On January 22 of 2021, my life changed. I held my daughter in my arms for the first time and knew that my life would never be the same again. Below are the ramblings of a new dad making sense of everything.
- Coffee after 2:00pm is not only appropriate, it’s essential to our survival as parents. It’s kind of like college, except you’re cramming for finals but there are no keggers going-on.
- Being a single dad would be very difficult. To quote Bane: “It would be extremely painful.” After my first full day with Vivi at home, I immediately gained a massive amount of respect to single parents. Not all heroes wear capes!
- Vivi has a monkey butt. Before you ask, yes. I’ve created the “monkey butt” song and sing it every day. Don’t worry, Nano wasn’t left out. She has a pork butt and suffers through her respective song as well! I’m pretty sure Lauren is about to place me on a psychiatric hold….
- Getting pooped-on isn’t as bad as you think. The expression “shit happens” has never been more accurate. I’ll just leave it at that…
- The kettlebell continues to be the ultimate training tool. Between diaper changes, chores, errands and running a business, it can be a challenge to get my workout in. Having a few kettlebells lying around has been a real game-changer. It’s ironic that as a trainer, I’m to the point where going to the gym seems like too much work! With one kettlebell, I can train my whole body effectively.
- Rule number 1 of the Derek Christeler fatherhood playbook; Expect the unexpected. Having a child is the ultimate wild card. Things will change constantly, so be ready for it. Don’t get too married to plans. As Bruce Lee famously said; “be like water.”
- I make plenty of mistakes daily. All I can do is learn and do better next time. You know, just like life…
Train your body. Feed your mind.
-Demarco
