Three years ago, I was a single sports editor at a northern Ohio newspaper. Now, I am married (just celebrated my second wedding anniversary), I have a young daughter, and I am a teacher in California. To say that things change certainly would be an understatement.
My wife Christine and I have now lived in Signal Hill, California, for the last two years. She has a year remaining on her medical residency and I just finished my Single Subject Credential program at California State University, Long Beach. I have taught the last two years at an inner-city middle school.
After my daughter, Sierra, was born on February 2, my wife and I realized the importance of having family around our daughter. The problem was that both of our families live 2,000 miles away back in Ohio. However, we are very blessed. We had family members taking care of little Sierra during the day from February until now. I just finished the school year, so I am Mr. Mom during the rest of the summer.
Correction, I will be Mr. Mom for the next 15 months. My wife and I talked and agreed that I should stay home with Sierra for the next year while Christine finishes her medical residency. It will be a new experience for me and quite an opportunity. We will be moving back to the Cincinnati, Ohio, area in the summer of 2008. The plan is that I will resume my teaching career when we return.
But until then, I will be teaching my little girl (and learning too!). This is a new experience for me. I'm sure I will run into issues I never thought of. I'm sure I will never, NEVER, get used to changing dirty diapers. I'm sure I will always be knocked off my feet whenever little Sierra smiles at me. And I'm quite sure this will be the most extraordinary experience of my life.
Sierra will be five months old on July 2. My goal of this blog is to chronicle this learning experience. I will share the tough spots as well as the wonderful moments; the funny with the sad. I don't know how often I'll be able to update the blog (whenever Sierra gives me the time to do so), but I will try to do it often. This girl is absolutely amazing and I am looking forward to this gift of a year with my little girl.
And so it begins ...
1 comment:
What a wonderful experience for both you and Sierra. Fathers are an integral part of their children's lives, growth; and too many do not have this emotional presence, let alone the physical.
You have embarked on the greatest journey, and if you have ever felt the awesome responsibility of raising a child, surely that will be tenfold in the year to come.
To say I am proud of you is quite an understatement. To sacrifice one's own desires for the life of another is the best we can do. Godspeed on your journey through fatherhood, my dearest son. You will now know firsthand, as I have -- and still do -- the great joy in being a parent.
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