A year ago we were anticipating the arrival of our first born child. We weren’t sure if it was going to be a boy or girl, and if I’m honest, there were a lot of things that I was unaware of. Our little boy is now nearly a year old and I can say that everyone is right, it goes by so fast. It seems like yesterday I was holding him in the hospital to let my wife get some rest, and now he is scooting and sliding around our floors, pulling himself up on whatever he can get his hands on.
I didn’t have a lot of expectations for fatherhood, other than the fact that I was excited. I’ve always loved little kids, but I never knew much about them or how to be a dad (other than what I observed in my own father, who is pretty awesome!). So far, the best thing about fatherhood for me has been having a front row seat into our son’s development. From his first few breaths to his first words, my wife and I have loved watching him grow for the last 11+ months.
When the time came to redo the retaining wall in front of our house, we decided we wanted to make it more functional for our family. The previous wall was starting to crumble and it took up a lot of space. The rocks on the driveway level were impossible to miss when shoveling snow in the winter, so when we had all of the materials that we needed, I jumped at the opportunity to get the job done.
Instead of gravel rocks by the driveway, we were able to pick up some free bricks from a neighbor on the FB Marketplace. This allowed for one wall to be built instead of a tiered look. In front of the wall, we decided to build a bench. We thought it would make the house more welcoming, but also give us a spot to continue watching our son grow up when the time comes for him to run around and play with toys on the front driveway.
We are quite happy with how it all turned out, and my wife used her elbow grease to redo the landscaping and plants along the steps to complete the new look. As we get closer to our son’s birthday and celebrating with friends and family who helped so much in the first year, I’m equally excited to continue watching him grow.
Recommended reading for new dads:
- The New Father: A Dad’s Guide to the First Year (New Father Series) by Armin Brott
- Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
