I don’t want to go back to work

After nine weeks of being a stay at home dad, my time is almost up. My daughter starts daycare next week and I’m going back into work.

And it’s horrible.

I really don’t want to leave this. Taking care of the baby and the house is fantastic. I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do. If there were a way for me to continue being a stay at home dad, I would leap at the chance. The problem is we’ve got too many bills to pay, and I’m an artist/musician/Helpdesk monkey… so, yeah… lots of money in those fields.

I didn’t intend for this blog to turn into a family/parenting blog thing, but now I think it was inevitable. I’m a sentimental old man who likes to talk. It’s like asking a photographer if he’s got any pictures of his kids…

Stuff I’ve learned

First and foremost, I know that I should always know where a burp rag is. Oh, and the pacifier. And know how to quickly change a diaper after a midnight feeding. And that she’s got a whole language of crys that mean all different things. There’s a “I’m tired” cry, and one when she’s hungry. One for when she wants to be held, or when she’s tired of a certain toy. And then there’s the frustrated cry of “Daddy, I can’t get this bunny close enough to my face without knocking my pacifier out. I can’t fall asleep. You need to hover over me and put the pacifier back in no less than 45 times before I can sleep. Thank you.” I’m kind of amused by that one now. Not so much a month ago…

Babies tend to learn how to roll, so, invest in duct tape. The most expensive toy is the one she won’t play with. No matter what the smell is, it’s poop.

We all know that taking care of a baby is a tremendous amount work work. I’ve got so many projects that have been started, but not finished. I meant to post a bunch of stuff on this blog. Comics have been started and nearly completed. I’ve got a bunch of half completed demos for my band. And the house… well, I actually got a couple things done there, but that’s a perpetual project. I’m sure with more time, I’d figure out a better balance or workflow to get more done, but I’m not there yet. So, what I’ve come to realize is that I don’t care about the stuff on my to do list. Playing “Ah! Giant Monster is going to eat me! Wargarble!” with my daughter is so much more fulfilling that I don’t mind putting everything else on the back burner for a while. Especially now that she tends to grab my beard and laughs when the monster attacks.

Also, we need to find a way to teach her to release on command, because she’s got one hell of a grip. I considered shaving, but my beard is opposed the idea.

The countdown

Only a few days left. My wife said this would be the worst part, and she’s right. I know this is supposed to happen, and that it’s a good thing… and knowing that doesn’t make it suck any less.

So, I’ll close with this: Get the maximum time off from work that you can when you have a baby. You’ll figure the rest out.

There will be a comic in the next day or two, talk to you then!

Doran