Confessions of a new dad, vol. 25: Temporary Backseat

We've been very lucky in that our little girl has a very easy going personality. We can take her places where there's a lot of different people, and she's fine with being passed around. But around the house lately, it's become Mommy-time!

When Mommy leaves the room it's accompanied with a yelp from K., or sometimes even a full fledged cry. Sometimes Mommy can sneak out without her absence being detected, but not usually. So left in the room is me and a crying baby. "What's wrong with Daddy?" I'll ask her. "Remember me? Daddy?"  At which point she'll look up at me with that break-your-heart pout, and realize #2 will have do- but not without another whip around of the head to make sure Mommy's not coming back. When Mommy hands her off to me, it's met with the same kind of reaction, much like I am aflame or something.

It's hard not to take it personally. The little bundle for whom you expend so much energy, and love so much it aches doesn't seem to like you!! Daggers!! Okay, yeah this is an over-exaggeration. Because it's not all the time- it's not even a majority of the time. But it's amazing to me how easily this tiny human can sway my emotions. It's the outward display of displeasure to be left with Daddy- even if it's momentary- that stings, only to be erased mere seconds later by her toothless grin. And the other thing is, it's never a feeling of  jealousy towards my wife, at all. I absolutely love the way K. looks at her mom. It's more precious to me than even when she looks at me- and that doesn't bother me. Watching the two of them together gives me an indescribable joy, and I'd never want that to go away or nor would I change it for anything.

I also know that someday, this is all bound to change. That there will be a Daddy's-little-girl phase, where I'll reap the benefits of unbridled and uninterrupted affection from the little miss. Until then I'll put up my parental suit of armor so as not to suffer the daily slings and arrows of tiny mood-swings.