What it Means to be a Father Part 1: Parenting Observations

Our sweet baby Kaelyn is now over 9 months old, and time is flying by! Parenthood is a pretty crazy experience and the learning curve is quite steep. See: "trial by fire."  But I'm learning a lot on what it means to be a father, and I wanted to write about it. However, I quickly found I had too much to say for just one blog post. I'll admit to being too verbose, but in my defense, this experience is not easily summarized! So I decided to break it into parts.  And to start, I wanted to share some of my observations so far...

For those that don't follow me on Twitter (@Scottpants), I have been tweeting my "Parenting Observations" and #DadLife reflections since Kaelyn was born. It's been a way for me to keep track of the little things I learn along the way, as often as I think of it. I thought the first 25 of these observations would be a fitting start, but be sure to stay tuned on Twitter to stay current as time goes on!

1. Since baby's birth, the use of Spray 'N Wash has increased approximately 314%.

2. Just because something worked once, doesn't mean it will work the next time. Soothing a crying baby is a crap shoot.

3. Eating with two hands available is a luxury that most people, myself included, take for granted.

4. We have clothes that my baby will wear once, if at all, before she outgrows them.

5. A baby is not concerned with your schedule, agenda, To Do list, or plans for the evening. They just need YOU.

6. Babies, or at least my baby, gets hiccups A LOT. If I got hiccups that often, I'd cry too!

7. A baby can go from content sleepy face to angry wakey face remarkably quickly and for no discernible reason.

8. Something about being sans diaper on the changing table triggers urination. I think she does it on purpose...

9. Hanging out with my daughter, giving her a bath, and then praying over her as I put her to bed is a great evening.

10. The humble coffee maker is actually one of the most important appliances for new parents. (and ours just broke)

11. Watching baby go from just awoken to fully awake is highly comical! She looks so CONFUSED as to what's going on!

12. I'm not sure I could handle a colicky baby... I can hardly stand it if Kaelyn cries for like 10mins and I can't "fix" it..

13. Hold your plans loosely and don't be surprised if/when baby necessitates a change.

14. The peace and calm immediately following when a baby stops crying has no comparison.

15. Holding a baby is like holding a little heater against your body... Seriously sweating just from holding her!

16. The women who volunteer in the nursery at our church are SAINTS! Not sure how they do what they do...

17. These new cool mist humidifiers may as well be evaporative coolers! They seriously bring a chill to the air!

18. Dream feeding is a pretty ingenious idea. (I wonder if it works on adults...)

19. At no time in life do you get more smiles from strangers in public than when you are carrying a little baby.

20. The first command I am teaching Kaelyn when she's old enough is, "Watch where you're going." Kids are oblivious!

21. Only in infancy is it acceptable for people to tell a girl she has chunky thighs and chubby cheeks.

22. My little girl has learned how to growl... I find this hilarious.

23. Watching Kaelyn gradually learn that her hands are attached and that she can control them to manipulate things is fascinating.

24. Parenthood is a series of learning opportunities that begin with "I don't know," and generally end with uncertain action. It's a wonder any firstborn survives...

25. Seeing how intently Kaelyn watches even mundane things like wind in the trees reminds me it is all new for her.

I'll share the rest in future blog posts also, but for now, stay tuned for a look at what it means to be a father in Part 2...