A Brooklyn stay-at-home dad shares cherished memories of days at home with his young daughter in a photo essay of fatherhood.
I married my wife late in life (Linda was worth the wait). I was 47 years old when our daughter, Kasie, finally arrived, and I decided to become a part-time communications consultant so I could become a full-time stay-at-home father. I’ve since become happily consumed with family life. If I had known how impossibly wonderful parenthood could be, I would have done it much earlier. We’ve been blessed with a child of even, cheerful temperament who is generally low maintenance—so far, at least! Here are some of my most treasured memories of our days together.
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Don’t Mind if I Do! We went to an old-fashioned drug store with a soda fountain for a treat on my birthday. Kasie is clearly confused about whose special day it is! |
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Caught in the Nap! Hey, don’t they always say sleep when the baby sleeps? Some days, you don’t have to ask me twice. Linda captured proof that we both assume the same slumbering positions. Like father, like daughter. |
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Silly Daddy! Kasie isn’t the only one who can rock fabulous accessories. I told her “Hey, I look really good in this. I’m going to keep it for myself,” much to her amusement. |
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Bright Light, Big City After enjoying a snack, we savored a quiet moment gazing at the Manhattan skyline from our living room window. I remember thinking about how fleeting our daughter’s littleness will be. |
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Cheers, Kasie! I snapped this shot when I noticed the symbolism: the shift in my life, from winding down after a weary workday with a cold beer, to feeding our infant daughter her nighttime bottle. I’ll toast to that any day. |
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Spontaneous Smooch This is my favorite picture of us. It was taken on a lazy weekend afternoon at Governors Island. The moment was pure and unscripted. |
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I’ve Got This You’d be surprised by the things I’ve learned how to do in the past year, like ribbon dancing at a YMCA class. |
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Shadow Play We love living in Brooklyn Heights, and with the Promenade just down the block, we walk through it almost daily. One brisk early fall morning, the sun was casting dappled shadows along the Clark Street entrance. |
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Personal History The New-York Historical Society was showing a history of our ancestors’ turbulent assimilation into this country, and one important section of the exhibit narrates, in a comic book format, the family history of my friend Amy Chin. It reflects the story of many Chinese immigrants. Of course, Kasie is too young to understand now, but eventually, she will. |
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Bubbly Personalities The three of us at the Jersey Shore goofing around under the waves—family time is sacred when Linda’s off from work! |
