It’s weird to think that I have a son now, a living breathing flesh-and-blood human being who shares some of my same genetic material. And I love him so very much, although all he seems to do is eat, sleep, and relieve himself of waste (i.e. pee and poop… a lot). Even with the eight months of my wife’s pregnancy to get used to the idea, nothing really quite compares to the first time I saw him. Nothing could prepare me for that moment when he reached out his little hand and for the first time grasped my finger so very firmly and held on while the nurses cleaned him up. It was awe inspiring. I found myself later that day just staring at my right index finger, replaying that moment over and over. This little creature that I had only been speaking to through my wife’s stomach and here he was for me to hold and cherish and love.
Gabriel Alexander Olten Campa was born on November 9, 2013 at 7:21am, weighing in at 4lb 13oz and 18.1 inches long. He captured my heart in an instant. Since then, he had a little stay in the NICU but is home now with my wife and me. Now, I wake up every morning and go to work, looking forward to that time when I get to go home and hold him. I already told me wife that when I get home every day, I get at least a half an hour of undivided time with Gabriel. Usually it’s just enough time to feed him, making sure he gets his daily dose of vitamins, before I have to scarf down dinner and get to work on my writing. But for that half an hour, when I get to hold him in my arms while he is so very contented… Well, let’s just say nothing comes even remotely close to what that experience is like.
This transition from being a regular guy to being a father has happened and I plan to give it my best. There were several instances growing up where I told myself I would do whatever it took to be a better father than my own. And I will definitely be doing everything in my power to make my son happy. I’m going to be there for him, supporting him in whatever life decisions he makes. I’m going to push him to be better than I was, better than his mother was. But I am also going to show him how to care for others without regard for what he gets in return. Some friends of mine told me that I was always that guy that they could count on, the one to call at two in the morning to come pick them up from work because they missed the metro. I want my son to be that kind of person and I hope he will be one day. Because he could be a doctor or a lawyer or even the President of the United States and yes, I would be proud. But my proudest moment would be to see him looked up to by his peers for being a good person.
Well, the next stage in my adventure begins here and now. Expect frequent updates and a life full of joy and happiness.
Kristopher L. Campa 