the BIG news

The earth-quaking news that I have yet even to peep about is that just under two months ago I became a DAD! Abby was born Oct 27th after 13 hours of labour, 4 hours of pushing, and a C section, and she weighed in at 8lbs 10oz.

...and here are some things I have learned so far:

1) no one can tell you what it's going to be like; or rather, they will try, but either they'll be wrong or you won't understand them until it happens

2) you will come face-to-face with the worst version of yourself, selfish & impatient, and you will watch yourself acting in ways you find both deplorable and amazing.

3) babies don't have nighttime routines. You desperately want them to, but they don't. Every night is a new scenario, and while sometimes they will sleep for a whole 6 hours at a stretch, if you try to count on that it will inevitably become a 3-hour-sleep night.

4) poopy diapers suck for all involved.

...I dunno. I've been resisting making this inaugural baby entry because I knew it would fall short in so many ways... being a dad is really wonderful, though completely surreal, and I know this is my paradigm so of course I think like this, but babies are SO miraculous - more so in light of the way we know procreation works - that I'm stunned anyone who's a parents doubts the existence of a God. Seriously. Like, eleven months ago this person didn't exist! Not even a little bit! and now here she is, fully formed, with a will and a consciousness, and she's half my genes and half my wife's... it's just mind-blowing!

so. Now that I've broken the ice I'm sure there will be more daddy entries.