Lately, my dad has been calling me or emailing me every couple of days with one question: “So what have you been learning?”

He’s aware of the fact that this new venture into parenthood will come with its share of “lessons,” so his question is serving to remind me that my son isn’t the only one who needs to continue growing.

So far, my answer has been, “I’m not sure yet.” These first couple of weeks have been a re-calibration for our senses. I tend to take a lot of time to think through new circumstances, but the addition of a new human being into our living arrangement has provided the new circumstances, but very little time for reflection. With the constant influx of loving family members and the inability to do any of our new parental duties at an efficient pace, only today have I been able to stop and reflect on this new miracle.

Unfortunately, deep thoughts escape me, and I can only come up with the following summary of what we’ve learned so far:

– Jude really does like the song, Hey Jude !

– Changing diapers requires a level of coordination and quickness beyond my current abilities. Jude likes to poop while I am changing his diaper, which only adds to the difficulty and excitement level.

– Krista told me the other day that I need to “grow a boob,” and though I would love to help, I’ll stick to the support role I currently have.

– The nativity story about Joseph and Mary wrapping Jesus in “swaddling clothes” wasn’t so much about Jesus’ coming as it was about telling us that if you want to sleep through the night, you better know how to swaddle a newborn.

– Finally, my wife Krista has shown a level of strength and resilience that I’ve rarely seen. Jude has a wonderful mom, and I hope I continue to grow in the role of servant leader to them both.

The good ol’ days are here, now.