Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product

At 8:02am on Tuesday, January 29th little Ms. Norah Elizabeth Jewell joined our world. She weighed seven pounds and two ounces, measuring 20.25 inches long. The beginnings of higher cover most of her wonderfully shaped head, there are ten fingers and toes, and a healthy set of lungs! Just as dozens of friends, family members, and even strangers have predicted - Life has changed.

This is a change for the better. The litmus test that assures me this is better comes from many lessons learned in my own upbringing. That test? This is hard! I was taught that in order for something to be worth while it should be hard, or at least a hard decision. Not everyone would do this if it were in fact easy, and after one week of fatherhood I can verify the hardness of this test. However, there is one addition. You know something is worth while if it is hard to do, but you also feel good doing it! I have never felt like this, and that is why I know this change is so great.

Little Norah is a beauty. She is worth it, no matter how hard, and I know in the end of each segment of the day that I am in fact happy. As I look back on it, when we decided to have a baby we weren't necessarily seeking happiness. We were seeking something that we would both share in. This was to be a family project, and we would both participate fully to raise this little being (As if two Black Labs and a cat weren't enough). As a by-product we are now receiving happiness for something we chose to do together - out of love.