Week One

Adelaide is now a week old!

It has been a harrowing week, surprisingly. She almost died, we thought she had jaundice, we've had problems with breast-feeding, and there have been times when I thought I would go insane... and it's only been a few days!

At the moment, my parents are here and helping us with chores and showing us other ways to care for the baby. They'll leave tomorrow, but it was good to have them here! Already, Addy has met both sets of grandparents.

Next, we have to figure out the baptism. Do we get her baptized where we live, or 600 miles away where our families are and where we grew up (and may move back to)? If we decide to down here, we need to make that decision soon, as the next time to get her baptized is on Easter. Our church back home will baptize on any week, so it would be more flexible.

Also, we need to decide who the godparents are going to be. Do we chose friends or family? I'm thinking we might choose friends, because the family will always be there to help guide her, but having friends as godparents gives us a good reason to keep them as friends over the years.

I have applied to a lot of work this past week. 10 hotels now have my resume, and I've sent my resume in for a technical writing position. That would be the best option for me. I've also talked with my previous employer and gave them some old work of mine because they are trying to get a technical writing contract.
It's pretty amazing how much I feel the need to provide. I know it's the typical "father role" and is somewhat unnecessary, especially since my wife will likely earn more money than I will. But due to our circumstances, I definitely need to start making some money.
I will be taking some time off from school in order to give Amy the greatest opportunity for getting her PhD. After she passes her comprehensive exams and write the paper she needs to complete, I'll consider returning to school. But, it depends on if I get a good job first. And, if the job if good enough and wants to hire me right away, I may need to drop out of school entirely. Whatever is best for the family. And no matter what happens, I will continue to write, to pursue my dream of being published.

So, it's been a long week and next week, I think, will be even longer and harder (especially since I need to make-up a week of school). But I'm sure we will make it, and before we know it, we'll be celebrating Adelaide's first birthday!