My name is Yaniv. I’m a single father, 52 years old, to a baby girl named Sara, born through a long and complex surrogacy journey that lasted about four years. This blog is about fatherhood, loneliness, small mistakes, and big moments —and about trying to figure out, as I go, how to be a better… Continue reading A Few Words Before We Begin
The Scariest Day of My Life: When My Newborn Stopped Responding
A personal account of the scariest day of my life as a new father, when my ten-day-old daughter became unresponsive. A story of fear, emergency care, and parental anxiety.
A Mother’s Tenderness: The Night My Daughter Wouldn’t Eat for Me
A deeply personal essay about single fatherhood, jealousy, and the quiet pain of realizing the limits of what a father can offer. Through one difficult evening with a three-month-old daughter, the story explores absence, tenderness, and the complex bond between a father, a grandmother, and a child when there is no mother in the picture.
The Original Sara and the Crown Princess: Why I Named My Daughter After My Mother
A deeply personal essay about single fatherhood, the enduring bond between a son and his mother, and the quiet transfer of love from one generation to the next with the birth of a daughter. Through surrogacy, family closeness, and shared daily life, this story explores motherhood, identity, and the moment a man realizes he is no longer just a son—but a father.
To Hell With Newton: A Single Father’s Fear That His Daughter Might Suffer the Same Childhood Bullying
A deeply personal essay about childhood humiliation, lifelong loneliness, and the anxiety of late fatherhood. A single father reflects on bullying, emotional scars, and the fear of passing generational trauma to his daughter—while vowing to protect her from the pain that shaped him.
Finding a Voice After a Lifetime of Silence: Loneliness, Failure, and Becoming a Father at 52
A deeply personal essay about lifelong loneliness, writing as survival, and how late fatherhood finally helped me hear my own voice. After decades of hiding from the world, I discover that becoming a father changed not just my life—but who I am.
First Victory: A Lifetime of Failure and the Unexpected Luck of Fatherhood
A deeply personal reflection on failure, career, and becoming a father at 52. After a lifetime of unrealized ambitions and financial anxiety, I discover that my greatest success didn’t come from work or luck—but from becoming a father to my daughter, Sara.
Like Seinfeld in the Maternity Ward | Being the Only Dad in the Maternity Ward
A single father shares, with self-deprecating humor and honesty, the stereotypes, automatic assumptions, and the awkwardly funny experience of being the only dad in the maternity ward—and in a parenting world largely dominated by women.
A Troubling Future | A Single Father Thinking About His Daughter’s Future
A new father reflects on the world his daughter will grow up in. A personal, thoughtful post about parenthood, responsibility, and the quiet worries that come with raising a child in uncertain times.
Am I Madonna’s Dad? | Life With a Baby Who Steals Every Spotlight
My baby girl Sara turns heads everywhere—like a tiny celebrity with a wardrobe to match. For a moment I even considered making her an Instagram star, until one question stopped me cold: what right do I have to trade her privacy for likes?
Sara and Me 