If Only We Lived in Norway

Call me bitter, but if Jen, Brighton and I were Norwegian, not only would we have the joy of speaking either Bokmal or Nynorsk (that's right, 2 official languages), enjoying the classical music of Edvard Greig, and the vast fjords, oh the endless fjords!, but I would only be in the middle of my mandatory 6 weeks of paid paternity leave (I had to look all that up, because I knew exactly nothing about Norway). Pause and re-read that last sentence...actually, save yourself some time and just read the last point. That's right folks, in addition to a kick ass horned-helmet-fur-boot-wearing-plundering-and-pillaging Viking heritage, the Norwegians have some equally kick ass parental leave. That 6 weeks is required. Viking men are allowed 10 1/2 paid months off. I won't drone on, look it up yourself. The US is right on par with beautiful Lesotho and Swaziland in offering no paid leave for parents. Dynamite.

Yes, I'm bitter and angry and mostly sad, because tomorrow I am going back to work to spend my day at a desk instead of spending time with this kid. I've had a lot of people tell me what they think the hardest part of being a new parent is; lack of sleep, the lifestyle adjustments, the crying, and so on. I know I'm new to this, but I think the hardest part about being a parent is knowing I'm not going to see him all day tomorrow. Changing his diaper is a snap. Not being around all day to change it, that's hard.

Now, let's end on a happy note. The cord finally fell off, so it was time for his first full on bath. Enjoy.