Wow. It’s been a month. Yeah yeah - I know… It’s been a lunar month.
4 weeks seems like a long time until you consider how quickly time can pass. I truly feel like I’ve missed 3/4 of it.
Ben is now becoming aware of himself and his surroundings. We know who Mom and Dad are, and love to be cuddled, and to stare at puppies. Despite the fact that we’re completely dependant on Mom and Dad we are starting to understand that we can control our environment a bit. We’ve certainly got a personality and good chunks are coming from Dad because we get frustrated easily, and our mood swings like an axe.
And - Dad has started to refer to Ben as a ‘we’.
It happens. Professional, well spoken and literate members of the male persuasion become baby-talking, babbling, word-in-mouth-putting baby know-it-alls. “Yes honey, he has gas. You should give him (whatever sounds appropriate)…” or “He likes (insert thing you like here…) so try that…”
The reality is - I have missed 3/4 of it. Working full time does not a happy dad make. We (also occasionally referred to as “I”) try to make up for it by spending our (again… “I”) non-working waking moments being HunterGathererDadMan!(TM pending) when in reality - we’re (see? get it?) simply trying to invent all the things that we want to experience first…
“He laughed honey… did you miss it…? Awww… that’s too bad. I’m HunterGathererDadMan!”
“He lifted his head, looked all around the room, and knocked back a bottle of Guinness. Missed that too hon? Aww… I’m HunterGathererDadMan! and I saw it first!”
Now I get those dudes who play stay at home Dad. So jealous…. so very very jealous. I’ve said it before man. Envy is a colour I don’t wear well.
Well old son, join the legion of Dads that are away toiling for the family daily bread and missing the new important movements et all that baby makes. That is I guess the privelege of being a Mom vs: Dad. Hard to believe it has been a month and the little guy is 4 weeks old now. We have had the ‘brag book’ out a lot and everyone comments on what a bright, beautiful little boy you have. We, as grandparents, try to maintain a modest reply to all of this when in actual fact, we want to say HELL YEAH, HE’S OUR GRANDSON! Ben is actually a very placid, well-behaved baby unless he’s changed a lot is 6 days. Bet you can’t remember what you were like at that age……not too different.
I understand how you miss Ben, and they change so quickly at this age, but you are one of the two most important people in his life that he will ever have and you will share many wonderful times with him. I know I did with you.
Goo goo gaahh gahh gaa. can we come out to fish for Pike this weekend? You know, that HunterGathererDadMan!(TM pending) thang… which I’m sure has tones of copyright infringement already with BallusAndChainusManus(TM pending).