Johanna Jasmine Payne was born on April 27th of this year at 7:58AM. So far, what wisdom has she gleaned in her five full days of life? Well:

- If she cries, someone will pick her up. Depending on what time of the day it is and who that someone of the moment is that happen to pick her up, she will either be fed, have her diaper changed, or get her hair brushed. Or some combination of the three.

- She can’t quite get her full hand in her mouth.

- She can get one finger in her nose.

I’m not sure just how monumental this knowledge is to Johanna, but if I were only five-days-old (and self-aware), I’d be pretty impressed with my accomplishments so far. Unfortunately, having self-awareness and 37 years and some months and days over Baby Johanna, I don’t have the luxury to pat myself on the back for mastering what little of the universe that can be reached lying on my back in a bassinet.

But in the five days she’s been in this world, I have learned at least a dozen priceless lessons. Here are just a five of the big ones:

- Miracles happen every day. Johanna’s arrival into the world was a blessing, and a real life example of the third time being the charm. And we aren’t completely in the clear yet, with the little girl working to clear a case of jaundice, which may be common, but the fact that it’s my baby dealing with it worries me personally. Other than that, seeing that little girl with a full head of hair and all ten fingers and ten toes wiggling (as she is mostly screaming) reminds me that I do believe in magic, miracles and the power of prayer.

- Sometimes conflicting thoughts are the only explanation. The sound of a screaming baby is both the most grating and most beautiful sound there is. Because of this it is very important to…

- Be open to suggestions. Johanna is a screaming baby, but my wife was against giving her a pacifier. The pediatricians didn’t put a pacifier in Johanna’s mouth because of her in her mother’s wishes, but gave us one just in case we decided to change our minds about the issue. I took the hint and quickly put the pacifier in the baby’s mouth before her mother could object.

- Time truly is precious. While I was itching for a chance to do some real work during recovery (and I had plenty of work that I could have gotten into), I would be lying if I didn’t say that I have enjoyed the time spent with just my wife and my new baby and I. Seeing that my stepson who was 8-years-old when his mother and I married is a few weeks from turning 17, I already know that time flies whether you are having fun or not. Might as well have fun with it.

- I can sleep wearing my wedding ring. We spent five days in the hospital due to my wife’s healing and Johanna’s working through the little illness. I have documented in the past about my love/hate relationship with wearing my wedding ring, but it only came off my hand once during the five day ordeal when I finally got to take a shower on day three. I have not told this to my wife who almost never takes off her wedding ring, and didn’t want to take it off to deliver the baby.