Don’t Be Afraid of Parenthood

Don’t Be Afraid of Parenthood

Referring to the months leading up to the Hammer’s arrival as “stressful” is a massive understatement.

I was out of my mind with anxiety, from worries about future restrictions on money and and sleep and time, to concerns about both the baby’s and Mom and Buried’s health, to wondering how I would possible survive the post-delivery ban on sex, my mind was overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty.

Now, of course – exactly as I kept telling myself it would be all along (to little avail) – everything is fine.

Read more about Don’t Be Afraid of Parenthood

The Agony of Colic

The Agony of Colic

In its darkest moments, parenting boils down to two emotions.

Once you muffle the laughter and the joy – and let’s be real here, in the face of the day-to-day grind that is raising children, the laughter and the joy are already often muffled by the frustration and the exhaustion – two feelings come to the fore over and over again. Two feelings that, on your worst days, overwhelm everything else.

Being a parent is largely about guilt and fear, even when it should be about neither.

Read more about The Agony of Colic

His Brother’s Keeper?

His Brother’s Keeper?

If things go according to plan, today will be my last day as the father of an only child. More importantly, tomorrow will be the first day of my son’s life as a big brother.

While Mom and Buried and I are learning all over again what it’s like to live with a newborn, my son will be exploring the brave new world of being a big brother. There will be jealousy. There will be territorial spats. Eventually, if his relationship with his brother is anything like every other sibling relationship, there will be wrestling.

Hopefully, there will not be blood.

Read more about His Brother’s Keeper?

Hitting the Reset Button

Hitting the Reset Button

Five years ago, two weeks before Detective Munch was born, I wrote a post about whether I felt ready to be a parent. I did not feel ready. I knew nothing about babies, and the fact that I thought babies were the hard part proves I knew nothing about parenting.

In that sense, nothing has changed. I still don’t know what I’m doing, and it’s been long enough since I’ve held a newborn and changed a diaper that I might as well be starting over.

Next week, after five years of being a dad and (give-or-take) four years since I’ve had a baby to care for, we’re hitting the reset button.

Read more about Hitting the Reset Button

e9afe31c5a7577fdf2fc8f15bd5008856c363ba4adcd73a03f