Better Now

I had to buy a book for an online class I have to take. It was $140.00. On the way back from the bookstore, I got stuck in traffic. I was in a pretty foul mood when I got home. Baby J sat with me. Smiled. Drooled. Tried to stand up. Fell on her butt.

I feel a lot better now.

Listening To: Everywhere and Right Here by The Six Part Seven

War on Worry

I haven't been a parent for too long but what I learned right away is that being a parent is all about worry. I worry morning, noon, and night now.

• Is she sleeping enough?
• Is she eating the right foods?
• Am I too rough when changing her?

Couple that with the crap you hear in the news and it's enough to make you want to build a bunker somewhere.

• Will my child be abducted like that Jaycee girl in Lake Tahoe?
• Will the South Koreans launch a nuclear warhead at the nursery?
• Will the Taliban capture her and force her to wear a burqa?

Theoretically, I could spend the rest of my life worrying my way from one thing to another as I chase after Baby J trying to put another sweater on her so she isn't too cold. But I guess she would grow to resent my being overprotective and I would miss out on enjoying all the cool things kids do because I'm too busy fretting. So I wage war on worry. It pushes itself into the forefront of my brain and I push it back. I watch 60 Minutes and it gains ground. I blow raspberries on my baby's belly and the worry shrinks back a bit.

Listening To: Innervisions by Stevie Wonder

Nightmare Overalls

I'm very curious to see what I'll be like when my year long stint as a stay-at-home dad is over. I have this nightmarish vision of my future self in my head. I know it's not going to happen but I see myself wearing denim overalls with Winnie the Pooh embroidered over the pocket on the front. I have jowls and I'm so out of shape I can't chase down Baby J as she scampers about from electric socket to electric socket.

My nightmare overalls look something like this

It could happen but chances are it's just an image that my brain has conjured up to ensure that I keep exercising regularly. A worry to keep me working out.

Listening To: Industry Giants by Superdrag

***The First Post***

Early this morning, a bright yellow bus chugged up the hill and collected the neighborhood kids. First day of school for them. My wife's at work today. Baby J's down for a morning nap. It seems as good a day as any to begin my stay-at-home-dad journal.

Listening To: Utonian Automatic by Isotope 217