But this time was different. I wasn’t just ready; I was getting impatient. I needed to see what she looked like, sounded like, and smelled like. Now that she’s here, I couldn’t be happier. I’m completely smitten with this little girl. I’m not one to spoil, well, anyone, but I can’t help it with this one. I’ll do my best to make sure I don’t overdo it, but I make no promises.

Sleep, which was so difficult to achieve literally for years, is easy now. Those who know me realize just how amazing that is. Gone are the days of avoiding caffeine after noon. I can sleep at night.

I know that I’ve learned a lot in the past 13 years, and that I’ll do a better job now than I did at age 21. In a way I feel badly about that, but it can’t be helped. Also, in 10-12 years, I’m going to be the scariest entity in the lives of many junior high boys.

So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.