One month down….still breathin!
Just to be clear….im referring to myself in the title. Although Gavin does enter the “purple zone” from time to time which is semi alarming to see your son change color and stop breathing in an attempt to cry so hard that his diaper is ready to melt right off. But alas, he farts, I shit….and he’s back to normal.
I am proud of myself though. One month in and I’m feeling quite good about the daddio gig thus far. I have a tremendous sidekick in Nicole so my work is really quite easy by comparison but nonetheless, challenging and constantly enlightening. Here’s what light bulbs have gone off so far in my short trek down fatherhood lane;
- He will pee when you change his diaper and it’s really not a big deal because his wee wee points at his own face, not yours. (Use the wipey method to cover it up, unless he’s bad….then don’t)
- As mentioned, he cries sometimes to the point of color change. Not fatal.
- Poop doesn’t smell. Yet.
- Farts sound like they come from an adult. No smell but they scare him and make him cry. Ironic how life will change.
- Check to make sure the diaper is on right…backwards or tucked in leg flaps are a recipe for disaster…..and disasters will strike your hands and pant legs if you let them.
- Playing the bongos with his back is a fun way to teach rhythm, burp him and avoid shoulder spit up… Hands, no sticks.
- He thinks my shoulder has a nipple. …my shoulder doesn’t have a nipple.
- Hiccup’s can last forever and although his entire body seems to implode on each one…thus crushing his innerds, his organs remain functional.
- Is that a smile or a “im pushin one out” face?….sometimes the answer is quite apparent.
- Nothing I can possibly do is better than milk.
My list grows by the minute and in its own unique way, it reminds me of the uncomfortable, yet thrilling emotion I felt when living abroad. I’m in unfamiliar waters here without much else to save me but Nicole and her magic milk. So, each day we carry on together and know that through all the purple colored musical butthole back bongo nipple eating milky pukes, we love our son and hope he’s having as much fun as we are 😉
I hope farts make you laugh too.
Adam(Dad)
Keep exploring
Intentionally and incrementally. Most families who live this way did not leap from conventional to adventurous overnight. They built remote work capacity, paid down debt, tested longer trips, and had increasingly honest conversations about what they actually want from their lives. The leap feels bigger from outside than from inside.
Different for every family. For some it is long-term travel. For others it is weekend adventures close to home. What connects them is intentionality about how time is spent and a preference for experiences over accumulation. The version that fits your family is the right one.
By finding stability within the adventure rather than treating them as opposites. Routines, rituals, and family rhythms travel with you. Familiar foods, bedtime routines, and predictable family dynamics provide stability even when the location changes. Kids need consistency in relationships more than consistency in geography.
That people are fundamentally similar across cultures in what they want for their families. That comfort zone is a smaller circle than it feels from inside. That the things worth having in life require effort and discomfort to get. And that time together doing hard interesting things is the most reliable source of family closeness.
By getting clear on why you made the choices you made and returning to that clarity when the outside noise gets loud. Most families living unconventionally describe an initial period of explaining themselves that gradually gives way to just living the life. The explaining becomes less necessary as the results become visible.
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so cute! love the glasses! LOL
It does get better after while, but I do understand. They fart, they cry, they sneeze they cry, and sometimes they even cry when you sneeze. (at least my son did at that age)