A First Father's Day

Safia at 11 weeks 

What a wonderful first father's day.  Ellen carefully and thoughtfully crafted a very special day for me, with many clutch food elements.  Breakfast was huevos rancheros made very much from scratch (sooooo tasty!) and dinner was beer butt chicken on the grill (an homage to my college days that evokes memories of 5-chickens sitting upright on a grill - all with beer cans shoved up their...um...main body cavity).  It turned out fantastically, and we were happy to have friends and family to enjoy it with.  That's right, I said family - my brother, Brent, is here visiting from Boston.  He is Safia's only uncle, and is taking the responsibility seriously.  To tell the truth, we've been laying pretty low and staying indoors as the heat outside continues to be oppressive.

Safia delivering my Father's Day gift.

During dinner last night, Seth asked me if I had anything insights into fatherhood that I had to share, and yes, I did have a few (surprise, surprise).  The gist of it is that I really, really do like being a father.  It's a role that I'm honored to fill.  I am also infinitely thankful for Ellen and her support and patience, and I feel so immensely fortunate to have a daughter that is healthy and happy (most of the time).  I think it's important for me to realize that 98% of the time, Safia is awesome: smiley, squirmy, and snuggly, and it really is only very rarely that she is crying and irritated and gives us any issue at all.  Sure, our life has undergone major shifting and realigning, but it's effort that is well worth it in the end.  I love being a father, and I love watching my daughter grow every step of the way and being a part of her life through the laughter and the tears.