A New Stage

Alright. Based on the fact that Ella is 6 months old, I was there for her birth, and I'm blogging about how awesome it is to be a dad, you would think that I'm used to it by now - but this whole "being a parent" thing keeps hitting me right between the eyes.

I guess maybe I'm comfortable with being a parent, its just these new stages that keep sneaking up on me. Just when I was getting comfortable with nighttime baths, changing diapers, and bottle feedings, something new happens.

By now you're wondering what happened. Well, this morning was the typical Sunday morning in the Chockley household. Melissa - the diligent, thoughtful, incredible mom/wife she is - got up around 0700 in order to get things ready for church, get Ella fed, etc. I, on the other hand, having stayed up to the wee hours of the morning playing my new video game (Oblivion for the 360 is awesome by the way), slept until the last minute possible. The frantic few minutes that follow are nothing more than sitcom-worthy. Of course while I see the humor in it, my wife just broods because I've made us late.

Well, anyway, as a ran to the pantry to grab a coke and chocolate chip muffin pack for breakfast, I flung open the door only to find the following scene:



Now, to many of you this may only look like a cupboard full of baby food (and it probably isn't even that much to some of you). To me, it was a clear indication that life was about to change even more significantly. Crawling was just around the corner. Then comes walking, talking, driving, dating, and college. It all happened that fast - and all I did was open the pantry door.

After hyperventilating for a bit (fortunately the the brown paper bags were right there in the pantry too), I regained my composure. You'll be happy to know that we made it to church in plenty of time, and I worked through my little newfound issue in record time. I've resolved to take things one stage at a time, beginning with getting as good as Melissa is with forcing sweet potatoes down my daughter's throat. If I can master that, surely the whole dating thing will be a breeze.

Right?

- pac