New Parents' First Date aka "The Getaway"

As with everything you're not used to...it can take a while getting used to. As a new dad, I'm not accustomed to a long list of things: changing diapers, waking up in the middle of night just to say "shh", various liquids dispersed in a myriad of ways, smells I can't place, holding a human for long periods of time, staying inside like a hermit, etc. So every now and then, it's good to take a break from the unknown and find solace in something you do know.

For me and my wife, we watch movies. Unlike tennis or video games, it's something we've always enjoyed doing together ever since our first date. (We saw "Jumper", which wasn't a great start but we made the best of it) We get to escape reality and just enjoy a story featuring someone else who's not us.

So this past Saturday, after dedicating 504 hours straight to caring for the baby, my wife got a chance to get out of the house and be with her sexiest man alive. We had our first date since Anlee was born. My mother-in-law thankfully babysat and we hit the town.

Now this wasn't a huge romantic gesture: it was just a matinee movie ("Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" was ok) and lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Hell, we even made a short stop at Walmart. But this trip enabled us to getaway and just be us for a little while. Even though most of our conversations were about our new baby, there was still a familiarity with the date itself. It was nice to relax and just enjoy each other.

That's one thing I read everywhere, hear from all the parenting experts...take some time to enjoy your partner. I recommend it, but don't think you'll spend too much time staring lovingly into each other's eyes. My wife and I both had withdrawls of holding our baby by the time our four hour getaway came to it's end. Even though you soak up every minute alone, there's no getting around it...you're hooked on poopy diapers.