As a parent, I have so many thoughts about my child. I look back at how awesome he was when he was even younger. I look towards the future at what he might become. And a lot of times, I am just in awe of the progress he is making in the present. It's great. But somehow, the most special thoughts to me are the absolute dumbest thoughts that enter my mind. These are thoughts that all parents experience, but the stupidity is what reminds you of how special being a parent can be.
The first one is that he's so small. This was very prevalent in those first few months. I still remember his entire body fitting on my torso as he would sleep on my chest early in the mornings. Like, he's a baby, so of course he's small, but it didn't detract from the wonder of this tiny being who was fully dependent on me. It's amazing how small they are, how small they were, and how they aren't going to be small forever. It doesn't take a genius to know that babies are small when born and then grow bigger, but it's still really satisfying to marvel at this stupid fact of life.
The other thought that comes to me frequently is, "I can't believe this is my kid." I mean, I'm pretty positive he is my child, but I just stare in awe as somehow I created this wonderful little being who is the perfect mix of my wife (mostly) and myself (a teeny, tiny, little bit). A few days ago, he was just free playing, and he brought a book up to the couch, sprawled it out across his lap, and flipped through the pages and "read" the book. Now he wasn't reading the words, but he had memorized enough words and knew enough pictures that he could point out that he was able to go through a story in his own mind. He's not two yet, and if you gave me a foreign language book, I would struggle to match his level of understanding. How is this guy my child? Like, I know he is, but still, I just marvel that somehow I helped create this wonderful being.
These thoughts may be blatantly obvious, but they're also special. It's good to take a step back and realize how tiny he is now and appreciate that, because it won't always be the case. And it's especially good to marvel at who he is, because he's going to evolve and separate so fast that I won't be able to appreciate all the little changes, because I'll barely be able to keep track of the big ones.
It's not rocket science, but the simplest thoughts are all the easier to appreciate.