The teacher becomes the student.

As parent, part of my job is to teach my son about, well, pretty much everything: right and wrong, good and bad, the importance of Georgia football season. I never imagined, though, that at almost 12 weeks old, he would have taught me so much already. Of course, there are the major things that having him has opened my eyes to: the amount of joy, wonder and love one little person can bring; the amazement you feel as you watch this little guy grow and discover the world; and a renewed sense of appreciation and love for your family and friends.

But that’s the sappy stuff.

Here are the things that Jack has taught me that I think, as a grown up, we tend forget:

1. A good burp after a meal makes you feel better.
2. The very first thing you should after you wake up is stretch.
3. It’s okay to cry for no reason sometimes.
4. Laugh when things are funny. Or silly. Or just there.
5. Smile often.
6. Sleep will always make you feel better.
7. Instead of always looking at the big picture, take time to look at the little things around you.

Jack has a fascination with ceiling fans. I can put him on the floor underneath one and he’ll watch it for an hour. He also loves to look at pictures and video of himself. I’m sure he doesn’t realize that it’s him and I could show him any random baby and he would love it, but my picture supply of random babies is rather limited. At night, Jack looks at the stars. Not outside, of course, but from his turtle. It displays stars on the wall and ceiling in three different colors. We turn this on every night and he will just watch the stars change color until he falls asleep. Chris and I will lie in bed and watch the stars, too. It’s amazing how peaceful and calming it can be just to lie there in silence watching the changing colors.

Thanks, Baby Jack, for teaching me so much already. I only hope I can return the favor.