I Heart Lists!

Things I never thought about until I became a parent:

1. How different the world will be when Gabe is an adult. The world has changed so much since we were kids. Technology, cartoons, movies, cars... I could go on forever. It's fun, and a little scary to imagine what is to come.
2. I'll never be able to repay my parents. Being a parent is an incredible amount of work and sacrifice (sometimes blood sacrifice). People can tell you that it's hard, but you truly have no idea what it's like until you have a little drool-bot of your own. Parenting is a 24 hour job, especially in the first few months, and it takes everything you have to try to be a good one. Thanks Mom & Dad, I now know it wasn't easy.
3. How much day to day life has changed. No trip is a "quick-trip" anymore. In order for us to go anywhere for over a couple of hours we have to first go down the check list.
   
• Clean and sterilized bottles?
  
• Is the formula container full?
  
• How many diapers do we have in the bag? 3? Not enough, get more.
• Refill portable wipes container.
• Do we have any toys for him in the bag?
• What about a change of clothes (Just in case a Poo Bomb goes off)?
• Baby food?
• Baby Spoon?
• Blanket?
  
• Alright, time to put on his snow suit. (He hates that thing and I don't blame him. He can hardly move in it)
• Once the snow suit is on, we have only a few minutes before he throws a rage-fit...so we go into hyper mode.
• Grocery bags (if we are headed to the store as well)?
• Purse/wallet?
• Keys?
• Abby + Leash + Sweater?
• Then we have to strap him into his car seat, which he really hates. But soon after we start driving he usually falls asleep and we can drive in an exasperated silence with the Postal Service playing in the background
4. How important it is for me to stay healthy and uninjured. Everything I do now affects my family. I was an avid skateboarder all through college which meant an assortment of injuries. If I was to break my wrist or arm, I wouldn't be able to give cello lessons. That would come straight out of my pocket. If I get sick, my ability to be an affective dad goes right out of the window. No one wants to do anything when they are sick, and there are soooo many things to do when you have a baby.
5. How much I love and appreciate my wife. Beth married me, so obviously she loves me. On a daily basis it's easy to take that for granted. When Beth became pregnant, especially when she began to show, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. Her belly was a constant reminder of our love. Here I was, with someone who loved me so much, that she would sacrifice her clothes, her comfort, her body to bring our child into the world. That concept blew my mind every time at looked her. She went through 9 months of the worst heartburn in the history of mankind and 28 hours of labor before Gabe arrived. Gabe is a direct product of our love for each other and it's nice to remember that every once in a while.