Thankful Thursday - The Acronym Post

Today is Thankful Thursday here at The DaddyYo Blog. Every Thursday my posts will be about being thankful for people, places, and things in my life. Today, it's family using acronyms!


Marlee


Many smiles and laughs that we have shared
All the joy that you bring to my life
Rocking to music when you are feeling "daddyfied"
Love that can only be shared between dad and daughter
Every day that I have with you
Eternity of always having you in my life to love and cherish

Caleb


Continuous energy that reminds me to sometimes just be a child myself
All the good times and bad times that have made our bond stronger and helped me be a better dad
Lots and lots of sugies and noseys
Every time we have danced or just lounged around on the couch.
Bringing joy to my life since the day you were born.

April


All the memories we have and the ones we will continue to make.
Perseverance through the toughest of trials that have only made our love grow stronger.
Road trips where we miss our destination, but it doesn't matter because we are together.
Immeasurable love I feel every time I look into your eyes
Loving me despite my flaws








**Photos by Pretty Please Photography. Thanks for the fun session we had and the awesome pics!**

Wordless Wednesday Post - Why I Do What I Do

Following the Footsteps

"Baby, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it honey? Everything okay?"
"I'm pregnant"
*long pause*
"Honey are you okay?"


Yes, if you have children then you know that feeling that you get during the *long pause* part of that conversation. Many feelings, in fact, come along with it: fear, anxiety, joy, gratefulness, and the very common brain fart that follows when trying to find the right words to answer back with.

Being a new father is definitely one of the most confusing, trying, and at the same time, joyous and awe inspiring times in ones life.It can be more so when you are on the younger end of the age spectrum as well when the news of a new baby is announced to you. But for new fathers, younger and older alike, there is good news: There are plenty of dads who have come before, and plenty of dads going through the same emotional ride. You are not alone.



I have always felt blessed to have such great examples of what it truly means to be a dad in my life. My great grandfather, both my mom's dad and dad's dad, and of course my father , have all been such inspiration when it comes to what it means to be a daddy. Jim, Bo, and Hermann are no longer with us anymore, but the memories of these men and what they did for their families will always live on with me, and my father who I know I can always turn to when I'm stuck, or feeling inadequate as a father. They have all lived their lives for their families, and have been examples of what it means to be a dad to many.

I was 24 when my son was born, and becoming a dad was very exciting, yet scary to me. I found myself in a tornado of emotions. From happy and excited, to scared out of my pants. I questioned myself (as I still often do) about how good of a dad I would be. Would my children grow up to love me? Will they think I am a good father? How will I know what they need when they need it and know how to take care of them? Many, many questions raced through my mind both times my wife made the announcement of being pregnant. I think we all have questioned ourselves as dads, and many of us still do.

This day and age, we are now blessed with things like Twitter, Facebook, and, for new dads and nervous dads, Dad-Blogs galore! I have really enjoyed the connections with other dads online and have learned much from reading other dad blogs. There is a wealth of information to be found online, as well as the content to be found in knowing that you are never alone.

As dads the world (and web) over seek to redefine the roll of the Dad and become more engaged in the lives of their children, it is awesome to know that for new and for younger dads, there are people out there who can tell you "I've been there" and "I know exactly what you are going through". I have found that generally, I am 7 to 15 years younger than the majority of other dad and dad-bloggers I talk to online. It is great to know that I can read their past blog posts, or just chat them up and learn from their experience and knowledge. It's a great outlet for all new and young fathers alike when the feelings become too much, and you feel like losing it.

So young and new dads learn this: You are NEVER alone in your fears and anxieties. There are dads who have come before us. There are our own dads, granddads, and dads online that have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share. There are footsteps to follow so you will never be on a path untraveled. And as we grow older, and our children start to go through the same things, we can live our lives as examples to them, so that they too, will not be alone.

**Original Picture (before edit and border) by Pretty Please Photography. Thanks for the awesome pictures and the fun time that we had!**

My Personal Declaration of Revolution

My Goals:
*To rid myself of vices that harm my body and commit to taking better care of myself not just for my sake, but for my children, my wife, and my family, so I will be around for them for many more years to come.
*To become the best dad my children have seen me be so they may know that I am more than just a "father figure". I am their DaddyYo and I will always be their DaddyYo.
*To be more involved in the lives of my kids. Not just giving more baths, or being there for more feedings. But to truly be involved and dedicated to them. To learn more about them, their likes and dislikes, routines, ect. To make myself more available to them whenever they are hurt, scared, or just want to play.
*To take on more duties when it comes to the care of my children and household responsibilities. To relieve my wife of more duties and show my children that I am more than just a working stiff and playmate. To be more involved in the daily aspects of family life and responsibilities.
*To become a better husband for my wife. To be more committed to her happiness. To be a better listener and helper. To work with her, and not against her. To commit to the vows I took and the promises I made with my heart to her. To love her fully and unconditionally from now till death.
*To live my life with integrity, with conviction, and to the fullest. To live my life not only as I wish to, but as an example to others. To live my life according to my beliefs and convictions and not according to anyone's opinion. To make the most of my life, and treasure it as it is a gift, not a guarantee.

I admit that I have not lived my life the way I wish I had. I admit that I can better myself, and in turn, become a better dad, husband, and friend.

I realize that the path will not be easy, and I may fall along the way. I understand that if I want to succeed in revolutionizing myself and evolving in to the man, the dad, and the husband I wish to be, that I must be strong willed, and I must ask for the support needed to accomplish my goals.

I commit myself to being the best father, husband and friend that I can be. To let nothing hold me back in life. I commit myself to the standards I have set for myself and to never letting these standards fall to the back burner.

I promise myself, my children, my wife, my family and friends to always be there for them. To being a source of strength and hope to my children, a source of love and security for my wife. I promise my family and friends to always be a man of love and integrity, to being there in times of need and supporting in times of triumph.

From this day forward, I commit myself to revolutionizing my heart, soul, and mind, and to becoming the man I have been called to be in life. To being the dad that my children deserve, and the husband my wife needs me to be and commited her life to.

This is my declaration of revolution. This is my promise.

Time for Change - Revolution of Soul (Where do we go from here?)

The whole purpose of this short series of blogs "Revolution of Soul" was to put my personal thoughts out for public view. I hope that maybe some people who viewed the series got something from it, and if not, oh well. I feel better for having put it out there anyway. I am not a professional of any field and I fully understand that some people may have viewed this series as absolute absurdity. Makes no difference to me.

So now that it is over, where do we go from here? I have written about personal revolution, setting goals and obtaining the support that it takes to make life changes. But what happens when the pen is laid down? What happens when our computers and phones are off and the hype and talk of "The year of the Dad" isn't constantly in our faces? Can we keep the revolution personal and keep the fire with us without it being accesible by means other than our hearts and minds?

Conviction, personal will, and support. As with quitting smoking, giving up vices, religious awakenings, or what have you, conviction, personal will, and support are all vital to carrying on and achieving the goals we set for ourselves. We have to have the personal conviction and personal will power to say, I WILL and I CAN do this, and see it through until the desired goals are achieved. These two qualities are essential, not just for achieving short term goals, but for seeing it through and carrying the accomplishment with you for a lifetime. If you can't make a commitment to yourself, then you can't make a commitment to anyone.

And as with any decision that affects you for a lifetime, support is a must. Family, friends, pastors or other religious leaders, online friends and support groups. It is my belief that support from the outside can be the difference between success and failure. We cannot be afraid to let people know of major decisions we have made, and ask for their support, however they can give it, to help us make it through.

Now let us go out, show the world that we are not just your average dad. Let us go out and show the world we are evolving personally. We are dads of integrity, dads of conviction, dads with purpose. We are the modern age dad. We change diapers, give baths, play and care for our children. We are dads committed to being more and more involved in the lives of our children and willing to take on more roles in our fatherhood than dads before us. Let us revolutionize our hearts and souls, and evolve into being more than just a father. Let us be the dads we want to be, and let nothing stand in our way.

And as always, let us KEEP ROCKIN!

Time for Change - Revolution of Soul (goals)

Revolution without goals is nothing short of complete chaos.

It's all great to sit around and talk of revolution and evolution and becoming better people, but it has no basis without goals. Whether it's personal goals, family goals, marital goals, and so on, without a goal, there is no point in trying to better ourselves.

So how does this relate to the Dad Revolution and the Revolution of Soul? Well, we are wanting to change the way the world views fathers, and we are in the process wanting to better ourselves and our own roles as fathers. To do this, we must know what it is we want to achieve. Where are we wanting our lives to go and what direction are we wanting to take our fatherhood roles in? What exactly are we hoping to achieve when all is said and done and the history has been written?


There have been many goals that I have set for myself during my life, and in total honestly, I have failed at reaching the majority of them. However, none have seemed as important to me as becoming a more engaged and involved father. So I sit here, thinking while I type, what exactly do I want to accomplish? Who is this father that I want to become?  How is he me evolved? and more important, how am I going to get there?

It all starts with setting realistic goals. I know I won't instantly wake up and be "father of the year" and loved the world over by parenting experts. And honestly, I don't think I will ever become my mind's model of "the perfect father". But there are some ways I KNOW I can better myself, and it will take setting the right goals and taking the right steps to get there.

Life is not easy, and as my mom has always told me, pipe dreams are under the bed. Setting small, realistic goals, instead of the big picture goal, will help us ensure that we transform ourselves and transcend the typical "TVDad" image. Revolution and evolution of self cannot be obtained from simply wishing.

Set goals for yourself. Think about what steps you will need to take to reach these goals. Talk to your family members, friends, blog followers, whoever you feel comfortable with, and get support as you take these steps. Remember why you are doing this in the first place, set your eyes forward, don't look down and don't look back.

and of course, KEEP ROCKIN!