I don't normally get personal with my writings, but as my first child was born 6.5 weeks ago and Father's Day was celebrated last Sunday, I thought I'd provide just a few random comments on what I've learned to this point.
Breastfeeding in public may be uncomfortable, but is essential
The debate has grown on the morality of breastfeeding in public in recent years. Well, 6.5 weeks in, I can tell you there really is nothing to debate. While watching mothers breastfeed their babies in public might be uncomfortable to some of us outsiders, it's essential. What are mothers supposed to do, just stay at home all day every day? What are babies supposed to do? Refrain from exhibiting any signs of hunger while outside of the home? Yeah, good luck with that! Trust me, while seeing women publicly breastfeed may not be comfortable for you, it's far less uncomfortable than the alternative option - a baby constantly crying harder than a man losing a bet on Super Bowl Sunday while on his period!
Babies are dictators
No, I'm not calling babies Stalin or Hitler, but let's just call it for what it is. Babies get what babies want. Babies call the shots. Our schedules fully revolve around babies. When they sleep, we better sleep. When they want to eat, we better feed them. When they poop, yes, we better change them. When babies want to be held, Vegas says the odds are about 1:1 that we're going to hold them. Yes, this may be why the man-baby in the Oval Office tends to get what he wants...
Its surrealism puts Dali and Lynch to shame
Many people have told me having a baby is the best time in one's life. Others have declared that it's the most frightening moment of a person's life. Yes, there's been some overlap. For me, though, yes, it's both exciting and frightening, but the first word that comes to mind is surreal. The entire experience has been like that. Sure, we all know the technicalities of how babies are made, but it's drastically different to actually experience the entire process firsthand. At a certain point, it appeared as though there was an alien infested in my girlfriend's stomach. Then watching a being come out of her added to the surreality. Every now and again, I just have to rub my eyes, look over, and think to myself, "Really? I helped create this baby boy? He's a part of me, literally?" The whole experience is amazing to the point of unbelievable. It's next to impossible to describe. It's so surreal, it places the likes of Salvador Dali and David Lynch to shame.
Sleep is overrated
I love sleep more than anyone not named Rip Van Winkle. The past 6.5 weeks, though, have taught me, that while sleep may be important, it's vastly overrated. It doesn't seem to matter how little sleep parents get, they (we) find a way to push through all of the days tasks and obstacles. As I became a young adult, I often wondered how in the world parents were able to be full-time parents and full-time students and/or employees. Honestly, I'm still not sure how it's done, but it is. It's just one of those things that seems to defy logic.
Women/Mothers are magicians
As a child, it was difficult for me to empathize with what any parent had to go through during the child-rearing process, but especially mothers. As an adult, while it may be impossible for me to literally know what a woman goes through during and after pregnancy, I'd like to think I at least have a better idea. Now, after seeing firsthand what women go through during this process, I have to say women/mothers are magicians. I don't know how they do it. If the roles were reversed, humankind would have gone extinct centuries ago, because I don't think men could have done it. From all the pain and discomfort they endure during the pregnancy to all the aftereffects of the birth to having a baby depend on them for their health and well-being and having to multitask that with who knows how many others responsibilities throughout the course of their days, mothers are fricking incredible. If one gender is able to defy logic, it's them, and it's not even close.
Breastfeeding in public may be uncomfortable, but is essential
The debate has grown on the morality of breastfeeding in public in recent years. Well, 6.5 weeks in, I can tell you there really is nothing to debate. While watching mothers breastfeed their babies in public might be uncomfortable to some of us outsiders, it's essential. What are mothers supposed to do, just stay at home all day every day? What are babies supposed to do? Refrain from exhibiting any signs of hunger while outside of the home? Yeah, good luck with that! Trust me, while seeing women publicly breastfeed may not be comfortable for you, it's far less uncomfortable than the alternative option - a baby constantly crying harder than a man losing a bet on Super Bowl Sunday while on his period!
Babies are dictators
No, I'm not calling babies Stalin or Hitler, but let's just call it for what it is. Babies get what babies want. Babies call the shots. Our schedules fully revolve around babies. When they sleep, we better sleep. When they want to eat, we better feed them. When they poop, yes, we better change them. When babies want to be held, Vegas says the odds are about 1:1 that we're going to hold them. Yes, this may be why the man-baby in the Oval Office tends to get what he wants...
Its surrealism puts Dali and Lynch to shame
Many people have told me having a baby is the best time in one's life. Others have declared that it's the most frightening moment of a person's life. Yes, there's been some overlap. For me, though, yes, it's both exciting and frightening, but the first word that comes to mind is surreal. The entire experience has been like that. Sure, we all know the technicalities of how babies are made, but it's drastically different to actually experience the entire process firsthand. At a certain point, it appeared as though there was an alien infested in my girlfriend's stomach. Then watching a being come out of her added to the surreality. Every now and again, I just have to rub my eyes, look over, and think to myself, "Really? I helped create this baby boy? He's a part of me, literally?" The whole experience is amazing to the point of unbelievable. It's next to impossible to describe. It's so surreal, it places the likes of Salvador Dali and David Lynch to shame.
Sleep is overrated
I love sleep more than anyone not named Rip Van Winkle. The past 6.5 weeks, though, have taught me, that while sleep may be important, it's vastly overrated. It doesn't seem to matter how little sleep parents get, they (we) find a way to push through all of the days tasks and obstacles. As I became a young adult, I often wondered how in the world parents were able to be full-time parents and full-time students and/or employees. Honestly, I'm still not sure how it's done, but it is. It's just one of those things that seems to defy logic.
Women/Mothers are magicians
As a child, it was difficult for me to empathize with what any parent had to go through during the child-rearing process, but especially mothers. As an adult, while it may be impossible for me to literally know what a woman goes through during and after pregnancy, I'd like to think I at least have a better idea. Now, after seeing firsthand what women go through during this process, I have to say women/mothers are magicians. I don't know how they do it. If the roles were reversed, humankind would have gone extinct centuries ago, because I don't think men could have done it. From all the pain and discomfort they endure during the pregnancy to all the aftereffects of the birth to having a baby depend on them for their health and well-being and having to multitask that with who knows how many others responsibilities throughout the course of their days, mothers are fricking incredible. If one gender is able to defy logic, it's them, and it's not even close.
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