Rainy Day Parenting

The weather's cooled, and the rhythmic hush of a slow rainfall is reminding me of the last time I was free and clear of a daily grind.  I must have been about sixteen when I last had the chance to sit back and enjoy a rainy summer's day without the worry of a job I needed to go to, or the guilt of not finding summer employment quickly enough once school was out.  If only stay-at-home-dad were in the cards for me, my wiring's more in tune with this pace than any other.  Paternity leave is the next best thing, I guess.

Fia's growing right on schedule.  Rae and I are perpetually enthralled with her new sounds and expressions.  These really are the best times; who knew that a coo could warm our spirits, or that a fit of crying could dampen them quite so much.  

We've heard a lot of "oooh wait until she's not so sweet" comments, but these naysayers are out of luck.  Fia is still a calm and happy baby.  She gets a bit fussy at certain times of the day, but she's still pretty chill.  We're lucky to have the support of two parents at home, and Fia's especially lucky that we're not forcing her in to a rigid, un-natural schedule too soon.  She'll have a lifetime of schedules, and she's definitely got her own sleep, poop, eat routine hashed out, so we're not in a huge hurry to impose too much structure.


Neither of us can wait until we can make her laugh.  We were joking today that the creulest irony would be if she turns out too serious - living in constant embarrassment for her goofy parents.  I have a feeling she'll be in like a dirty shirt on some serious family inside joke making, and I look forward to subtly programming her with some quips.  We're seeing plenty of smiles and a few almost laughs, so it won't be long now.