Tuesday Thoughts on Babies and Perseverance (#60)
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Hi there,
It's been a crazy few months but my and Tiffany's little girl, Cadence Noel has arrived (and is now actually FIVE weeks old).
I have 13 nephews and nieces, several of which I helped raise, and yet parenting is an experience I didn't fully understand until it happened to me. I'm not a fan of babies, but I'm a fan of MY baby...
I've gained a few fatherly insights:
We're born not knowing how to eat or poop. These are things we need to learn. Expanding upon that, how much of our worldview or *inborn* knowledge are actually things we've learned along the way?
A little bit of confidence goes a long way. That and the 5S's (Swaddle, Side/Stomach, Swing, Sound, Suck) have been clutch in raising The Happiest Baby on the Block.
Parenting is a team game. Especially when you have half a working brain between both parents at 3 am. Or need your partner to swoop in and save your last nerve.
It takes a village. Whether it's having meals delivered or grandmas providing some much-needed relief during the day, it's all been life-saving.
Always have a fresh diaper at the ready. (And, I'm grateful I have a girl. Her shot radius is much smaller.)
Never underestimate the value of alone time.
Parenting is not for the weary. Tiffany and I are both mature and well-situated financially. I couldn't imagine doing this broke or alone.
For those of you who are parents, what would be your one tip to a set of new parents?
Making a Racket with Reddy
A few weeks before the baby was born, I did my first podcast interview (?) and made a seven-minute recording with Ritesh. He is the master of play and we had a good time doing just that.
Let me know what you think. I should probably just stick to writing? ;-)
Persistence Wins the Day
The Olympics create an environment ripe for heroes to emerge. Hildilyn Diaz officially arrived, winning the Philippines' first gold medal in the process.
Just the back-and-forth of this year's Olympics was quite a story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5yQvJCkr3Y
Gratitude
I'm going to end the newsletter a little differently today, with gratitude:
My wife, Tiffany. We've been through a lot with our current and future "project" literally growing daily.
My parents and mother-in-law. They're always just a phone call away when we need a rescue.
David, Robert, and Jon for checking in on me these last few trying weeks.
Alyce, Bryce, Charlie, Florian, Jen, Matt, Nate, and Stew for motivating me to write at least twice a week.
Until next time, keep baby stepping to be a little bit better every day.
Scott
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