10 months in fatherhood is still a dream come true

The last 10 months have been the absolute greatest and most rewarding time of my life. I never thought happiness could continue to mount the way it has, but it has and it continues to get better.

This past Monday (Jan. 23), my son, Elliott Andrew, turned 10 months old. I woke up Monday morning realizing just how fortunate I am to be a father to such a wonderful bundle of joy who makes my life much better with his simple smile and the way he scampers across our house like a crab in the sand. His contagious warm and glowing personality puts everything into perspective and makes me realize that all  the things I once valued as important in my life are nothing compared to how important it is that I be the best father I can be.

I entered fatherhood incredibly fearful and apprehensive. I had little or no idea what to expect, although I did anticipate a world where nothing made sense — up was down, left was right and sleep was a thing of the past. I knew I wanted so badly to be the best father I could be, but how do you prepare for such a feat that carries a great deal of responsibility and, of course, the possibility of regrets? I knew there would and will always be those moments of regret, but that doesn't mean I can't try to avoid them — I'm a person who hates to disappoint anyone and my son tops that list.

Fatherhood, although obviously challenging at times, has been fairly simple thus far and I owe all the credit to my wonderful son. As it turned out, Kelley and I got lucky — very lucky. In fact, we often say we won the "baby lottery." Elliott has been almost hassle free since we brought him home. Elliott has been about as perfect as perfect can be. It began with sleeping. This kid can sleep the hell out of the night. Even when he made the transition to his crib, he took to it immediately with no problems. He loves sleeping in his own room so much that he often will stay awake and play in his crib ... in the dark of night or early morning. Listening to him on the baby monitor talking to himself or playing with his stuffed animals is rewarding beyond words for us. It lets us know he's happy and independent. Elliott hardly ever cries. If and when he does have a meltdown, it's gone as quickly as it arrives. He's easily, and quickly, consolable. Maybe one of the best qualities I love most about Elliott is the fact he loves to stay busy and is always on the go. He loves being out and about, always taking in as many sights as he can. My late brother, Drew, always encouraged me to live for the day and never let a moment pass me by. Since his passing, I have tried to live my life by that motto and it seems Elliott is doing the same.

When Elliott had his first horrible cold or started teething, we were sure the days would be long and the nights would be longer, yet, it almost seems he has the ability to shrug off the pain and suffering as long as he can. When it seems he's had enough and throws in the towel, we step in and he lets us take over — he truly seems to be that kind of a tough-spirited kiddo. One of our dear friends often refers to Elliott as the "unicorn baby" because, as she jokes, "babies like this don't exist." That in itself is not only a tremendous compliment from a fantastic mother herself, but in a strange way it builds my confidence as a father.

Although we fully anticipated parenthood to turn us upside down and inside out, Elliott has made it super easy for us, and that is something we are so very grateful for. Don't get me wrong, there are times when it does get trying, and when it does, we deal with the best way we can, which makes Kelley and I appreciate being parents even more.

The last 10 months have been so rewarding and so wonderful because of Elliott. He has not only made our lives better, but he has made Kelley and I better people and brought us even closer together. We can't imagine our lives without him and are truly blessed to have such a wonderful son. Each day with him is better than the one before and we are now well aware that time, indeed, does go by fast. Before we know it, he'll be asking us for the keys to the car, or worse yet, money.

Oh boy.