I’ve been trying to think of something profound to put up here for a couple of weeks. Sure, this blog is all about what highchair we got or how Robin’s feeling this week, but it’s also about discussing what we’re thinking as January 19th continues to get closer.

There’s a phrase that has always left a bit of a nervous knot in my stomach… it usually comes in the form of something like, “once you have children your life will never be the same.” Well, yeah… of course that’s true. What has bothered me about that phrase is the occasional insinuation that once the child enters this world the parent’s existence as an individual should end.

I enjoy my life as an advertiser, Art+Copy Club board member, husband, friend, and all-around self-proclaimed awesome guy. I do not want to lose any of that and be reduced solely to father and income source, nor does Robin.

I want to ADD father to that list of things that I already am… and I want that addition to strengthen all of the other things that I already am.

Robin and I have had a lot of late night talks addressing this concern/fear of mine and we have agreed to make a very conscious effort to integrate our child into our lives instead of the other way around. We feel that it’s as important for the growth of our child as it is for our sanity and personal integrity.

We can still be good parents while being ourselves and showing our child as it grows that there is a world and a universe out there for us that doesn’t revolve completely around him/her (soon we’ll know which to call it). That universe is made better because of its existence, and hopefully our child will be inspired by our lives as it begins to expand its own universe.

We can do it. And, it will be great.