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‘Fox & Friends First’ co-host Todd Piro signs off for six weeks of dad time.<\/p>\n
Six weeks\u2026or as the team on “Fox and Friends FIRST” called it \u2013 the “Spring of Todd.” <\/p>\n
Playing off the old “Seinfeld” episode called “The Summer of George,” where the character George Costanza plans an activity-filled three months away from work that ultimately ends with him failing to leave his apartment, I told the “FIRST” team \u2013 mostly parents themselves — about all the tasks I was going to accomplish during my paternity leave.<\/p>\n
They laughed\u2026and mocked me for my naivete.<\/p>\n
And even though I knew they were probably correct \u2013 that I would get none of my tasks done \u2013 I didn\u2019t know how correct they would prove to be.<\/p>\n
CELEBRITIES WHO HAD BABIES IN 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n -Finally watch “Mad Men”? Ha! Some days I didn\u2019t have time to turn on the TV.<\/p>\n -Streamline my contacts list? The only “contact” I contacted was my wife and that was to ask “WHERE do I put that cream?” “How do I tell the difference between the different cries?” and “Why is there a color wheel for what comes out of this child?”<\/p>\n That smile coming from the crib each morning, immediately followed by morning snuggles \u2013 is what I will cherish the most.\u00a0There is nothing better.\u00a0<\/p>\n -Follow a workout regimen of running and flexibility training? The only running I did was to heat up bottles to soothe a screaming child and the only flexibility I demonstrated was the incessant one-handed bend to pick up the pacifier thrown to the floor approximately 20 times a day!<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET OUR OPINION NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/p>\n And you know what \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t change a thing \u2013 because if I did one thing correctly in my anticipation of leave, it was to remind myself to enjoy the ride. When I look back on high school and college, I regret that I was so focused on the end goal that I didn\u2019t appreciate the journey. Thanks to the benefits of wisdom that come with getting older, I wasn\u2019t going to make that mistake again. <\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean the ride is easy \u2013 and every parent knows that. So, I tried to capture my first-time father’s observations for the world to see on social media (Twitter: @toddpiro; Instagram: @todd.piro). Among my “favorites”:<\/p>\n -When you are not changing or feeding your kid, you are performing a constant song and dance routine where you inject your child\u2019s name into every third word of the music and jump around your kitchen like an inebriated uncle at a wedding. A flailing of body parts and creepy clown face expressions that somehow is the greatest sight in your baby\u2019s new life every single time you do it.<\/p>\n -The Nose Frida: if you know what it is, you understand. If you don\u2019t, please don\u2019t look it up \u2013 just maintain your innocence as long as you can.<\/p>\n -Baby Shark works. It just does. I don\u2019t know why. I don\u2019t know how. I don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n But my favorite observation from the past six weeks needs no witty description. It\u2019s simply watching love unfold before your eyes. A love in her eyes for you. A love for her in a part of your heart you didn\u2019t know existed.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a love where everything you say is the funniest. And if you\u2019ve seen “Fox and Friends FIRST,” not everything I say is as funny as I think it is \u2013 just ask my co-anchor Jillian!<\/p>\n It\u2019s a love where even the vilest of tasks are ones you know you will miss one day \u2013 maybe not tomorrow\u2026 maybe not 6 months from now\u2026 but one day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a love where boxing up the infant clothes that she has already grown out of causes you to weepily wail “Butterfly Kisses” around the house (OK \u2013 even my wife makes fun of me for that!).<\/p>\n And it\u2019s a love that makes the challenges of our times 100% worth it.<\/p>\n