Welcome to the launch of iVegasFamily, a blog about the trials and tribulations of parenthood as well as random thoughts from the perspective of a Las Vegas dad. Many of you are familiar with this blog's predecessor and the enormous amount of time and energy I devoted to posting my opinions and positive and negative experiences as a first time parent. With this fresh start, I hope to accomplish the same, with hopefully some improvement. The fact that many of my regular readers have joined me at this new site is a tremendous source of encouragement.
*I'll be especially grateful if you all resubscribe to my feed.With this blog written from a dad's point of view and the fact that we're approaching Father's Day weekend, I thought it would be fitting to write an inaugural post about fatherhood and what it means to me. I'm also writing about the subject as part a contest over at
Discovering Dad. Although it would be great to win, the experience of being a father is truly an award in itself. I feel privileged to be a father.
I never imagined how challenging and rewarding fatherhood could be until I had the opportunity to first experience it with the birth of Z-Dub a little over two years ago. The night we brought him home remains one of the most memorable. Needless to say, we had no clue what we were doing and sleep was unattainable. But the challenges of those first experiences were, and continue to be, greatly surpassed by the tremendous joy our son has brought to my life, as well as HotMomma's. My love for him has never wavered and never will.
During HotMomma's pregnancy I envisioned what it would be like. I'd have this little person to care for, making sure he's protected, nurtured and loved until he eventually becomes an independent and self-sufficient young adult. Needless to say, I was a bit frightened by the whole thing. Would I be good at it? Luckily I've managed and the role of father has turned out to be so much more than just the care of a helpless being. It has been a tremendous learning experience not only for Z-Dub, but also for me. That is why learning is exactly what fatherhood means to me. It may seem too simple or obvious to others, but I never realized how much learning potential having a child creates.
One of the most important things we've both learned is patience, although with similar personalities, we both slip up every once in a while. For me it's letting him stop to observe an ant on the sidewalk during our afternoon walk instead of rushing him around the block. It may be just a bug to me, but to Z-Dub it's a remarkable creature to be studied until he's compelled to stomp on it and yell "the ant's dead!" For Z-Dub it's learning to calmly wait his turn when sharing toys with his friends or when he's yearning for a refill of juice in his sippy cup. We've both made great strides in learning to overcome our propensity for impatience.
While patience is important, learning to help others is too. I'm completely committed to playing an active role in the caring of Z-Dub and his future brother or sister (AKA The Fetus). Whether it's changing a crappy diaper, supervising shower time or taking Z-Dub to the doctor, I've always participated and often taken the lead with these not-too-glorious jobs. I'm sure HotMomma appreciates the support, but more importantly, I feel it's important that Z-Dub knows that helping others can be rewarding. I also believe that it's important that he knows that both of his parents are devoted to helping him grow and flourish. He learns by example and hopefully will be just as devoted when he has the opportunity to become a parent in very distant future.
Being a father also means learning from others. Blogging as afforded me the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with other dad (and mom) bloggers. They are great sources for information, advice, humor and encouraging commentary that have helped me overcome obstacles. For example, one of our greatest challenges so far has been in the area of discipline. While overall Z-Dub is a well-mannered child, he does have his moments like any other two-year-old. He likes to test our authority, mocking every punishment thrown his way. Timeouts have become the most effective tool, but lately he's laughed at the prospect of time in the corner. It may be a joke to him, but it's definitely not for us. I've read a lot about the issue on other blogs and have received a lot of advice in the form of comments. We're applying what we've learned and trying new things, such as positive reinforcement, to solidify our authority over our mischievous toddler. I think we're gaining ground in that area.
While learning is an important aspect of fatherhood, it requires an open mind and a willingness to confront what may be deemed as uncomfortable or unmanly. Fathers should be determined to try new things and view them as extraordinary opportunities for self analysis and improvement. Our actions and attitudes towards tasks, responsibilities and roles have a lasting effect on our children. We have an opportunity to help shape them into individuals that are not afraid of taking on challenges and achieving success. I'm confident that my shared learning experiences with Z-Dub will help him become a better human being.
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I'd also like to congratulate Jeremy from
Discovering Dad and his family. Their daughter Caitlin is finally home after spending the first 23 days of her life in a NICU. We wish them the best.
