Change

(Sitting at Bongo Java on a Sunday afternoon, listening to a Wilco mix on Spotify while Joey sleeps peacefully in his stroller beside me)

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about change, not only in my life, but in general.

I'm not sure I was prepared for how much my life would change after Joey was born.  Going from one child to two children has been a big adjustment, bigger than I thought it would be.  Several of my close friends have two children, and I've accused them of removing that chapter from "the manual" before giving it to me while Jude was pregnant with Joey.

Probably the biggest adjustment for me has been the lack of time to do much of anything that doesn't involve taking care of the boys, directly or indirectly.  It's hard to find time to run (which absolutely kills me), blog, go out to eat or to a movie with Jude, grab a beer with a buddy or work a little extra to get caught up.  Consequently, I constantly feel like I'm juggling responsibilities, rushing out of the office in the evenings, stopping by the grocery store, then rushing home, etc.

I am not complaining, not by a long shot.  I couldn't be more blessed than I am to have two healthy boys and an accomplished, intelligent wife who also happens to be the best mother on the planet.  I would be lost without Jude and I can't imagine life without our boys.  Having watched my mother raise three children on her own after losing my father at such a young age, I know how fortunate I am to be married to a woman like Jude.  In other words, I know if something happened to me, she would be able to raise our boys.  That's incredibly important to me.

Still, I often feel like I'm treading water, just trying to keep from drowning, as I adjust to life with two children.  The quiet moments, the down time - few and far between indeed.

As a result, I think I appreciate the stolen moments more.  The many, many walks with Joey in his stroller (I swear, I'm going to bronze the City Elite when Joey gets too big for it), especially at night after J.P. is in bed and while Jude catches a quick nap or unwinds before she feeds him one last time for the day.  A glass of wine, sitting on my front porch, after everyone is in bed, listening to the late night sounds of the city.  A quick lunch or a beer with Matteson or Hal.  A three mile run in the neighborhood, followed by a walk home through Belmont's campus.

And so it goes.