A Year Goes by Fast

On June 22, my baby boy turned one.

We had a baseball-themed (specifically, Houston Astros) party for him.  He got to try cake for the first time, a decision we will undoubtedly regret.

It’s hard to accept that AJ is already a year old.  I mean… didn’t we just bring him home from the hospital??

Blended Family Survival Guide

My wife and I were talking recently about some friends that are getting married soon. They, too, will have a blended family. She said that the husband-to-be said he had been looking online for blended family tips, and everything he found talked about how small their chance of success was due to all the extra obstacles you will face as a blended family.

Melissa and I have only been married for a little over two years. And in those couple of years, I have picked up a few things about starting a blended family.

Letter to AJ: What I Can’t Wait to Teach You

Hi AJ,

There’s going to come a day – and it is soon – when I am going to start pushing you to fulfill your potential. Your mom wants to start pushing you now, but I’m convinced that you’re perfectly content on your back, and have no desire whatsoever to roll over, capable or not. I’ll be pushing you in a lot of areas: taking care of your body, your grades, your hygiene, your cleanliness and, most importantly, how you should respect your mom.

I can guarantee that by the time you’re a teenager, you’ll think I am a tyrant bent on controlling the entire world, but since I can’t, I’m taking it out on you.

Letter to AJ

Hi AJ,

I’m pretty sure you’re not going to remember the things I’m telling you right now, so I decided to write them down. Hopefully Evernote still exists in 18 years so you can read these. (If not, I’ll see if they still make this thing called “paper” at that point.)

You’re only three months old right now, but you should know that in three short months, you have changed my life.