Fatherhood

Patrick's routine generally has him napping at just before noon each day. He gets some food in him and crashes. We decided to take advantage of that today. We got up and got ready for the day ... Jen took him for a walk around ten in the morning; anticipating him getting hungry around eleven. We were right ... The entire family piled into the car around noon ... a bit later than we expected, but still able to enjoy the day. Then, we drove ... twenty minutes later he was out. Jen and I explored our town ... for almost two hours we drove until he woke up. We found a store that Jen wanted to check out ... children's clothing. That's OK on a family day! Patrick enjoyed checking out all the clothing and got a chance to stretch his legs. For some reason, he liked the knit hat with three eyes ... although, we couldn't get him to wear it until I pulled it down so it covered his eyes; not too practical for winter. Then, it was time for food ... chicken, ketchup, an...

What a glorious afternoon ... It was a simple day, a Saturday, with nothing to do. Just me ... my son, and my wife. And, we did nothing ... OK, maybe a bit of television and a few diaper changes. Showers and a bath, but nothing more than that. Then, we got to the late afternoon and Patrick kind of went ballistic ... crying, no screaming ... We tried several things and I finally carried him to our bedroom where I started to bounce him ... the tears faded ... and bounce him, some more ... and he simply whimpered ... and bounced him, some more. Eventually, he fell asleep and, minus a quick shift to the center of the bed, he slept soundly for several hours. ... what a glorious afternoon.

Mama and I were trying to get ready for the day. Having a little boy in the mix certainly makes this a longer, more interesting process than it ever was when we were single (and I use to wonder what took Jen so long to get ready ... six hours today). I had him, playing on the bed, as we approached his nap time. He was diving on pillows, trying to give me a heart-attack as he tried repeatedly to topple off the bed. Eventually, he dropped over my legs and I bounced him for a bit (not too long ... need to work on those abs). I grabbed him and flipped him to the other side of the bed and began to pat him on the back. Within seconds he was asleep ... two hour nap! Then, the day began ...

Tired this afternoon I lay down for a nap... Patrick was right next to me. Several hours later, I got up ... with my son sitting up next to me. While both of us were a bit bleary-eyed, we both felt much better. Dinner was accompanied by grandma and papap ... what more can you ask for in a day! What an amazing feeling ... such a little man enjoying time with his father!

Yesterday was a long work day ... I would have said a long day at work, but I was there, headed home, then had to return in the evening to work with the evening shift. I got home early in the afternoon and basically did nothing. I tried to nap ... to no avail. When Jen got home with Patrick, I basically had time to eat dinner, then head out the door again. The truly painful part was Patrick and Jen standing on the front porch ... with Patrick screaming, reaching for me as I drove off. I heard his screams until I well out of sight. According to Jen, as soon as he realized I was not coming back right away, he stopped yelling ... turned around and started playing with the doorbell and the screen door. His discomfort lasted significantly less than mine did ... I was ready to head home for hours. What focus!