Father's Day

     Today is Father's Day, which is a day that typically passes without my knowing.  My own father divorced my mother when I was two years old, and I only have a handful of memories of meeting him throughout my life.  My mother re-married when I was about 10 years old, but my step-father was pretty disinterested in me, and we never really did any father-daughter type stuff.  The last time I saw him was when I was 18; I had been kicked out of the house while still in high school and I ran into him at the grocery store.  He asked me how college was.  He died about eleven years ago, and I did not find out until last year.  That's how close we were, and how close my family is in general.

This is the only photo I have of my father.  I found it on Facebook.

This is the only photo I have of my deceased step-dad.

     Despite my poor, or basically non-existent relationships with the father-type figures in my life, I don't really feel upset or bitter about any of it.  In fact, I can't really identify any strong emotions that I have toward either of these men.  It's almost as though I read about them years ago in a magazine article that I vaguely recall, they are that far removed from any center of emotion or personal feeling for me.  So, I generally don't give Father's Day a second thought.  Until this year. 
     I got up early this morning and went for a 13 mile run with our dog.  While on the bike path, on our way to the trail, I overheard some people talking about Father's Day, and it occurred to my that our soon-to-be-born son may very well one day become a father.  That's pretty mind-blowing to think of, especially since he is still a fetus.  According to our baby development phone app, he is currently the length of an ear of corn and weighs about 1.5 pounds.  But that little baby is growing.  And he will continue to grow until one day, he may be bigger than me.  It is my every hope that we will raise our son to have a healthy perspective on family and relationships, to realize that he matters and that he can create happiness with others.  I want for him to grow up strong and healthy, and if he chooses to raise a family of his own, I want him to be a great dad who enjoys each Father's Day by spending it with his child(ren).  
     I don't even know what our son looks like yet, but as I ran, I tried to imagine him as an adult, an wondered what kind of a person he will be.  I followed the river, looked at birds that flew over head, and I felt such happiness knowing that one day, I will take our son on this trail first in a papoose, then in a stroller, then on foot or bike, and maybe, perhaps, one day, he will lead a child down that same trail on Father's Day, wearing a big smile.  
     

He's Kicking!

     I finally got to feel our little one kick, and I am so excited for that.  We were sitting at home yesterday evening before going to bed, and I was in a goofy mood so I started singing a song I remember from childhood, The Story About Sammy.  My wife rolled her eyes and said, "Oh no!"  Of course, I wanted to continue torturing her, so I said that even if she didn't want to hear me sing the song, the baby most certainly did!  I got my phone, and searched for the song online.  Once I found it, I placed the phone next to her belly and pushed play.
     "Oh, great, you woke him up!" she said.  "He likes it!" I said.  To add to the fun, I made some fart noises near her belly by blowing air onto my arm.  Well, like most little kids, apparently our little one thinks this is hilarious.  He started kicking.  He's kicked before, but this time he kicked hard enough for me to feel him.  I was so happy to finally get to feel him move.  I think we will have to have a lot more silly songs and fart sounds very soon!

Fast Fetus!

I am so excited for our little one to be born this October.  And though he is still a tiny fetus, I am already proud of him.  

This past Saturday, my wife ran the Evaro Mountain Challenge 5K while 5 months pregnant.  That alone is an astounding feat in my opinion.  But, to top it off, she placed 2nd!  I think our little one will be fast!

We are very committed to doing the best that we can to teach our son that good health is important.  We will do everything that we can to encourage the development of good mental health, active physical health, and positive eating habits that we hope will give him a lifetime of happiness.  I can hardly wait to see who he will become!