I've been dragging my heals with this blog post as it has tumbled around in my mind for a little while now. I turned the big four-oh on April 1st this year, and I am happy to say that one of the most important life goals I set for myself before I turned 40 has been achieved: I am newly a dad to a beautiful little baby girl born to my wife Irena and I in Nov of 2012. It was a full moon and a lunar eclipse the night Ava was born, it was the year of the Water Dragon and apparently she has the best of two birth signs so she seems to be auspicious and so far she has been a very happy baby who sleeps well, is growing like a weed and loves to laugh and smile. My wife Irena was fantastic during the pregnancy and was incredible during labor, my brain still can not quite come to terms with what she was able to do.
Ava has brought a whole new level of love to our home. When I look deep into her eyes she looks right back without any hesitation it's like no other moment I have ever experienced with anyone else in my life. She has brought Irena and I much closer together as we share in the joy of loving her and watching each day as she learns a tiny new skill. Ava is a very colorful character already, I am amazed at her little expressions that seem too old for her age, too perfectly timed and suitable to the moment to be a random firing of brain and muscle.
One of the first aha moments for me happened moments after she was born as I held her. I had the realization that she was going to teach me as much and maybe more than I was going to teach her. It was such a relief! And so humbling. I knew in that moment that we were in this adventure together as equals. Of course I know our roles will differ, but they will not be any more or less important than the other.
We are a team, Irena, Ava, our Chihuahua Miscka, and me. I feel incredibly blessed!!
