It’s been a little under a month since my life changed in a significant manner when I became a father for the second time.

Little Micah Alexander Esben was born on the 23rd of April and since then he’s been a ray of sunshine in our lives. My wife and I have moments where we just sit there and stare at him. He’s not doing much apart from sleeping, eating and pooping (the perfect way to spend your days if you ask me) but he’s already got us wrapped around his little finger!

While he bonds at home with Mom, I’m making sure that everything else ticks over. As a father, you can’t help but to cast your mind to the past to try and learn as many lessons as possible from when you became a parent for the first time, but you also think ahead about what your children will be like when they’ve grown up a bit more. Will they be into sport or will they have more creative inclinations? Will they enjoy music or reading? These are all questions I ask myself while holding my baby in my arms or when my older son falls asleep on the couch next to me.

But then, there’s also the anxiety that comes along with being a parent. I often wonder if I’m good enough to be responsible for two little humans. Then you wonder if you’ll be able to provide for them sufficiently and which schools they should go to. Am I doing enough to aid my children’s development? The list of questions go on and on and can become all-consuming, but a word of advice I got recently stuck with me; “You are good enough, you are validated. Just love them and do your very best. The rest is all academic.”

This journey ahead excites me and with the massive support of my wife, I’m certain that my sons will grow up to be exemplary humans no matter which path they choose.