Letter # 9 from Daddy to Shplinky - Picture Day

Dear Shplinky,

                So, today is the day!  I get to see you for the first time!!!  I can’t even describe to you the excitement I’m feeling right now.  I get to physically see you; your face, your hands, your nose, your mouth!  How cool is that?!  You better pose for the picture because I’m going to show you to everyone via Facebook (you’ll know what that is when you are older).  Your mommy and I have been waiting for this day for quite some time now!  It’s going to be awesome!

                This morning as I was wondering what it is going to be like to see you, I thought of a few questions that brought a smile to my face:

                When you are little, even now, are you going to recognize my voice?  Are you going to be crying and then hear the voice of your father and recognize it?  I want my voice to be the voice the brings comfort, safety, and peace to your little heart.  I want you to always feel safety when you hear my voice.  I want you to always be able to come to me and cry on my shoulder, hold me tightly, and listen to my voice as I tell you that everything is ok, that Jesus loves you, that your mommy loves you, and that I love you.  I want my voice to be the one thing you can always hear and know that everything is ok…no matter what!

                When you are little, are you going to recognize my face?  When you look around at everything, cause you’re going to be very observant and distracted like your daddy, will your gaze land on my face and bring a smile to your lips?  Will you look at me and see a face of love, care, and joy?  Will my face be something that you seek out as you seek my confidence, my love, my passion for everything you do?  Will you be able to see on my face when you make mistakes and how it hurts me when you hurt Jesus?  Will you seek my face when you make mistakes and I love you no matter the act committed?  Will you seek my face for the discipline and grace given when you make mistakes?  I want my face be the one thing you can always look at to know that you are loved and everything is ok…no matter what!

                When you are little, will you trust and love your father’s hands and arms that hold you?  When you are hurting or when you are sad, will you run to your daddy’s arms – arms that will always hold you super tight to make sure you know you are safe and that nothing and nobody can ever take you away from me except God (for He gives and takes away)?  Will you want to run to my arms when I come home from work to get hugs and kisses?  Will you want to run to my arms to get tickled?  Will you run to my arms after I discipline you, because you know that I commit to trying my hardest to never discipline you out of anger, but always out of love?  Will you want me to hold you just because?  I want my arms and hands to be the one thing you always desire to have around you to know that you are safe, you are mine, and you will always be safe!

                Well, today is the day.  I get to see you.  Soon you will get to see me.  I can’t wait for that moment, but for now, I will be satisfied with just seeing you.

                A few things to think about before your first picture day:

1.       Don’t smile like Mommy when she gets a picture taken…her smile is cheesy cause she did modeling for so long…smile naturally like your Dad ;)

2.       If you feel like you need to flex when we take your picture, that is fine.  I won’t stop you.  You show those muscles!

3.       Remember, it’s ok to suck your right thumb in the picture.  It will just give me more proof  you will be a pure lefty!

I love you, Shplinky.  Only 7 more hours until I see you!  BOOYA!

Love,

Daddy

Letter # 8 from Daddy to Shplinky...your strong heartbeat

Shplinky,

2011 is here!  The year you will be born!  Last year the most amazing thing happened to me…I married your mommy.  2010 was the best year of my life!  2011 is going to be insanely awesome as well!  You will be born in the middle of 2011 (specific dates shortly to come).  As your mommy and I discussed some “new year’s resolutions,” I really didn’t have any (I’m not a big fan).  Yet, as I thought about it, there are really only 2: to be the best husband to your mommy as I can possibly be; to love her as Christ loves the church – and to be the best daddy to YOU as I can possibly be; to love you, give you grace, and to “train you in the way you should go!”  Shplinky, you have no idea how excited I am for you to be born, to hold you in my hands, compare your little fingers with mine, to watch your face as you sleep, and to hear your voice (even though it will mostly be you crying for awhile).

So today marks a very important day (not necessarily in your life, but for me and your mommy’s).  Your mommy got to hear your heartbeat!  It was pounding away, super healthy, at 156 beats per minute!  How cool are you right now?!  You are working buddy!  You are pumpin’ blood to your body and you are growing!  According to my speculations, you are the size of an orange, you can make a fist with your fingers (which I know will turn into shaking your fist towards me when you are hungry ha ha), and you are moving very frequently!  You are just a super-active baby!

It seems that everything right now focuses on your heart.  How big your heart is, how much blood is pumping through your developing body, and now hearing how fast your heart is beating!  Your heart is the focal point right now, and I want you to know that your heart will continue to be the focal point as your mommy and I raise you.  In Matthew 12:34 Jesus says to the Pharisees, “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good?  For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart."

The truth of this verse really motivates how I want to parent you.  The truth Jesus is declaring is that the heart and what you have in your heart is what is most important because out of the heart is what flows everything!  The heart is the most important thing!  Shplinky, you need to know that I will always fight for your heart.  I will always fight to help your heart.  I will try my hardest to parent you, care for you, and love your heart – for that is most important.  You are going to do stupid things sometimes (especially if you have any of your Dad in you).  You are going to make mistakes.  You are going to have battles.  Yet, what is most important is your heart.  What is most important is that you know that I will love you and your heart no matter what.  You need to know that I will not train your behavior, but will try my hardest to train your heart.  That is all I can do; and I will do it because I love you!

It was so awesome to hear your mommy’s excitement about hearing your heartbeat.  I can’t wait for next week when I get to see you for the first time!  You are already bringing your mommy and I such joy.  I love you.

3 things to keep in mind as you get stronger and stronger:

- U of A still sucks and we will always hate them, no matter if they are better than ASU
- Keep sucking your right thumb so your left arm gets stronger; your left arm needs to be focused so that you can drain 3 pointers with that pure lefty stroke!
- If you’re a boy, you don’t have to wash your hands every time you go to the bathroom; if you’re a girl, you have to wash your hands every time!

Love,
Daddy