Multiple joys

What do I enjoy about being a dad?

When I first became a dad I was actually overwhelmed with the stress of multiples. In the beginning, Tracy, my wife, and I didn't know how to enjoy being parents, let alone a husband and wife. However, the past four years have progressed into a wonderful future. Watching the events of having multiples unfold has allowed me to enjoy the wonders of having three children at once.

The best things about being a dad of multiples and having a newborn child of five months has allowed me to watch the little people grow and mature week after week. Each child is significantly different, yet they have their own, shared language. This is something of a comedy on its own; especially when I watch them interact with each other. They hug each other, love and fight with all their hearts. When they are excited they all rush to see what the excitement is about and there is no telling what it could be. Most of the time I enjoy sitting on my swing watching the kids chase frogs, pick up worms or sneak up on the "alligators," also known as the common blue-tailed lizard that crawls across the deck or rocks.

My son, Gabe, is also a little comedian even though he suffers from Sensory Integration and Autism. Gabe is still being treated and tested for other problems and even though he is a little boy of few or no words, his facial and body expressions say it all. To see Gabe smile when he rides his bike with me or to have him sit in my lap when I'm driving the boat at the lake is one of the best experiences ever. We also love playing Toby Keith's song, "Who's Your Daddy." The girls call it the "boat song."

I also enjoy the Saturday mornings when I make breakfast. This is what I do prior to hunting, fishing or doing my daily activities. I will fix the bacon in the kitchen and watch the kids run from the living room, where they watch SpongeBob, and then run back into the kitchen and sneak the bacon off the paper towels faster then it cooks.

Some of the best moments are waking up in the mornings when the girls crawl into bed with us and cuddle with me. The girls always ask me, "Daddy, are you my friend?" or they will just come up to me and say "Daddy, I need a hug." It's the little things and the comments they make to me that remind how precious a child is and what it takes to be a dad and a protector of a child. As a dad of four kids under the age of 4, I have no regrets being where I am today, and I only have their future to look forward to growing with them and their mom.

Ty Metzger