Becoming Daddy

For most of your life, you’ve been a very quiet baby. You’ve had the loud, angry cries, but you’ve mostly kept those in reserve. Lately, however, you’ve been digging into them with more frequency than your Momma and I would like.

I first noticed it last week when you were plagued with the the bane of parents everywhere – the deadly combination of tired and hungry. You were so frustrated and were asking SO LOUDLY for your bed and your food that you failed to notice that your very sexy beautiful dinner containers were sitting right in front of you.

This morning, you were stretching your vocal cords once again.  You were clearly trying to tell me that you were STARVING, and since I was under the impression that you were tired, I kept trying to put you to bed instead of feeding you.  So, you started employing a new vocal pitch that I have named “The Neighbors Will Soon Be Calling CPS: A Movement in Bb.”

Momma came to the rescue once again, reminding me that 10am is in fact 4 hours from your 6am breakfast and so it was time to get more food into you.  Now, you’re finally sleeping peacefully and hopefully, you’ll sleep your cries away.

Right.

Love, Daddy

On Wednesday, you crossed another developmental hurdle when you rolled over.

And off.

The coffee table.

Let me explain.

Your Auntie Rachel and Uncle Timmy have a gigantic ottoman that we like to put you on when we’re visiting them.  You like to have your tummy time there because you’re up high enough to see everyone and it’s just more fun than being on the floor.  At our house, the only thing that we have close to that is the coffee table, so your Momma figured out that we could put your tummy blanket on it and then you could still be up high.

Meanwhile, I had figured out that if your hand was underneath you rather than off to the side, you didn’t like that and were more inclined to try to move off of it – to roll over.  Wednesday, we tested both of those things out, and it worked!  You rolled from your tummy to your back, which unfortunately the coffee table doesn’t have room for.

Now, in what I hope is a metaphor for the rest of your life, I was there to catch you.  In the excitement of having you do this, we didn’t think about the new world that this opened up for you, specifically, how this is just one of the precursors to you growing up and getting married and having to buy a car (via crawling and walking, of course).  But it’s one more step towards your gradual independence and away from my hands always being there to keep you from hitting the floor. Hopefully, I can instill in you what your Nana and Papa did for your Momma and your Grampy and Grammy did for me, that while I may not be there to physically  “catch” you, your Momma and I will ALWAYS be there to catch you.

Love, Daddy

So, I’m waiting for my tie, because that’s what Father’s Day is all about, right?

In all honesty, I don’t know what Father’s Day means. I thought I used to, but then you came along. Before, it was a chance to feel guilty because I forgot to run to the store a week early and get a card in the mail for your Grampy, along with a gift that was usually my first (and cheapest easiest idea).  People who are lucky enough to have fathers that are worth doing this for always have the best intentions, but I know that when you’re older, you’ll have an easier time remembering to get a card for your Momma.  That’s far more important anyway, because she was the one that had to squeeze you from . . . well, maybe when you’re older.

Now, however, Father’s Day means more to me, not only as I relate to you, but as I’m starting to understand what it must have been like for your Grampy when we (your aunt, uncle, and I) were born.  It’s causing me to realize that your Grampy also has dreams, wishes, and fears, like that great scene from Field of Dreams where Ray sees his father on the ballfield for the first time.

Being a father is so much better than I thought it would be, which is pretty impressive given how high I had it elevated in my mind.  One day, I got home from work and was sitting on the couch with you and Momma.  I was holding you up high and you were just laughing away and your Momma asked, “You just love being a dad, don’t you?”  I could only grin at her.

Love, Daddy

You’re creeping up on almost 4 months! The last week or so has brought some really fun new abilities to you. For example, you’re suddenly much more grabby. You can pick up your toy, drop it, look for it, and pick it back up again. You are very interested in touching our faces when we hold you close enough, and you’ve suddenly become intrigued by your own reflection (which is not surprising, since Daddy has never met a mirror he didn’t like). You definitely don’t like to look at yourself when you’re crying, so that’s going to be one of our sneaky ways to get you to quiet down — at least until you figure our trick.
You’re growing bigger and bigger, too. Right now, you’re sleeping in 6-month PJ’s, and most of your 3-month clothes don’t fit at all. I know that this seems like you’re going to be a tall, big man, but I have sad news for you. I was as tall as I would ever be when I was 12. I was big for my age then, but now, I’m only wide for my age.
Anyway, we’re going head to your Auntie Rachel and Uncle Timmy’s house soon, so I will end by saying . . .

Love, Daddy