You know how people say that everything changes the moment you see your baby for the first time? That you’re filled with overwhelming joy and purpose, and throughout the next few months you walk around in a love soaked stupor fueled by sleep deprivation? Well that’s all complete bullshit. Perhaps some may remember it that way, but what most parents don’t tell you, is that the first few months of having a baby SUUUUUUUCKS, big time. And I don’t simply mean because you’re tired all the time kind of sucks, but like legitimately dislike your baby kind of sucks. I have distinct memories thinking back, that consists more or less, of “Is this really my life now?”
And then around four or five months in, it all starts to change. Baby starts to smile and react. They look less like a shrunken, dehydrated version of you or your alien love child. In short, with luck, they are no longer hangry, squid-like, shit birds (side note: they are still little shit birds, but cute shit birds) and more like tiny humans who are entirely convinced that you’re at least one of the top two people on Earth.
So how does having a kid change your life? Well, for starters, I haven’t seen any of the movies that were nominated for an Oscar this past year. I’ve, for the most part, lost my favorite adventure partner, and now need to schedule activities in advance, as well as know exactly what those little numbers on the bottle nipples mean. Now that might all sound pretty lame, cuz it is, until you consider having a kid as an investment. Yea, I’ve mostly been absent from pop culture for the past year, but I’ve already started playing Josie my favorite music, and watching her respond and react to my favorite songs is like hearing them again for the first time. And while I’m short an adventure partner for the time being, it’s only a matter of time until that -1 turns into a +2. We’ve already successfully completed four consecutive nights camping in the desert, as well as have hiked and skied Empire Bowl at Deer Valley. Not to mention Josie shreds the driveway harder on her giraffe trike than any one-year-old has the right to.
Happy year one Josie May – can’t wait to see what adventures come our way in year two!