New baby

This past week was my first week back to work following my paternity leave for my newly adopted son. Nathan Michael was born on December 17 in Salt Lake City. My wife, Meredith, and I got to be there at the birth. The next day, the birth mother signed the papers placing him with us, and late on December 23, the paperwork between Utah and California (our home state) finally cleared letting us fly home on Christmas Eve.

It’s an open adoption, which means that we stay in contact with the birth mother, sending her letters and pictures, and Nathan will always know that he was adopted. It’s supposed to be much better for the child that way, since there are never any sudden surprises (‘what do you mean I was adopted!?’) later on in life for the kid.

I’ve been very grateful for the Microsoft benefits. I got four weeks paid paternity leave, and Microsoft will even reimburse us for $5000 of the adoption expenses for Nathan. It was wonderful to have January off with Nathan.

There are, of course, way more stories and pictures of Nathan on my personal blog.

And now, back to work.

Comments

• Anonymous
  February 08, 2005
  Congratulations!
  
  All the best for the future.
• Anonymous
  February 08, 2005
  Congrats, Mike! You must be on cloud nine.
• Anonymous
  February 08, 2005
  If you get a month off paid, why don't you get married to 20 women, and have them give birth regularly. You will get paid, and never work again!