§ Journey
Where the easy part ends and the genuinely hard parenting begins.
The four-month wall — sleep regression, partner stress, work re-entry. Becoming a couple again when the romantic relationship returns. The mate question — friendships at six months in. The body of a new dad — fitness, sleep debt, weight. Father-as-money-manager — childcare, the new budget, super. The first birthday — what 12 months has done to all of you. The Journey First-Time Father stops short of, written for the men who report they "lost themselves" in this window.
Begin →Sleep regression, partner stress, work re-entry. Why the second three months are harder than the first three.
When the romantic relationship returns, often awkwardly. The conversations to have before resentment sets in.
Friendships at six months in. Who's still there, who quietly drifted, how to pull a few back without making it weird.
Fitness, sleep debt, weight. The realistic version of "looking after yourself" when sleep is the constraint.
Childcare costs, the new budget, super contributions while one income carries more weight.
What twelve months has done to all of you. Marking the year without performing it.