excludes the occasional night out, which I recommend spending with your significant other as she's probably ready to get out away from it all for a little bit before she panics about the well-being of the kid and you end up going home early.
I've already seen how kids can change things. 75% of the tv time is spent on either the HUB or DisneyJR with the rest of the time split between Rachel and myself depending on the day of the week. The living room and Payton's room is a perpetual mess as those are the two main areas she can be found. There's usually at least one mishap a week involving a spill of some sort, the most recent being a glitter explosion in Payton's bedroom.
If you are a neat freak, I would suggest therapy before having kids as you will probably have a mental breakdown. I've resigned myself to the fact that it's inevitable that our apartment will be a mess. You have to pick and choose your spots to clean, just as you have to stay on top of laundry and dishes or before you know it, you're buried.
Just about anything can be disrupted by a child, from a simple trip to the store, to getting food, to bedtime procedures. Things will change, become more complicated, and often leaving you ready to pull your hair out and just sit down and call it quits.
But then you'd be missing the best parts of having a kid around. The hugs, the playing, the fascination with simple things, the endless energy, and the laughter. Sure, they cry too, but they laugh a lot and as they grow, they understand more and more about what's going on around them.
Having an infant around, as we will be introducing next spring, adds a new dimension to things. Until it learns to crawl and eventually walk, it's completely dependent on you to get around, to eat, and stay warm (or cool depending on the time of year). Sleep, already a precious commodity for most, becomes harder to come by. Diapers will be changed several times a day up until the point the child finally decides that potties are useful, and not just for playing.
There will be doctor appointments, check-ups, near heart attacks when the child discovers the joys of power cords and outlets, incidents with the animals, and any number of other things that would cause any person to stop in their tracks and hope to God that their child is okay.
Am I ready for this? I think like a lot of hopeful parents (that is, people who really do want kids, not just the ones who say so), I want to believe that I will be. I want to believe tht I'm ready for the challenge and will rise up and raise a healthy, beautiful child who will eventually rule the world.
Will there be rough spots? Yes. Will there be disputes on what's okay and what isn't okay? More than likely. Will I fold like a cheap lawn chair the first time my child cries? Probably. Will I do my best to not be like a lot of first-time fathers who get walked on? I will, but I can't promise anything. This is one area where I'm definitely heading into the unknown, and while I've been around kids, this will be the first one that is truly of my creation, not the result of dating someone who already had them.
The main thing I feel right now is excitement. I'm ready for this, as much as I can be anyway. I don't think I'm going to falter, I don't think I'm going to be a pushover, but I honestly don't know how it's going to go. I do know I want to be there at every step of the way as much as I can be.
The changes are coming, but it's going to be a blast.
Now get out of the laundry basket, you damn kid!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Release the minion!
I will admit, I don't always strive for things that most people would go for.
Most guys out there aren't hoping to settle down with the right girl so they can fulfill a dream of having kids of their own. Most are out looking for someone they can spend a few years with before they consider starting a family.
My goals have always been different though. I think a lot of it stems from when I was younger and the experiences I lost out on when I was kid due to the things going on with my dad. I've always felt I missed out on a lot, that I didn't get to experience the same kinds of things that most did. I suppose in my unrealistic frame of mind, I've always felt that I'm still missing out on things, and not just because he passed away recently.
I don't want that same experience for my future kid (or kids). I don't want them to grow up and wonder the same things I wondered. I always envisioned myself being a better father to my kids than my dad was towards me. I want for them what I missed, what I wished I would have experienced.
For instance, I would have loved to have a dad that I could still sit and watch sporting events with. Granted, I have the best thing going in that I have a girlfriend who loves baseball and football, but it still would've been nice if my dad would've been stable enough for us to all take in the Browns or Indians. It would have been nice to still be able to throw the ball around and talk about stuff like we briefly did when I was kid. Again, I have Rachel for these so I feel fortunate in that regard, but it still would've been nice if I had that growing up with my dad. I could've asked him all the stuff I had to figure out on my own when I was in high school and maybe, just maybe, would've missed out on a lot of the awkward moments I endured.
I can't overstate how awesome it is to have a girlfriend in Rachel who loves football and baseball though. Guys, always appreciate it when you find a girl like that because there are certainly a number of them out there who could care less about sports in general.
Instead, I chose to avoid my dad as soon as I didn't have to see him on a regular basis. I chose to drift as far away as possible simply because I had had enough of the problems he had. I had enough of him yelling, his conspiracy theories, and all the other things he used to say and do when he was on his drug/alcohol concoction.
I don't want my child to have to do that. I want him/her to relish the moments we have, grow up and know that I'm there when they need me to be, but also to push the way my mom tried to push us. I want my child to fondly remember his/her childhood moments, not possibly be the plot behind some made-for-tv special about child abuse and drugs.
Why all this gibber gabber? Rachel is pregnant and expecting her second child and my first. We were trying to wait to make an official announcement, but the cat's out of the bag and I can now openly write about what will be first experience in fatherhood.
What are my emotions? I'm excited, I'm happy, I'm anxious, and even a little scared. This is as unknown a territory as a person can possibly enter. Sure, there are thousands of books, online articles, and other sources of information on being a parent. There's the expertise of Rachel, who has three years experience now. Yet you never really know what to expect. Is it a boy, is it a girl, will they be a loud baby, a quiet baby? Will they listen when they get older or will they be defiant? Will they need meds? Will everything come out okay?
Yet despite all the uncertainty that comes with the pregnancy and then actual raising of the child, I'm excited. I look forward to being the dad that squishes his kid's face just because it looks funny to him. I look forward to carrying him/her around as an infant, then complaining when they can walk but still want to be carried. I look forward to their first words, then getting irritated because they won't stop talking back to me because they want that one singular toy.
I have a chance to do the things with this child that I wanted my dad to do with me. If I'm lucky, this child will enjoy video games like me and I'll have a video game buddy (even better if Payton and Rachel join in). I've always admired a youtuber by the name of paulsoaresjr who plays and records Minecraft, but also plays with all three of his kids and his wife on occasion. It may not seem like much to most, but it's a way for him to stay connected with his kids as they get older, something most parents have to face at some point (two of his kids are in high school now).
I look forward to all the appointments leading up to the child being born, the first laugh, the first cry (after that, I'll probably be done with the crying), the first time I have to get up to take care of the baby in the middle of the night (again, probably done after that), the first crawl, the first steps, the first fall, the first run, the first big fall, the first teeth, and so on.
So while there are uncertainties and questions, there's also excitement and joy. I get to be a dad, and it gets to be my minion.
Yes, I've been calling it a minion. There's nothing any of you can do about it either.
The end of May is a long way away though. That means there's plenty of time to prepare for all the things that come with having a new baby. Supplies will be bought, a bigger living arrangement will be pursued, and we will try to be as prepared as possible when the new life comes into the picture.
Our minion will need a name once we know whether we're having a boy or girl, and that to me is going to be one of the more challenging parts of the equation. In the past, I had thought about names, but when I go through and think about it now, nothing jumps out at me yet. Maybe it's because we don't know the sex of it yet, but as of now, even going through some lists of baby names, nothing has jumped at me just yet.
Life will certainly change come the end of May. Rachel is still encouraging me to sign up for next year's Warrior Dash, but I've been hedging since it takes place at the very beginning of June and I don't want there to be a conflict. Now, don't get me wrong, if Rachel is in labor when the Warrior Dash takes place, I'm not going. Simple as that. In an ideal world, the child would come either before or after the actual event.
The world isn't ideal though and things already somewhat revolve around the unborn child. I have to consider the idea of buying as many baby supply items as possible so that we don't have to worry about that as much during the first couple of months. I have to make sure I have money set aside because there is going to be a period of time when Rachel isn't going to be able to work.
In the end, I'm excited for the future new addition and the changes it will bring. I'm excited for the memories that will be created by this addition.
Most importantly though, I'm excited about the chance to be the dad that I wish that I had.
Get ready world, our minion is coming.
On a side note, we ran in the Run of the Dead this past weekend and it was a pretty good time. Some of the zombies talked a little more than I thought and some of the zombie kids were a bit rambunctious, but it was still fun and something we'd both do again given the opportunity. It was down in Plymouth, OH, so it was a bit of a drive to get there, but we got there early and ran at a pretty decent pace considering Rachel hadn't run in a while and is a couple months along with the pregnancy.
But yeah, the main point of this? I have a minion on the way.
Duck and cover people, duck and cover.
Most guys out there aren't hoping to settle down with the right girl so they can fulfill a dream of having kids of their own. Most are out looking for someone they can spend a few years with before they consider starting a family.
My goals have always been different though. I think a lot of it stems from when I was younger and the experiences I lost out on when I was kid due to the things going on with my dad. I've always felt I missed out on a lot, that I didn't get to experience the same kinds of things that most did. I suppose in my unrealistic frame of mind, I've always felt that I'm still missing out on things, and not just because he passed away recently.
I don't want that same experience for my future kid (or kids). I don't want them to grow up and wonder the same things I wondered. I always envisioned myself being a better father to my kids than my dad was towards me. I want for them what I missed, what I wished I would have experienced.
For instance, I would have loved to have a dad that I could still sit and watch sporting events with. Granted, I have the best thing going in that I have a girlfriend who loves baseball and football, but it still would've been nice if my dad would've been stable enough for us to all take in the Browns or Indians. It would have been nice to still be able to throw the ball around and talk about stuff like we briefly did when I was kid. Again, I have Rachel for these so I feel fortunate in that regard, but it still would've been nice if I had that growing up with my dad. I could've asked him all the stuff I had to figure out on my own when I was in high school and maybe, just maybe, would've missed out on a lot of the awkward moments I endured.
I can't overstate how awesome it is to have a girlfriend in Rachel who loves football and baseball though. Guys, always appreciate it when you find a girl like that because there are certainly a number of them out there who could care less about sports in general.
Instead, I chose to avoid my dad as soon as I didn't have to see him on a regular basis. I chose to drift as far away as possible simply because I had had enough of the problems he had. I had enough of him yelling, his conspiracy theories, and all the other things he used to say and do when he was on his drug/alcohol concoction.
I don't want my child to have to do that. I want him/her to relish the moments we have, grow up and know that I'm there when they need me to be, but also to push the way my mom tried to push us. I want my child to fondly remember his/her childhood moments, not possibly be the plot behind some made-for-tv special about child abuse and drugs.
Why all this gibber gabber? Rachel is pregnant and expecting her second child and my first. We were trying to wait to make an official announcement, but the cat's out of the bag and I can now openly write about what will be first experience in fatherhood.
What are my emotions? I'm excited, I'm happy, I'm anxious, and even a little scared. This is as unknown a territory as a person can possibly enter. Sure, there are thousands of books, online articles, and other sources of information on being a parent. There's the expertise of Rachel, who has three years experience now. Yet you never really know what to expect. Is it a boy, is it a girl, will they be a loud baby, a quiet baby? Will they listen when they get older or will they be defiant? Will they need meds? Will everything come out okay?
Yet despite all the uncertainty that comes with the pregnancy and then actual raising of the child, I'm excited. I look forward to being the dad that squishes his kid's face just because it looks funny to him. I look forward to carrying him/her around as an infant, then complaining when they can walk but still want to be carried. I look forward to their first words, then getting irritated because they won't stop talking back to me because they want that one singular toy.
I have a chance to do the things with this child that I wanted my dad to do with me. If I'm lucky, this child will enjoy video games like me and I'll have a video game buddy (even better if Payton and Rachel join in). I've always admired a youtuber by the name of paulsoaresjr who plays and records Minecraft, but also plays with all three of his kids and his wife on occasion. It may not seem like much to most, but it's a way for him to stay connected with his kids as they get older, something most parents have to face at some point (two of his kids are in high school now).
I look forward to all the appointments leading up to the child being born, the first laugh, the first cry (after that, I'll probably be done with the crying), the first time I have to get up to take care of the baby in the middle of the night (again, probably done after that), the first crawl, the first steps, the first fall, the first run, the first big fall, the first teeth, and so on.
So while there are uncertainties and questions, there's also excitement and joy. I get to be a dad, and it gets to be my minion.
Yes, I've been calling it a minion. There's nothing any of you can do about it either.
The end of May is a long way away though. That means there's plenty of time to prepare for all the things that come with having a new baby. Supplies will be bought, a bigger living arrangement will be pursued, and we will try to be as prepared as possible when the new life comes into the picture.
Our minion will need a name once we know whether we're having a boy or girl, and that to me is going to be one of the more challenging parts of the equation. In the past, I had thought about names, but when I go through and think about it now, nothing jumps out at me yet. Maybe it's because we don't know the sex of it yet, but as of now, even going through some lists of baby names, nothing has jumped at me just yet.
Life will certainly change come the end of May. Rachel is still encouraging me to sign up for next year's Warrior Dash, but I've been hedging since it takes place at the very beginning of June and I don't want there to be a conflict. Now, don't get me wrong, if Rachel is in labor when the Warrior Dash takes place, I'm not going. Simple as that. In an ideal world, the child would come either before or after the actual event.
The world isn't ideal though and things already somewhat revolve around the unborn child. I have to consider the idea of buying as many baby supply items as possible so that we don't have to worry about that as much during the first couple of months. I have to make sure I have money set aside because there is going to be a period of time when Rachel isn't going to be able to work.
In the end, I'm excited for the future new addition and the changes it will bring. I'm excited for the memories that will be created by this addition.
Most importantly though, I'm excited about the chance to be the dad that I wish that I had.
Get ready world, our minion is coming.
On a side note, we ran in the Run of the Dead this past weekend and it was a pretty good time. Some of the zombies talked a little more than I thought and some of the zombie kids were a bit rambunctious, but it was still fun and something we'd both do again given the opportunity. It was down in Plymouth, OH, so it was a bit of a drive to get there, but we got there early and ran at a pretty decent pace considering Rachel hadn't run in a while and is a couple months along with the pregnancy.
But yeah, the main point of this? I have a minion on the way.
Duck and cover people, duck and cover.
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