Monday, June 23, 2014

Change



From my desk to yours...
7 years ago my life changed. Correction, our life changed. We had no idea just how much it was going to change as we drove our uber-green hybrid SUV down the Jersey Turnpike toward a nebulous Washington DC-area maternity ward on that crisp, April morning in 2007.  I had abruptly left a high-pressure retail advertising position, and my partner, Steve, sitting next to me nervously chatting about some esoteric geomagnetic space storm,  was worrying about his patients that were cancelled suddenly.  The comfortable life that we knew had changed.  Changed for good...

What hasn't changed is my relationship with Steve. I met him in my early 30s on a Master's swim team in Manhattan, and almost immediately into our courtship, among other things, he talked of wanting kids.  Kids? Up to that point I had not given it much thought.  Are parents even allowed in at Club G? Parenting was not part of gay culture...yet. To a certain extent, I didn't know what he was talking about and assumed he was simply chattering.



Steve and I spent many wonderful years building our professional lives, enjoying theater almost every week, exercising at chic Equinox sports clubs, eating at the best restaurants in the city, and summering in the Hamptons.  And every 4 months we would take an amazing vacation -- Argentina, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Italy, and Italy, and Italy! As we touched down at JFK from some exotic world destination and before passing through customs, we had the details of our next trip ironed out. What could be better?








7 years later, our jet set life seems like a lifetime ago.  We have a townhouse in one of the best school districts in New York City, have mostly straight friends with whom we share a common parenting bond, are the class parents,  and are in bed before 10:00 most nights.  And we have a gorgeous and intelligent 7 year old daughter.  That is what is better! And that is how our life changed, ever-so wonderfully!


Despite being busy keeping my family organized, fed and to school on time, I am entering the blogging world, encouraged to do so by numerous friends who feel that I should share some observations of my life as a stay-at-home dad.  I hope that it is enjoyable, insightful and if I am lucky, at times, humorous.  But for now, I need to pick up my daughter from school, find the next installment of the Thea Stilton book series, get dinner on the stove and finish that 3rd load of laundry...




1 comment:

  1. Gay Dads Book Authors Collecting Stories
    www.dadsquared.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    February 22, 2015

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    DADSQUARED FOUNDER TO CO-AUTHOR GAY DADS BOOK

    Due to the successful debut in June 2014 of Dads Behaving Dadly: 67 Truths, Tears and Triumphs of Modern Fatherhood,” author Hogan Hilling will co-author a Gay Dads Behaving Dadly book with Henry Amador-Batten, founder of DADsquared www.dadsquared.org, a leading gay dad community and resource site. Hilling is a nationally recognized author of six published books and appeared on Oprah.

    Like Dads Behaving Dadly, www.dadsbehavingdadly.com the gay dad’s version will comprise of a collection of stories from gay dads worldwide, with diverse family dynamics, income levels and ethnic backgrounds.

    We feel that the time is right to create this new platform in which to shine a light on the ever growing number of gay men joining the ranks of fatherhood.

    Hilling and Amador-Batten invite gay dads to submit a story for “Dads Behaving Dadly: Truths, Tears and Triumphs of Gay Dads.”

    For information about guidelines and instructions on how to submit a story for the book visit the Dadsquared website at www.dadsquared.org.

    Deadline for submission is April 30, 2015.

    If you’d like to contact and interview Hilling or Amador-Batten, email them at
    hogan@hoganhilling.com or info@dadsquared.org

    About The Co-Authors

    Henry Amador-Batten lives in Durham, North Carolina and is a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community. Henry is also a contributor to Dads Behaving Dadly II. He lives with his husband and their three-year-old son. He and his husband were the first same-sex couple to jointly adopt a child in Broward County Florida —setting legal precedence for other same-sex families. He is a certified Holistic Life Coach and specializes in teaching advanced life skills. He is the founding mind behind the parenting blog, DADsquared and has developed it into an amazing resource and support destination for gay dads and dads to be. www.dadsquared.org

    Hogan Hilling is a dad, Author of Dads Behaving Dadly I and II, and six other parenting books, fatherhood expert and has appeared on Oprah. Hilling has co-founded and helped establish several fatherhood networks in the USA since 1992. He is also an expert on creating father-friendly environments in the community and available as a speaker. Hilling lives in Crestline, California. www.dadsbehavingdadly.com.

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