It would be a lie to say that 2025 flew by. The first half of the year certainly did, with business as usual focused on ensuring Katherine maintained a happy and healthy pregnancy. Along the way, new developments emerged, including taking on a simultaneous “part-time” position with Pearson helping to grade CalTPAs (teaching performance assessments) for credential candidates. This was, of course, rather ironic given that I was simultaneously finishing my own CALAPAs (administrative performance assessments). That first half of the year ultimately culminated in completing the LEAD program through the Anaheim Union High School District. With an administrative services credential now in hand, I technically have the option to “upgrade” into administration in the future—perhaps selling my soul to the devil at some later date.
March marked a major highlight of the year with a delicious Phil’s BBQ baby shower. Life continued to move quickly, and with more surprises, as we transitioned out of my parents’ place and into our very own townhouse. For the foreseeable future, this will remain our home. Moving in a few months early gave us the necessary time to get settled, set up the nursery, and adjust to the responsibilities that come with owning and maintaining a new space. This means of course having to do my own laundry and vacuum/mop my own house on a weekly basis.
May was when life truly flipped upside down with the birth of Kai. People say that being a parent is hard, but there is truly no way to prepare yourself for the unpredictability of the newborn trenches. I was fortunate that my summer break aligned with Kai’s earliest months, allowing me to witness his many “mundane” milestones—ranging from being peed on in the middle of the night to experiencing blowouts of an extreme nature. Despite the exhaustion, those early months were formative in ways that are difficult to fully explain.
There is a life before having kids, and a life after having kids, and my life post-Kai is barely just beginning.
Life continued to evolve as I made the decision to transition into teaching high school. In all honesty, it has been one of the best professional decisions I’ve made. While the staff at Kennedy High School may be less than stellar, the students are 99% great. I experience far less anxiety about “problem students” than I did at Dale, the Sunday Scaries are significantly reduced, and I haven’t even gotten sick once this year. While I’m not certain this is a permanent placement, middle school would be exponentially more difficult with a newborn, and a high school environment simply makes more sense for this stage of life.
Ultimately, my life shifted from revolving around Katherine, streaming television shows, and Phil’s BBQ to now revolving almost entirely around Kai. Every plan must be coordinated around his schedule, his wake windows, and his routine. Decisions are no longer spontaneous and must be carefully calculated. While there have been periods of extreme sleep deprivation and misery, it is all worth it in the pursuit of giving him the best life possible. I imagine that as he grows older, we will have the opportunity to relive parts of our own childhoods through his eyes, making the struggle worthwhile in the long run.
Life is permanently different in 2025. What I once considered “tiring”—working all day and coming home—has now been amplified with Kai in our lives. And yet, it is all worth it to see his smile and watch him reach new milestones along the way. 2026 will be a great year, as it will mark his first opportunity to try Phil’s BBQ and, of course, the eventual celebration of his first birthday—location still to be determined, but most likely at Phil’s BBQ.
