Priority shift… to the Max.

While the gal and I are in lock-down mode at Cold Omaha headquarters, the world outside these walls continues to move forward. Sure, the inside of our house looks like a combination of a day-care center and my old condo after a long night of poker, but we can’t imagine a better way to live.

Up until last weekend, Buddy the pug was our little baby and keeping him in line and happy was the most challenging part of the day. Now he's basically feeding himself and opening up the door on his own to go outside to the bathroom.

We are focused entirely on Maxwell, his feeding schedules, his dirty diapers, and his crying fits. We have enough time in the day to sleep for three hours, do a load of laundry, and maybe clean the dishes out of the dish washer. While the rest of you are watching football, reading about the Twins adding two new infielders, and rehashing the news that Jessica Alba is pregnant, we are busy making sure Max didn’t just blow up another diaper and that he is, in fact, putting on enough weight according to the charts at our pediatrician's office.

All of those other things (Buddy the pug, the Twins, football and Jessica Alba) are on my radar too – probably not in the same way or to the same degree that they were before the little man arrived, but I am trying to pay attention to things not related to keeping him fed, warm, and scream-free. It’s not easy, but I am trying. By the way, the Vikings are 1-0 in the Maxwell era and we are hoping to go 2-0 tomorrow night against the Bears. He says its a lock, I am not convinced.

I don’t want to go into all the specifics about Max being born. The gal put together all of her thoughts on the matter in her blog -- and frankly, I can’t add anything to what she has said, because she said it so well. In that space she gives me way too much credit for doing what I am doing. She's the one who has gone above and beyond, now I am just trying to play catch-up.

What I can tell you is that being a father and seeing Max for the first time (and every time since) really helps me understand that none of this is about me anymore. Before he was born, I heard it all the time…”your life will change, things will be different” – I understood the words, but not the meaning. Now I do.

If you aren’t a parent, you can still sort of understand where I am coming from, but I will have to make an analogy that is tough to wrap your mind around.

But here goes –

Imagine the worst pain you have ever felt, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, getting kicked in the groin, or seeing the Vikings lose in the 1998 NFC Championship Game. Take whatever you equate with pain and sit with that emotion for awhile, let it ruminate. Remember how hard that was and how much you just wanted to bury your head in the sand? Now, multiply that feeling by ten and turn the emotion exactly 180 degrees so all of that pain becomes pure joy. That’s kind of how it feels to be a dad.

The gal went through hell getting this kid out and I am proud of what she did. She’s strong. Max is strong. The process didn’t go the way we had planned and I guess that’s been the best lesson of all – we can’t control any of this and being a parent will make us go with the flow in a way we have never really had to attempt before. We are all doing well and that is the most important thing. We couldn’t ask for more than what we have and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this little guy in my life.

Thanks to everyone who has called, written, sent text messages, and letters in the mail. I promise we will get back to you once we get to the point where we know for sure what we are doing. In the meantime, keep calling and checking in – keep those texts and emails coming – we love to hear from everyone and we know you are thinking about us.

We are thinking about you too. Now I better go and find Buddy - last time I saw him he was sizing up the Diaper Genie...