What a year it has been.
Dec. 28th, the day that my life changed forever, and you’ve been there since that first day! Where were you the day that Ned became a Dad? OK yea, not a big deal for you…but thanks for hanging around.
My daughter Lily is officially 1 year old today….crazy right? What a ride this whole thing has been so far, and it’s only gonna get crazier. 1 year ago today, I was sitting in the delivery room at Allen Hospital in Waterloo just waiting and waiting. Katie and I watched TV waiting for it all to go down, then the Doctor came in, broke the water, and it was showtime pretty damn quickly…then a few hours later, snowing like crazy and Wizard of Oz on the TV? Lily emerged around 7pm and everything changed. So what has a year of fatherhood taught me?
- Kids get sick….a lot.
A brand new kid means getting used to what the world of sickness brings here. She does attend daycare, has seen many people, and we bring her EVERYWHERE! So? She gets exposed to everything…which is actually a good thing. She has had RSV, massive coughs, been tested for COVID, double ear infection, ruptured ear drum…it doesn’t stop. BUT….the more sick she is now in her younger years? The more manageable it’ll be when she gets older…hopefully.
- Her first word? “Hi”
Nothing was more mind blowing until I walked into home one day and said ‘Hi Lily’ to which she replied out of nowhere? ‘Hi’…my heart and brain melted right there and I nearly handed my wallet to her saying “Just take all my stuff!” More and more words I am sure will develop, but hearing it that first time and many times after is a feeling that I can’t quite describe…pride maybe?
- She loves stairs.
That kid and stairs man….one day out of nowhere she’s playing around on the floor and I turn for maybe less than 30 seconds, turn back around and she is gone. I wonder “What the?” I look up our small staircase and she is 4 steps up! She looks back at me, smiles, and I say “Well, keep going!” Supporting her so she doesn’t fall backwards of course, but that was the first time I said “Time to get the baby gates up!” Since then, anytime she sees an un-gated staircase? That’s her invite to climb those stairs!
- I have even less time that I realized.
Kids take ALL of the time, and I mean all of it…but I also found out that it isn’t just Lily taking up time either, it’s other people wanting to see Lily! Being a newer homeowner, newer father, and both parents working 40 a week with a variety of schedules? We have very little time for anything….housework being the big one. We have been busy EVERY weekend since early October either with Katie working weekend shifts, events, trips to MI, 24 Hour Livestream, people visiting from MI…and SOMEHOW celebrate the holidays somewhere in there. It got rough, and still really hasn’t shifted out of it yet….I remember there was ONE weekend where I seized the opportunity to clean the gutters and put up the Christmas lights. If I didn’t do it that weekend? It wouldn’t have happened. I’m beyond grateful that so many people want to see her and will continue too! But man does it set us back hard…maybe when people visit, I’ll tell them ‘Ok, there is the kid…I have things to do, see you in 5 hours.’
- The money fears dwindle over time.
Diapers? Formula? Clothing? Daycare? Toys? Kids are expensive….they really are! Many of my friends can’t fathom having kids because of how expensive it is…but really? After a year, it becomes the norm. Now…not EVERYONE is in the same boat financially, I get that! But even the folks that have a difficult time providing? Still find a way…and that’s what we did. I mean, kid has to have diapers, clothes, daycare, and food….I don’t know how to really explain it? You just kinda do it.
A whole year folks! We’ve made it a whole year, and it’s only gonna get more adventurous from here…the walking, talking, breakdown, toddler years are on the horizon and I won’t bother with the monthly check ins…I’ll chat with you at the 2 year mark, unless something crazy happens.
