- Blog post republished from Fatherhood Adventures: oooh how time flies! (May 3, 2009)
Our new baby was born during a period of uncertainty when our family was at a crossroads after Josephine and I experienced working in the academia, corporate, consultancy and as small business owners. Indeed, her arrival brought hope and focus to our family life.
At a Crossroads
It’s now but a faint memory. My wife cannot hide her displeasure when I recounted the phone conversation I had with the friend who was supposed to arrange for our move back to the University. After a series of grueling discussions, reflection and goings back and forth, my wife was finally convinced that a move to the University is the way to go for our growing family.
But as fate would have it (so to speak), we are back to square one, not being able to tick off any one of our many unsettled issues. My wife was all hopes that the major ones would be decided or at least cleared prior to the baby’s arrival so we can then focus on the newest addition to our family.
Of course to add to her frustrations, Nadine (meaning “hope”) also kept us guessing as to when she’s coming out. It’s just too much to bear. Our patience had been stretched to an extent that everything seemed to be out of control! Of course, these were coming from the point of view of two self-confessed control freaks.
A New Baby is Born
But then, all these came to be quite inconsequential when Nadine at last arrived on March 30, after two false alarms and a lot of guessing. She then came to be the focal point of the family activities and attention.
We witnessed all the firsts– the first time she suckled, pooped, peed, smiled, etc.– and her steady development. Those times made us forget, albeit temporarily, our impatience to everything that had not worked out as planned or hoped to be.
Indeed, when I am reminded (which is now very often) how our children had made me so happy, all hardships, energies and efforts spent striving to give the best for them…everything is compensated somehow and it just feels so right.
And around these times, time indeed flies… even for an impatient, control freak like me who is in dire need to grasp at something as all else is still up in the air.
