The Come Down: Life After the Big 1st Birthday Bash
Navigating the Post-Party Lull, Sweet Memories, and a Return to Routine
It’s still hard to process that I’m now the father of a one-year-old. This past year has been a whirlwind, and now, coming down from the high of the birthday celebration, reality is settling back in. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts (see the notes page) while working through a massive dataset cleanup at work. No matter the topic, discussions about children and how they change people always seem to come up. Even when the guests don’t have kids, you can sense the underlying shift—how their perspectives might be different if they did. It’s something I never considered before: how someone’s creativity, ambition, or even decision-making might change simply by having a child or a pregnant partner. That realization alone tells me just how much Jasper has influenced me.
With all the excitement around the party, a lot of my personal goals fell by the wayside. It’s not necessarily a bad thing—it was just the reality of the moment. The focus was on making the day special, not squeezing in an extra walk or workout. And now, with all the decorations and equipment packed away, it’s a true out of sight, out of mind situation. But the week after the party wasn’t a letdown; instead, it became about finding a way forward. How do we avoid stagnation? How do we regain momentum? This is the after-party come down—the part where we reset and push ahead.
This past week was tough, and it showed in my personal reviews. I wasn’t performing at the level I wanted, and it affected everything. It’s a strange mindset shift—not total failure, but certainly not where I want to be. I can see how people hit this point and start to give up. But I won’t. I’m not abandoning my health or performance goals. This weekend is the reset. Time to get back on the horse, back to feeling better, back to being the person I want to be. Because at the end of the day, there’s a little guy watching, expecting more from me.
One really cool thing happened this week, though—Jasper started waving and smiling on his own terms. It’s incredible to watch him take these small steps toward independence. People tend to focus on the big milestones—walking, talking, first words—but I think these social interactions might be just as important. Waving and smiling may seem small, but they’re the building blocks of connection, confidence, and opportunity. Some might even argue they matter more than the flashier firsts.
So, here we are—the week after the big 1st birthday. The high has faded, the routine is calling, and the work begins again. Time to refocus, reset, and move forward.
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