Thoughts on becoming a father

I've never been so tired and yet so happy in all my life.

In February, I became a dad. My wife, Taniya, and I welcomed to the world our daughter, Nayeli. It's amazing how much little babies develop in the first year of life. She adds a new skill almost every day, whether it's learning to roll over, crawl, sit up, mow the lawn, etc.

I guess my wife and I are learning new skills, too, because we have to adapt to each phase of our daughter's development. The more mobile she becomes, the easier it is to find things we don't want her to find. Every day is a new adventure for her, a chance to explore something new.

When she comes across a novel object, her first instinct is to put it in her mouth. I guess it makes sense. How will you know if something is edible if you don't try to eat it?

We just introduced her to solid food about a month ago, and she's loving it. We're lucky in that she hasn't been a picky eater thus far (knock on wood), taking a shine to banana, avocado and carrot. We're still trying to help her funnel the food into her mouth instead smearing it all over her face.

The thing that has surprised us most about her is how much she likes the outdoors. We noticed when she was about 3 or 4 months old that that if we took her outside when she was crying, she would instantly stop. Open the door to go inside and she'd turn the waterworks right back on. We relish the opportunity to go on walks as a family. One of us wears her in a baby carrier, which she's grown to love because she can take in so many sights and sounds. She especially likes watching cars pass on the street and following squirrels as they race up a tree.

My wife and I don't know when we'll return to a normal sleep schedule, but so far the joy of parenthood has filled our hearts so full that we cherish every moment with our little one, even the 2 a.m. diaper changes.

Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com