Week 6: Dad's Little Guy and Some Smiles

Sunday, November 16th, 2014

It is amazing how much time my wife and I waste just staring at, and trying to interact with Grant.  Although I would say that it is not time wasted at all, but rather quality time spent with our son.  We will be sitting there with him, trying to get him to smile, and all of a sudden two hours have passed.  And let me tell you, there is no better feeling in the world than seeing a little baby smile at you, especially when it is your own child who you have spent so many hours and days taking care of without receiving any recognition from him.

 

Well little Grant has started to smile, and it is pretty amazing to see him smile because of something I do or while he is looking at me.  The smiles are still pretty rare, but they were much more common this past week than they were during the first five weeks.  They can also be fast, so they are still difficult to catch on camera, and so when he is in a smiling mood we will take about 20 pictures in a row hoping to get one or two while he is smiling.  Here are some of the smiles we have gotten this week.

 

 

Having a child has been a very humbling and rewarding experience.  And having a son is a very special thing to me.  I also have a very unique responsibility being a father to a son.  Not only do I have to pull my weight in raising him with my wife, I also have to be a role model to him, because while he is growing up as a boy, he will look to me to see how a man is supposed to act and carry himself.  He will look to me on how to pray to God.  He will look to me on how to treat others, friends and strangers alike.  He will look to me on how to treat a woman, and his most important example will be how I treat his mother.  I Look forward to the challenge of raising a good boy who will eventually turn into a good man.

 

This picture of Grant holding onto my hand struck me on how him and I will have a special bond for the rest of my life.

 

 

My dad recently gave me a frame that had a picture of Grant looking up at me and a poem about a father raising a son.  The poem describes perfectly what I want to impart to Grant as a father.
 

"I Have a Boy"

I've a wonderful Boy, and I say to him, "Son,
Be fair and be square in the race you must run.
Be brave if you lose and be meek if you win.
Be better and nobler than I've ever been.

Be honest and noble in all that you do,
And honor the name I have given to you.
I have a boy and I want him to know
We reap in life just about as we sow,

And we get what we earn, be it little or great,
Regardless of luck and regardless of fate.
I will teach him and show him the best that I can,
That it pays to be honest and upright, a man.

I will make him a pal and a partner of mine,
And show him the things in this world that are fine.
I will show him the things that are wicked and bad,
For I figure this knowledge should come from his dad.

I will walk with him, talk with him, play with him, too;
And to all of my promises strive to be true.
We will grow up together, I'll too be a boy,
And share in his trouble and share in his joy.

We'll work out our plans when we both will be men.
And oh, what a wonderful joy this will be,
No pleasure in life could be greater to me.

~ Hugh M. Pierce

And of course there was more football this weekend.  Mommy and Grant were cheering.

 

 

But it wasn't enough, because Notre Dame really stunk it up and lost to an awful Northwestern team.  Grant went from concerned to upset.  At least Florida State won.