Fatherhood

Patrick had fun last night ... he was laughing and playing from the time he got home. Jumping around and playing with a spray bottle, he was a bundle of energy unlike I've ever seen. At one point, he tried one of my popsicles and I got the bright idea of placing it into one of his smaller cups. He loved it ... and we loved the fact that there was little mess. Dancing with the Stars was on and he spent almost the entire two hours dancing with his mother. While this was going on, I was remembering the night before when he fell asleep while getting his bath for the night ... simply sitting and playing, then asleep ... so cute! Last night, however, he was moving with a determined energy ... falling all over the place, obviously exhausted, but not willing to give up the fight. Eventually, he crashed and we placed him in his crib. I got a quick shock as he jumped and scrambled ... until his head hit the edge of the crib, then the snoring started up again. I'm not sur...

... About Becoming a Father Now that I've been a father for just over a year, I've noted a few things that I was never told. Many people offered some simple advice to me: You're going to love it; It's a lot of work; and Your life's going to change. Others often threw out a mere "you'll see" with a smirk. That smirk seems to be a secret handshake among parents, in which they are sworn not to reveal all the things they didn't tell me. Changing diapers can often be a near-death experience. If the sight of doesn't drop you to your knees, then the smell will. Packaging and disposing of the diaper often poses an added problem ... with a kicking and screaming child in the mix. The devices designed to reduce odors have attempted to take off my untrained hand, several times. I would also recommend a full-body biohazard suit for this hazardous duty. A small child will hurt you. Sometimes badly. He doesn't mean too, but he can. The u...