New Life

My baby Vivi is a lot of fun and so sweet to hang out with. I spend many weekdays at home taking care of Vivi, editing photos, blogging etc. Most photography sessions are over the weekends, so my wife can take care of little Viv when I go out for work. It’s a really big joy in my life to be able to take care of little Vivi and have her become familiar with me as her father.

I’d say I’m a free spirit, love travel, and enjoying new experiences. I haven’t always been the most responsible person in my twenties, but most people aren’t. Life and my habits improved after I got married. Then, I really began to understand responsibility after the arrival of the newest little member of our family. I’m beginning to see that taking top care of myself is also necessary in order to best provide the proper care for Vivi. If I’m sloppy, careless, or in bad condition, then Vivi is going to be directly affected. She’s going to learn what’s right, wrong, and be guided not just by my words, but, of course, my behavior.

Being a dad is not just about taking care of that new life, it’s about being responsible as a person and watching out for yourself. I now spend more time to take care of issues, rather than just brush them off or pretend like they aren’t there. It’s easier for me to make the right decisions now, especially if I’m thinking about cutting corners. Of course, I’m not perfect, and I don’t need to be – but having this new little person in my life has changed me in unexpected ways.

It’s an awesome experience to be a dad. I was never really a big baby kind of guy, but I have a great time with little Vivi – it’s easy for me to appreciate other’s babies as well. Being a parent makes patience a necessity – everything takes longer than it used to, meal times are often delayed, and sleep isn’t the same ever again. It’s an all or nothing kind of change – everything changes.

I don’t know if I’d say that I was ready for the baby – there’s not really an easy way to define that kind of preparation because a lot of it is unknown. It’s a big learning process. Fortunately, I felt like the best thing I could do is be patient and flexible. With any major change, it was really hard at first – especially the first three months. However, life is on an upswing and I feel better than I have in a long time. Responsibility helps develop character, and I’m happy with where I am right now.

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