I recently became a father. Needless to say the importance and overall volume of other things I have going on in my life have been turned down. Priorities have changed and things that I perceived as important are less so (or not important at all).
In the first week, I couldn't focus on anything for more than 3-5 minutes before needing to give my attention to something else. It was a tough birth and the first couple of nights back home were pretty stressful, but we gradually fell into a rhythm, learned what makes our son cry and how to fix it, and accepted the fact that we won't get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep for the foreseeable future. Taking care of a newborn feels like more than a full-time job, so I've decided to take paternity leave for the next few months.
Nguyen and I are both exhausted after spending 6 days at the hospital and a newborn demanding attention all hours of the day and night, but we're both overjoyed, excited, and looking forward to parenthood and a bright future with our son Marcus. I don't know who he'll become, but I will do my damnedest to make sure he gets opportunities, instill core values, and ensure he receives a great upbringing with well-rounded experiences.