Adam's Cool Website

Just Baby Steps

Wondering why you've seen less of me on the internet? Get used to it.

I’m (temporarily) out of the office because I (permanently) had another kid.

I recently had my second child. If this fact comes as a surprise to you, you're not alone: Besides a handful of family members and very close local friends, only the people we work with directly got a heads-up. Forget gender reveals, we briefly considered not telling anyone what was coming and letting them slowly figure out why a second, smaller child was showing up in all of our photos. In the end, though, practicality won out.

Mostly, the second time around had been more chill. Except for the X-factor of having to divide our attention with another kid who can walk and advocate, sometimes vociferously, for his own interests, there's nothing in these early stages of child- raising that we haven't done before. Instead, I’ve gotten to focus on those little wonders of having a newborn, from his vellus-covered skin wrinkling under my fingers to the way he scrunches into the tiniest ball possible when he sleeps in my arms, his hand occasionally pawing at my chest like he’s searching for the snooze button on the womb he still dreams he’s in.

There is one big difference with this baby: Unlike with my first, I have parental leave. I’ve stepped (temporarily) away from work, and while I may step back from time to time to check in and lend a hand, I’ll be taking time off from now until sometime in the late summer. If you’re a writer or someone else who works with Backpacker, you’re in my coworkers’ capable hands until then. (This feels like an appropriate time to mention that if you’d like both paid parental leave and the privilege of working with me, Outside is hiring.)

Rhys busts a move on REI's outdoor boulder.

Paid parental leave is an unalloyed good. It lets new parents stop and be present for their child and partners count on each other’s help. Still, I’ve focused so much of my time over the past decade and change on doing a single thing well that the idea of taking even a temporary break from it gave me anxiety. A week in, though, I feel like I’m starting to understand our new life rhythm. In between the feedings and chores, I’ve watched my new one work his way through tummy time by a sunny window and bought my eldest his first pair of climbing shoes. I walk down the street to the convenience store and think about much vibrant the flowering bushes in my neighborhood smell when I’m not thinking about anything else. When I head back to work, I hope it will be with the kind of insight comes from opening the gate and letting your mind wander off to where it’s supposed to be for a while.