It's funny, as
I posted a couple pics of Vienna on FaceBook I
started by saying, "I don't want to be
THAT dad, but..." and of course everyone was
sweet and said: "BE THAT DAD!!" The
truth is though, I would share this pic if it wasn't
my kid...
...and that's what
I meant by "that dad". Sharing too many
pics. Too much video that all looks the same. Now,
I will TAKE more photos/video than any father
ever has (looking up harddrive space as we speak), but
sharing them with everyone 24-7 is exactly what
I don't want to do. However personally? She will
be our life. Without a doubt.
I mean,
breathtaking really doesn't seem to be an
overstatement. There have been moments this weekend
that have instantly brought me to weeping tears. I
have to try and compose myself, take a breath, and
keep going. This is one of those images. Luckiest man
on earth... all of that. Every cliche there is.
I just never thought this image would be part of
my life. I was so hardened, so certain... and here it
is. My wife holding our daughter and me holding back
every tear if only to take the next picture.
So here's how
Vienna's first day on the planet finished. FaceTime
with my parents, lookin' all OVER the place, and
absolute joy. :)
Oh how I will
cherish these videos...
So the weekend has
been a whirlwind as you never really sleep.
Feeding & changing and soothing. It still
feels like a privilege... of course ask me in a couple
months. :-) Breastfeeding is proving difficult as she
has a hard time latching and prefers her own hand
(sigh). May have to move to the bottle quicker than
we'd like, but we're still meeting with the lactation
consultants on the best approach. But for the most
part it's been long days, long nights and wonderful
visits from friends and family. Figured I'd share a
few of the pics...
Lotsa downtime in
the hospital. :-)
Look at those
eyes...
Not sure if you
could make it out in the video, but Jimmy most definitely tells
her: "Go Bucks"
Phyllis, Talya's
grandmother on her mother's side...
Tracey, Talya's
Aunt...
Laura was happy to
finally be at this hospital as a visitor! She's kickin' cancer's
BUTT.
I'll never forget
this moment... first time she looked at me and the world while
I held her.
We found that a
"white noise" ap did wonders for calming her to sleep. Yay
iPhone.
Didn't even know
they made "day at a glance" calendars
anymore...
Had a couple
people mention how little I was in the videos and
pictures and, well, they're my memories... and
I never see me. Heh. You know? This is how I'll
remember that day. There will be plenty more pics and
video of me to come.
And although there
will be more moments this month (driving her home, my
mom visiting) I do intend to keep this squarely
focused on career as well as life. All babies are
cute, they all do "amazing" things and I want to
document things as uniquely as possible. Hope I've
done that so far. I've never seen a
"go-pro" birth. Don't see a whole lot of "meme"
pics of people's kids ala:
That smile looks
so fake. LOL.
So I'm gonna try
my best to document everything with a different spin
than most. In future entries I'll delve into the
psyche of being a hands-on dad, the insanity of the
"Nature Nazis" that pressure you throughout these
phases... and the subtle changes that shape my
character. For now, I enjoy the last night in the
hospital as tomorrow begins a whole new chapter at
home.
These are
the greatest days of my life...
...only to
be replaced as the days pass.
Happy Birthday
Vienna. Not sure how we'll top this. ;-)
