Every Day That Passes

I want you to know that every day that passes I think about you more and more. Every day that passes I am one step closer to holding you in my arms for the very first time. I know that you haven't heard my voice yet or felt my hand on mommy's tummy when you kick, but each day that passes gets a little easier knowing that I'll be with you soon. I can't wait to be your daddy! I have so many hugs and kisses saved up for you. The best day of my life will be here soon and on that very day you will know just how much I have been waiting to be a part of your life.

With all my love,

Daddy
XOXOXO

Life Lessons from Dad: Hope

I have been doing some thinking about what it means to be a father and part of that responsibility is to offer guidance. So, I thought it would be a great idea to start right now. You won't understand these lessons anytime soon, but someday when you are older you will and I'll be able to share what I have learned throughout my life and pass that down to you.  I'm not an expert and I've made a ton of mistakes but, I hope that maybe you'll take something away from what I have learned so that you won't have to make the same mistakes.  And if by chance you do make them, I'm here to tell you that it's ok and maybe this advice will help you sort through those mistakes someday.

I thought I would kick off these little lessons with Hope.  Hope has been at the forefront of my mind lately and is really helping me get through a very difficult situation and I think it's a good place to start.

Lesson 1: Hope

No matter what happens in life, no matter how hopeless a situation may be, whatever you do, don't lose Hope.  Hope is one of the most powerful emotions that you can have and it's one that only you can take away from yourself.  Situations in life will arise that will try to take it from you, but only you can make the conscious decision to hand it over.  So don't hand it over.  Keep it with you always and hold onto it tightly.  Without Hope your thoughts can lead to doubt and a belief that a situation or goal is impossible to overcome or achieve.  I want to tell you that nothing in this world is impossible to overcome and nothing in this world is hopeless as long as you truly believe it and hold onto Hope.  Hope is so powerful that as long as you hold onto it, you will be driven to achieve a positive outcome no matter how difficult a situation may be.  Hope will help remove the fear of the unknown and allows you to feel more positive about a situation.  As long as you have Hope you'll be able to see and think more clearly, which will help promote creativity within you, which in turn can help you accomplish and overcome the most difficult situations and tasks.  Having Hope will help you live a more positive and fulfilling life.  There have been many difficult times that I have faced and many times where I have given my Hope away and that only led to heartache and pain.  As much as I want to protect you from heartache and pain, I can't.  You'll go though your own difficult situations and make your own mistakes in life.  When those moments arrive, the only thing that I can do is offer my love and support and encourage you to never lose Hope.  Nothing is impossible and nothing is hopeless. Hold tightly onto Hope and never let it go. I love you little one.

Love,
Daddy
XOXOXO

Your Heartbeat

I was going through a few pictures of you that your mom had sent me and I came across a video of your heartbeat from one of the ultrasounds.  I'm not sure how far along you were at this time, but listening to the sound of your heartbeat is so amazing!  I pray that you are growing healthy and strong inside your mommy's tummy.  In 101 days you'll be here and I can't wait to meet you.  I hope you'll know who I am when we meet each other for the first time.  I love you.

Love,
Daddy
XOXOXO

Precious Moments

A friend of mine posted a video yesterday of his baby daughter taking her first steps.  Wow, what a powerful sight that was.  I can only imagine what that moment felt like for him and his wife.  I can’t wait for all those little moments and milestones that lie ahead for us.  Your birth, your first crawl, your first steps, your first words.  Those are the moments that will always be cherished and happen only once in a lifetime.  I don’t ever want to miss a single one of them.  

Love,

Daddy

XOXOXO

The Enormous Responsibility Ahead

Last night I had a pretty big realization about the enormous responsibility of parenting.  It's not that I didn't realize that being your dad was going to be a big responsibility, it was more about what that responsibility entails and what's at stake.  Over the last few months I have really been trying the best that I can to mentally prepare for your arrival.  At the very moment that you arrive in this world, my life, along with your mother's will forever change.  At that very moment we will both take on the most important roles that we have ever had.  We will be parents.  Not just any parents, but your parents.  It will be our responsibility to love you, protect you, and teach you.  Who you grow up to be, will be a direct reflection of your mother and I and our parenting.  There's a lot at stake and your mom and I don't want to let you down.  It's our job to make sure that we create a stable, secure, and loving environment for you to grow and thrive in and pass on healthy beliefs and strong values.  Our success or failure will ultimately define who you are when you're older.  It's so important that your mom and I are successful so that you can grow up to be a loving, healthy, and happy individual.  This is the greatest responsibility your mother and I will ever have.  We both love you so very much!

Daddy
XOXOXO

Your're a Cauliflower

So it looks like you are about 25/26 weeks old right now and about the size of a cauliflower!  That's pretty big.  It's kind of hard to know for sure though because I keep forgetting how they figure it out.  Your mom used to have to keep reminding me :) .  Each day that passes means you're one day closer to meeting your mom and I.  We are very excited!  There still is a lot of preparing that we need to do before you arrive, but I'm hoping and praying that everything will work itself out.  Since you are growing inside your mommy's tummy, I can only imagine that you somehow sense or feel her presence and the bond that the two of you share, but I wonder if you sense the bond between you and I and know that I am out here waiting for you as well.  I hope you do little one!

I Love You

I Love You

Daddy
XOXO

The One Who Awaits You (Daddy's voice)

NOTE:  If viewing on a mobile device or if the above player is not shown, click on the title below to be taken to the audio track.

The One Who Awaits You

By Jeffrey Salmeto

There’s someone out here waiting for you to arrive

He loves you so much and will always strive

To be your protector, your sword and your shield

In his arms he will hold you and his fate will be sealed

His world will forever change when he looks into your eyes

His heart will melt, and I’m sure he will cry

A sacred bond will be formed that no one can break

You’ll be his little girl, his princess, little cupcake

He can't wait for the lullabies and stories at night

Zoos and walks and playtime delight

All the fun to be had when you are finally here

The memories to make he will hold oh so dear

You don’t know him just yet but in time you will see

He's the one who's been waiting ever so patiently

The one that I speak of you'll meet very soon. 

You'll be his entire world his Sun and his Moon

The one that I speak of I know very well

As a matter of fact, I have a secret to tell

The one who awaits you, I’ll tell you it’s me

I am your daddy, and forever will be

Love,

Daddy

XOXOXO

Heavy Heart

I'm trying to be strong but it is so hard and my heart is heavy. There are so many times when I reflect on the past and pray about the future. I wish and pray more than anything in the world that I could be near you. While I am not physically with you, my thoughts, my love, and my hopeful prayers are.
- Love Daddy

Hearing voices & sounds

So from what I'm learning, at this stage in your development you should be able to hear sounds and start recognizing voices. Very awesome!! Hopefully you're not too startled. It's a busy and noisy world out there. Now could be the perfect time to start influencing you with some good music. Let's hope you pick up on your parents taste in 70's & 80's Rock & Roll. Who knows what kind of music will be around when your older.

Preparing

I have been thinking about you and how I should start preparing for your arrival in a few months. I'm not sure what I should be doing at this stage but you have been on my mind the last few days. I'm thinking of taking a parenting class. I think it would really help. Just so you know, I haven't even changed a diaper before. Guess I should start learning! I love you little one- Love Daddy

Happy and scared

Been doing a lot of thinking lately about life with you in it and it makes me smile! I will also admit that I am a little scared as well. I pray that I won't make too many mistakes and that I will be a quick learner. No matter what happens in life, I will ALWAYS be there for you and I promise to be the best daddy I can be. I love you

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters

This is a great post to check out for all dads and future dads to be:
50 Rules for Dads of Daughters

Please be an easy baby

I was talking with some friends today and we got on the subject of babies and how all parents tell their children that when they have their own kids, they hope that they have children that act just how they did. Sort of like payback. I'm really praying in that case, that you will be a total opposite of how I was when I was a baby. I had Colic when I was a baby and my parents would drive me around the block for hours just to get me to go to sleep. When I finally fell asleep, they would go home and I would wake up crying and they would have to do it all over again. So, because I have been told that I was a difficult baby, I think it would be really great if you could not be like me! Your mom and I would really appreciate that. We'll both love you unconditionally either way, but please be nice to us.  We'll make it worth your while :-) Love Daddy