Week 44 - The rainy season

Week 44 Picture

So it turns out, it does actually rain in Oregon. For the last three months we've enjoyed perfect weather with sunny skies, 70 degree temperatures, and a light breeze. That's all changed now. Now we get to experience our first Oregon winter for real.

That's about all I've got for you. A weather update. Things around here have been pretty uneventful. Our lives operate like clockwork in time with a heavily structured routine. That's what having a baby can do to you. Messing up the nap schedule in many cases just isn't worth it. A certain chain of events needs to unfold each night when I get home from work to make sure he's taken care of. It makes life remarkably predictable at times.

That being said, I'm very content. I love my job. I love my wife. I love my baby. I love my friends. I'm looking forward to the people that are coming to visit me soon. Things are really well situated for me out here in Corvallis. Life sometimes feels like it's in constant momentum. Always driving toward some big date or event. There's a certain kind of peace in my routine these days. There's really not a whole lot in my life that I can ask for.

I think it's good to take a moment to sit back and reflect sometimes on the lulls that can happen between the monumental moments. They get too easily lost and often forgotten. Someday, I'll look back on this lull from a moment of chaos and miss it.

Week 43 - On the road again

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For the second week in a row, I'm on an airplane heading across country. Last weekend was for Jensens wedding, which was a blast. This weekend is for a conference in my field. I'm excited for it, don't get me wrong, but all this time away from Kimbre and my little boy is exhausting. Clearly, I'm not suited for a job that would require large amounts of travel. Even bring away from him for a few days makes me feel like I'm missing out.

I love my little family. I know it's cliche to say that they are the most important thing in the world to me, but in my case it's true. I would give up everything I have, my house, my job, my future, my health, and my happiness if it would mean not losing them. As strange as it sounds, that's a nice feeling. They give me meaning and significance in this often overwhelming world.

Week 42 - Company

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Apparently, gaining mobility was just what Jay was waiting for before launching his campaign of home domination. Walking is just around the corner too. His absolute favorite thing to do these days is to hold your fingers as you help him run around the house and climb up the stairs, one step at a time. In some respects, it's been really nice. He's a lot better at entertaining himself than he was when he relied exclusively on us for his mobility. However, as always, this new stage of his life has introduced new challenges into our day to day routine. It's fun though and surprisingly rewarding. Each new milestone he surpasses feels like a personal accomplishment.

Other thing I've been reflecting on lately is that I am I'm glad that we have a number of friends and family members who had kids around the same time as us. Watching your kid grow up is even better when you get to put that growth in the context of other kids going through the same stages. 

Over the last few days, Laney and her daughter, who is slightly older than Jay, have been visiting us from Colorado. The last time I saw them, she was as old as Jay is now. I remember thinking at the time how grown-up she seemed and how I could never imagine what life was like with a baby that could sit in the chair and feed himself. Now she can walk on her own, navigate up and down the stairs without help, and even understand and say a few words. It's a stark reminder that kids grow up fast and that before I even know it, Jay will be doing these things too.

I guess I should take this opportunity then, to slow down and appreciate him for what he has now. Sand eating and all.

Week 41 - Dad and me

Week 41 Picture

Holy cow. Sorry for the late post. Over the last ten months I've gotten about a full week behind on this thing. I suppose in the coming weeks I'll have to do something to get caught up.

It was kind of a silly week to get behind on considering that this last weekend was the first time that I have ever been exclusively in charge of Jay's well being. Sure, I spent a lot of time with Jay during his first few months when Kimbre was at work, but never for more than 24 hours. Let me tell you, this weekend gave me a renewed respect for single parents, particularly single parents of infants. Watching after a child is truly a full-time job. Especially now that he has learned to crawl, he has much more freedom and latitude to express to us his needs, wants, and desires. As a stay-at-home mom, Kimbre certainly does not have it easy and this weekend only made me appreciate her and all she does around here. He's worth it, but the warm fuzzies come at the cost of the majority of your time and energy when watching him alone.

Nevertheless, the time I got to spend with him over this weekend will be something that I will always treasure. He such a special little boy, full of so much personality and pure, unadulterated, curiosity in exploring his surroundings. He loves us so much too, something he is getting better at expressing explicitly. For example, before this weekend, he would never crawl across the floor to me just to sit in my lap. He would never actively seek out cuddles, but rather simply tolerate them. These changes may be a product of him getting older rather than some grand development from a weekend alone with me, but it was a special moment nonetheless. This time with him made me miss getting to spend my days with him as I finished up grad school before Kimbre got home from work. My little boy won't always be little, and it makes me choke up a little bit just thinking about how one day I will look back on this stage in his life and truly miss it. I know it sometimes comes across as a cliché when parents say their children are the best things that has ever happened to them. I used to roll my eyes along with the rest of them, but now I get it. I've lived a full, blessed, privileged life thus far, but none of it compares to the happiness my little man brings to me just by existing.