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We’re almost 12 weeks into this adventure of parenthood and our memories of this time will be good ones.  But that’s not because it’s easy.  It has been a rough road not only because of the late nights, early mornings, long days at work, and just general life disruption but also because it strains your mind and puts stress on your relationship with your partner.  You tend to have a short temper and get into meaningless arguments during situations.  We’ve found that we’re fortunate enough to be able to work through and realize what’s going on so we can just get through whatever difficulty we’re dealing with.

We’re also thankful for the unquantifiable help we’ve received from friends, family, and neighbors.  There’s no way we could have gotten this far on our own.  And to be able to sleep through most nights so I can go to work mostly refreshed has been pretty good.  Lex is really taking our challenge on with vigor and heart.

It’s nice to get quiet time like this when I can reflect on what it means to be a father.  The boys are sleeping, Lex is sleeping, and the warm glow of my monitors accompany me through my mental hallows before I call it a night, too.  I seem to look at other people differently now.  An understood respect seems to push it’s way out when I know the person I’m engaged with is also a parent.  My friends who aren’t quite at this stage in their lives yet are still as important but somehow they are different for not having yet been through the rite of passage of parenthood.  Obviously, it’s a strange feeling that’s tough to nail down into words, but it’s there.

Each time I get a smile, or any calculated reaction, it drives home the fact that one day they’ll look up at me and call me Dad.  That’s what I look forward to and provides the motivation that gets me through the night.