Borrowed time

Let us help with your babyrental needs, originally uploaded by bootsintheoven

I have a new niece! After a long and excruciating labor, my sister-in-law delivered a healthy newborn girl with giant eyes and a full head of dark hair. I went to visit when she (the niece) was just one or two weeks old. Her mom needed a baby break when we arrived and happily offered her up to me for some quality uncle time.

I couldn't believe that she was so small and yet so punchy. After I was properly trained in the art of coddling, she calmed down again and went back to sleep. It was the first time I was able to visualize myself as a father. When I held that tiny baby, I was at peace. She napped for an hour in my arms while I swayed her back and forth and watched Spiderman on TV.

With parenthood comes great responsibility. But I'm not a parent yet! When it was time for her to be changed, I handed my niece back to her mother, and I went back to watching TV and playing video games. With my nieces, I get to do all the fun stuff with none of the responsibility, and I am going to savor that for the next six months.