It’s been a while since I have written a post dedicated to fatherhood, and what better way to return than with a pregnancy announcement?! As with most things, this post got delayed and delayed until we reached the third trimester. Yes, I am announcing on my blog this late in the pregnancy, but such is life with two toddlers and busy job.
That’s right, I am going to have a third kid. Some might say I’m crazy. To that I would say…you may be right. Becoming a father has drastically changed my life, and for the better. I’ve learned so much about myself. I’ve learned to be patient. To think about others and less of myself. I’ve learned about the profound love for a child—and how that can change everything about you, everything around you. I’ve gained a new clarity about my what I want, about what I want for my kids, about who I want them to be around. I’ve learned about a enduring the loss of familial relationships due to estrangement. I’ve never felt as tired as do I now.
I’ve also learned how much I love being a dad. Before kids, I never thought about kids. I would hardly notice my friends and cousins with young children, and I especially couldn’t relate to their parenting journeys. I’ve reached out to friends these past few years and told them such; that I am sorry I couldn’t understand that they were going through, that I get it now, and that I am proud of them. It shouldn’t have taken me becoming a parent to acknowledge that, but it did.
So, my thoughts on having a third kid? Well, I’m overjoyed. My wife and I always figured we would have three children and I feel blessed to be in this position. I am nervous—how will our family dynamics shift? We are in a solid set of routines right now, and my two children are especially close. I don’t like change, either. Knowing now how much a child can change your life, I’m curious as to how a third will shake up our unit. Let’s not forget about the inevitable lack of sleep on the horizon. Both of my kids are currently sleeping well, through the night, on a schedule. A schedule that benefits their sleeping needs and gives us scheduled periods to ourselves. We truly cherish the evenings when it’s quiet and we can relax (or usually, in my case, get back to work for a few hours). The thought of waking up every few hours to feed a newborn takes me back to those early days with each of my two kids, those nighttime cries, stumbling around the dimly-lit rooms, the rocking back and forth with my eyes closed, hoping they will sleep, the bleary-eyed mornings where a whole pot of coffee couldn’t bring me to life. The inevitable return to work, and the feeling like I can barely hold my eyes open while missing all those seconds I am away from them.
As with most things regarding parenthood, it comes with a mixture of emotions, each swelling and breaking, giving to the next wave. I don’t anticipate this blog becoming a “day in the life” type series in this next phase, but I do expect to be writing more on the topic. We recently got a minivan and are thus far really enjoying the #vanlife. I tend to be a little nostalgic when I change vehicles, and I prepared myself to really miss our previous SUV, but the space and smooth ride of the minivan has erased any sort of sadness for our last car. It’s hard to imagine how we squeezed all of our things in our SUV, and it had three rows! If you are on the fence about a van, give in. That’s what parenting is after all, right? Knowing when to give in.
If you’ve been following along for a while (sidenote: this blog just celebrated its first birhday!), you know that I mainly write about relevant Disney news, reviews about my experiences, and guides to the parks, resorts, and restaurants. I am going to keep doing that, especially the guides as I have received a lot of positive responses to those types of articles. I am thinking of starting to blog a little more about what I am up to, what I am working on, and how life is going as a dad. (How often can I say busy or exhausting without being annoying?) I want to share more about those things, as well as my fitness goals, and how I try to stay fit with limited time in the day. It’s not so much that I have fitness advice–I don’t–but more on what I am doing that week, and how each week changes based on my familial and work-related demands. I call it structured chaos. I am also thinking of sharing more about a few writing projects I am working on. We shall see.
Anyways, thanks again for reading. If you’re a father or an expectant father, let me know how you’re doing in the comments. If you want to talk about your latest Disney trip, or discuss any theme parks happenings, let me know.
