Joys of Parenting

I was once told by a couple that "Parenting is the hardest job you will ever do, and the best." They were right.

I am a parent. (I'm a dad; that's my job.)

I enjoy being a parent. I do not always enjoy parenting, but I do enjoy being a parent.

Ryan at birth 30-Mar-92	Kira at birth 31-Aug-97

I am currently the parent of a boy, aged five (going on twelve) and a brand new baby girl.

Children are a wonder to watch. Watching infants and toddlers watching human minds construct themselves. They very much construct themselves; as much as you try to mold them, each child has the seeds of their own person.

This becomes apparent much sooner than I would have thought. When my son was born, I thought I would have to wait some 18 months until I had a being I could interact with. However, within a few months he began to notice his environment, and I could interact with him (get smiles and various happy cooing noises) by being in that environment. He began to react to what we were saying (meanings, not just sounds) at around 9 months, and uttered his first words at 10 months (Dada, Uh-oh, bah (bottle), and finally Mama).