If you would have told me three years ago that I would have two more children by the age of 41, I would have thought you were absolutely crazy.
At that point in my life, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the future looked like. I was focused on my businesses, my newspapers, my video company, and most importantly, being the best father I could be to my son, Jack.
Many of you know Jack. If you've followed me on Facebook over the years, you've probably seen more than your fair share of stories, adventures, and photos involving him. He has been the center of my world since the day he was born.
For the last six years, I have driven back and forth between Iowa and Green Bay nearly every weekend. Thousands of miles. Hundreds of trips. Countless hours on the road.
People occasionally asked me if it was worth it.
The answer was always simple.
Of course it was.
You don't get those years back.
As Jack got older, there came a point in 2023 when I felt I needed to be there even more. I wanted a stable place for us when I was in Wisconsin. A place where we could spend weekends together, summer days together, and simply have more normal time together.
So I rented an apartment in Green Bay.
What happened next changed my life forever.
I met Amanda.
Sometimes life doesn't send you a formal invitation. Sometimes it simply puts the right person in your path when you least expect it.
We met, fell in love, and before long our future began taking shape in ways neither of us could have imagined.
Then, on February 12, 2025, we welcomed Lincoln into the world. Becoming a father again after nearly a decade was a strange and wonderful experience. There are things you remember immediately. There are things you forget. And there are things you appreciate far more the second time around.
A few months later, on June 30, Amanda and I were married.
Looking back now, it is remarkable how quickly life changed. What began as an apartment rental so I could spend more time with Jack turned into meeting my future wife, welcoming a son, getting married, and building a family I never saw coming.
Then, this past Saturday, May 30, our family grew once again.
Camille Constance Nelson entered the world weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces—the largest of my three children.
She also arrived hungry.
Very hungry.
The nurses barely had time to get her settled before she made it known she expected service immediately.
I admired that.
I'll admit something that may surprise some people.
I don't really feel like a girl dad yet.
Not because I don't love Camille. I already do.
But fathers often build relationships differently than mothers do in those first few weeks and months. Amanda has known Camille for nine months. She carried her. Protected her. Felt every kick and movement along the way.
For dads, the relationship grows one day at a time.
It's built through bedtime stories.
Saturday mornings.
Bike rides.
School events.
Dance recitals.
Conversations.
Life.
I know that bond will come, just as it did with Jack and Lincoln.
In fact, one of the greatest gifts of the past year has been watching my relationship with Lincoln grow.
During Amanda's pregnancy, Lincoln and I spent more and more time together. Somewhere along the way, he started looking for Dad first.
That means more to me than he will ever know.
At 41 years old, I have come to appreciate something that younger versions of ourselves often overlook.
Time is the most valuable thing we have.
Not money.
Not titles.
Not businesses.
Time.
The opportunity to watch your children grow.
The chance to hear another first word.
See another first step.
Attend another first day of school.
Watch another graduation.
I thought many of those milestones were becoming memories.
Instead, I have the privilege of experiencing them all over again.
No parent knows what their children will become.
Who knows what Camille's future holds?
Maybe she'll be an athlete.
Maybe she'll run a company.
Maybe she'll become a teacher, a doctor, a journalist, or pursue something that hasn't even been invented yet.
The world she grows up in will be very different from the one I grew up in.
But my responsibility remains the same.
To help guide her.
To help guide all of my children.
To make sure they receive a good education.
To teach them kindness, responsibility, and hard work.
To encourage them to be involved in their communities and care about the people around them.
And then, when the time comes, to step aside and let them build lives of their own.
Three years ago, I thought I knew exactly how the rest of my story would unfold.
Then I rented an apartment in Green Bay.
I met Amanda.
Lincoln arrived.
We got married.
Camille followed.
And somewhere along the way, life gave me a gift I never expected.
More time as a father.
More opportunities to learn.
More opportunities to love.
More opportunities to watch three incredible kids grow into adults.
At 41, I didn't expect to be changing diapers again.
I certainly didn't expect to be holding a newborn daughter.
But as I sit here today, looking at Camille and wondering who she will become, I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing.
Welcome to the world, Camille.
Your brothers, your mother, and your dad can't wait to watch your story unfold.