“Having a staring contest with a newborn is one of the weirdest things you will ever do. And it is highly recommended.”
It’s cliche and just about every parent echoes the sentiment. Once you’ve lived it, you’ll realize that it is completely and utterly true: Kids grow up so quickly!
It boggles the mind to realize that little baby Adalynn entered this world exactly one year ago today and my life has never been the same since. We’ve endured many a sleepless night and the shift to the WAHD lifestyle has wreaked havoc on any semblance of a predictable work schedule. But we’ve also shared many a staring contest and more giggles than I can count.
You might recognize columnist Ross McCammon from his work in Esquire magazine and on Entrepreneur.com. He’s also the author of Works Well With Others, a book that discusses some crucial business skills that everyone should know (and no one ever teaches). The humorous guide offers advice to be confident and authentic, “even when you have no idea what’s going on.”
That’s sounds an awful lot like what it means to be a new mom or a new dad, wouldn’t you say? You want to project this image of confidence and competence, but the truth is that all parents are just winging it. We do our best to adapt to the situation, picking up the skills and knowledge we need along the way. And just when we think we have it all figured out, everything changes again.
But then you get to enjoy those staring contests and you really start to recognize how much they change in just a few short months. Tummy time goes from being the worst thing on Earth to an endearing session of loving eye contact. And it completely melts your heart when you smile at your baby and, for the first time ever, she actually smiles back. Then, she learns to raise her arms, give high fives or clap her hands.
As much as she continues to test my patience and my sanity, Adalynn has also provided me with an intense sense of purpose and an indescribable feeling of joy. Happy birthday, honey. Let’s have some cake.
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