Every now and then I hear from someone I haven’t talked with in a while. Invariably they’ll ask the question, “So how does it feel being a dad?” I usually answer with “it feels pretty good” or a “they still have all their fingers and toes, so I must be doing something right”. To be honest, things are going great. We’ve got a good routine going and the girls are sprouting like weeds. Their first birthday just passed and it’s hard to believe an entire year has gone by. They’ve almost grown 12 inches and quadrupled in weight. We’ve moved past having to feed them with a syringe to giving them table food. I’m certain they’ll be walking any day now.
If there’s anything I feel it’s a greater sense of responsibility. With great power comes…okay, I won’t do it. There is something about having someone who depends on you for everything. And I mean everything. As you can imagine, there are some simple things you just have to do. For one, feed them. They love to eat and they always, well, generally appreciate it. Keeping them dry and poop-free is important as well. They usually need some quiet place to sleep too. None of these are tough to do; you just need to realize that it’ll be a daily activity for you.
Then there’s patience. Babies require an extreme amount of patience. Whether it’s soothing them when they’re upset or picking up their sippy cups after the 7th time they’ve dropped them, you need to be patient. It’s so easy to get upset or breakdown when things get overwhelming. I’ve been there. For the most part, they don’t mean to frustrate you, but sometimes it may come off that way. Then there are other times when you know that you’re being manipulated and you just have to smile. C’mon, a kid less than a year old has you running in circles and you know they love it.
Play time would have to be the most rewarding time with the girls. I get to interact with them and watch how they interact with each other. I’m always trying to come up with more and more creative ways to entertain them. They love it when I crawl around with them and we chase each other. Just the other day I started playing “froggy” with them. Here I am bouncing around the kitchen like an idiot going “ribbit, ribbit” and they just love every minute of it.
I know these responsibilities will continue to evolve over time and I believe we’re prepared for them. We’ll have to see what the next year has in store for us.
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