These last couple of weeks have been quite interesting, to say the least, but one thing that has given me a hard time is adjusting our dietary needs to accommodate my daughter, Isabella, diary intolerance. Every phase that our kids go through requires us, as parents, to adjust and learn new things for our kids' needs. I have always been slightly lactose intolerant and it so happens that Bella has a worse reaction. But that is what makes parenting/fatherhood interesting yet challenging. Once we think we have a system going on or have implemented a system or schedule, things change. A new need arises, our days get filled with more activities, and our kids keep growing into new clothes. All of these things teach us different things. There are some things that we can plan ahead but it is the ones that surprise you, like lactose intolerance, that really make you think and come up with new ways to make you and your kids life easier. 



So here we are, trying to figure out fatherhood. Something that seems to always escape our reach and that is alright. We are not supposed to be perfect, as much as some of us may make it seem. We live and learn, and it is through the learning that we adapt and make things work for everyone around us. Being a dad is a beautiful thing, especially when we are present for them. Don't get lost in the pursuit of perfection, you could become blind to how great of a parent you already are. That is one thing that I have been dealing with myself. Fatherhood is not much about the kids as it is about you. How do you parent? How do you adapt, create, nurture, support, and teach? It is about you. The way you see yourself is what your kids will see.

I was raised with the idea that we should always strive for perfection in everything we do. While that may be a great attribute for certain things, it certainly isn't something we could apply to everyday life. As mentioned above, it is something that I have been trying to overcome. Not everything I do is perfect, not everything I say is perfect, I don't have the "perfect" body, my hair-do isn't perfect everyday. This all got in the way of my every day life and in turn, was affecting my well being and state of mind. What I would like for you to take from this is that Fatherhood is not perfect, and once you think you go it figured out, things will change and that's ok. In my case, now I have to figure out how to create meals without dairy, and so this will take time and learning how to cook new things, and I'm ok with that.