One month and one day ago our fifth child was born. The last month has been a bit of a whirlwind, and as I reflect back I think I have learned a few things.

1. Knowing your limits is important. When Nolan was born the doctor asked me to cut the cord. I politely refused as I didn’t care to end up passed out on the floor. Recognizing that I can’t handle medical stuff and being ok with that aspect of who I am is a good thing. It keeps me from having to use a recovery room like I did with the birth of my first child, but that’s a story for another day.
2. Patience pays off. My wife was in labor for 28 hours. She’s a champ, and it took a lot of patience on all our parts.
3. Restarting habits can be tough, but still not as tough as creating them in the first place. With Nolan not sleeping well and with me taking care of the rest of the kids a lot, a few habits I had created have been neglected. I think restarting an old habit is easier because I already have a system and plan in place to make it work.
4. Part of taking care of my family means taking care of myself. If I’m stressed, unhealthy, sleep dreprived, etc. I can’t be the dad and husband I want to be. So, I have to find little ways throughout the day to care for myself so that I can care for my kids better.
5. Accepting help is smart. If we didn’t accept help, my family would have eaten peanut butter sandwiches for dinner for the last month. Fortunately, some friends and our church have stepped in and helped us with meals so that we can eat real food.

These lessons aren’t earth shattering, but they are good reminders to me for how I want to live my life. I hope they are good reminders for you as well.