In this episode, Gary Fisher shares his experiences of early parenthood after the birth of his daughter, Amanda. Gary starts by noting the surreal feeling of time distortion when they first brought Amanda home, particularly regarding the wait for her umbilical cord stump to fall off. This period seemed to stretch endlessly despite only being a few weeks.
Gary mentions that his wife, Debbie, handled most of the baby care since she was a stay-at-home mom while he returned to work after a short paternity leave. Their overprotectiveness, stemming from the long struggle to have Amanda, meant they rarely left her alone, even keeping her in a bassinet by Debbie's side at night for easy feeding.
During the day, Amanda often stayed in a bouncy baby holder on the kitchen table as the family ate or chatted. Debbie's father Walt frequently joined them for meals, and Amanda's presence became a central part of their daily routine. However, Debbie's exhaustion from breastfeeding and Amanda's poor sleeping habits made nights challenging. They discovered that singing helped soothe Amanda, although getting her to sleep could take up to an hour and a half.
Gary reflects on the strain this placed on their relationship. He initially responded to Debbie's exhaustion with practical advice, not realizing she just needed to vent. This misunderstanding led to tension, but they eventually communicated better, with Gary offering more emotional support.
To give Debbie breaks, Gary would take Amanda for long walks in the stroller around their neighborhood. Amanda enjoyed these walks, often falling asleep, which provided Debbie with much-needed rest. The family also had pets: Sam, a dog, and two cats, Sutty and Pippi. Sam was very tolerant of Amanda, who would sit on him and dress him up. The cats, although generally indifferent to each other, would team up against intruding neighborhood cats.
As Amanda grew older, particularly around three years old, she started to become more challenging, constantly negotiating everything, which drove Debbie to frustration. Despite this, Amanda eventually settled down, and the family adjusted to their new dynamics.
During this period, Gary was working at Hughes Aircraft Company as a Unix system administrator after earning his degree in computer science. He also provided PC and Mac support, which involved manually setting IP addresses, a tedious task at the time. One memorable event during his tenure was watching the construction of the Blue Line extension through his office window.
Gary recounts a significant moment when, after the death of their previous dog, Sam, Debbie and Amanda brought home a new puppy they named Rainey. This marked a new chapter for their family, blending their growing bond with Amanda and adapting to their roles as parents.
In conclusion, Gary shares that early parenthood was a mix of joy, exhaustion, and learning to navigate new responsibilities and emotions. Despite the challenges, the experience brought them closer and shaped their family life. He ends the episode by teasing future stories about their new dog, Rainey.
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Diary of a Senior Geek - EP 25 - Early Parenthood