Fatherhood

Last night, we found that Patrick's little Leap Frog Fire Engine was broken. Well ... basically, the batteries corroded and it no longer worked ... played music and honked. Thinking that it was a pretty simple design, I decided to take it apart to see if I could clean the leads and possibly get it working again.  As I removed the dozen or so one-inch screws, Patrick decided to step in and help. With Patrick's help (Mama's distracting him at key moments), I managed to get the steering wheel disconnected and the wheels out to finally get it apart ... basically to find that the sections I needed into were deeper inside (more screws ... more complications). I decided to let it be and search for a few one later. Today, I searched ... and searched ... and searched (yes, I teach computers and pride myself on being able to locate just about anything ... a detailed knowledge of databases helps).  Apparently, it was a limited release and I really didn't find anything ...

Not LOUD sounds ... this article is about the gentle sounds of an infant or toddler. Before Patrick was born, I got to hear his heart beat for the first time at the doctor's office ... it stunned me. Here was a new life that Jen and I had created, developing right before us. Then, after he was born we hear a new sound while he was feeding. It can only be described as a coo of contentment. That soft gentle sound was a happy loving noise. As he developed, he started to make noises ... nothing coherent, but we all heard the Mama, Papap, Grandma, and Papas in the noises he was offering. Recently, he has been trying to mimic our noises: a rough "grrr" in his throat as we make engine sounds, "boo" when asked to say thank you. Tonight, he had us in stitches as he realized he could put his lips on his mother's arm and blow ... the constant (over several minutes) "brrappp" had us almost in tears we were laughing so hard. Of course, I had to ...

No, not me ... Patrick. OK, not really Patrick ... only a comparison. Since he started walking, I've realized there are many similarities. Oh, and when I mentioned this article to Jen, she told me to tell you, "Our son is not a zombie."  No, he's not ... and, he has the same amazing heart I fell in love with in his mother. But ... back to the zombie ... It started when I was watching him walk. He had only started walking the day before ... lurching steps, arms out and occasionally falling down. He is always heading for or following one of us. Then I realized he bites like one, too. Right along with this one is the insatiable appetite. Now, I'll be laughing even harder the next time I see him with pizza sauce and ketchup all over his face. As his cousin pointed out, he often sounds like a zombie, too ... Zombies never leave you alone for long and take the most inopportune moment to make their presence know. Neither cares what they are wearing ... ...

I remember finding out my wife was pregnant; it was uplifting and a bit terrifying at the same time.  A few months later, hearing his heartbeat through the fetal monitor, I was amazed that it could move so fast.  That was the point I think I truly realized where we were headed.  I began to think about what our child's life was to be life ... Throughout Patrick's life, there have been many firsts ... some would say they are all firsts, but these are the ones that locked in as a memory (for me). I can still distinctly remember the first sounds Patrick made when he was being fed ... how can any of us that heard it ever forget that coo.  Not long after that, we got to see his first smile for his grandmother. Neither are we likely to ever forget the effort put in to getting him to crawl.  I do believe he knew what we were doing and just waited for us to let our guard down.  He did eventually get moving, in his own time ... and most likely won't be ...