Shaving with the baby

I’ve never liked to shave. It’s time consuming and bugs my skin. It’s an annoyance that I’d live without if the Grizzly Adams look weren’t frowned upon at work. However, recently I’ve gotten in the habit of working this irritating necessity into a highlight of my day.

Now after my morning shower I go grab my son and plop him in his bouncy seat next to me while I shave and get ready for work. He stares as me intently and we talk back and forth for a few minutes while I get rid of my facial overgrowth. We don’t use any actual words because he’s only 4 months old and I’m more than happy to jabber at him in his own drool-infused dialect. He squiggles and laughs at things that are only funny to him, and when I brush my teeth he stares at me in utter amazement for reasons unknown. He’s at his brightest and cheeriest of the day, so it’s a great time to spend with him. (On top of all this it affords my wife a few extra minutes of sleep and helps preserve her sanity.)

I love every little bit of time I get to spend with him, and prep time in the morning is no exception. His little smiling face is a great way to start the day and remind me what I’m working for in the first place. It never seems like there are enough hours in the day, so making the minutes count have helped me fit in some more quality time with my son. Quality time doesn’t always have to be large, elaborately planned events. Quality time often fits neatly between the impassive demands of modern life, and I’m glad to have found one more spot where I can do just that.

So now, I like shaving.