Sometimes, 1 Resolution Is All You Need

My original idea for this week's column was to lay out a few funny New Year's resolutions for a new dad like myself: Bathe at least once a day, stop hiding the baby monitor and using it to scare guests, drink more and sleep less (or was it drink less and sleep more? Either way has it pros and cons). But before long, I realized that there was only one resolution that really mattered: Appreciate every moment for what it is.

It's so easy in these early months to wish time away in the interest of making things easier. "I can't wait until they can walk so I won't always have to lug them around." "I can't wait until they start feeding themselves." "I can't wait until they're potty trained." "I can't wait until they're old enough to raise each other."

Then it hit me: At some point, my sons really will start to need me less, and—once I've woken up from the six-week nap—I'm not sure how I'll deal with that. Because the upside of dealing with these two little need machines is the sense of accomplishment that comes with being able to give them what they need.

It's not always as easy as warming a bottle or changing a diaper. There are times—usually in the dead of night—when the tummies are full and the diapers are empty, but the volume's still at 11. And it's those moments that fill me with the sort of dread and doubt I haven't felt since I saw that first maconium-filled diaper. But when you finally break the code, and the screams slowly turn to snores, well, that's when—his brother will probably wake up.

In the end, I've realized that what I really want for my sons is for them to grow and discover the world around them and discover that they're happy to be in it. As much as I'm ready for things to get easier for us, I'll get much more joy out of things that make life better for them: their first words, their first steps, their first ballgame (which might come before anything). It's a resolution that never goes out of style.