Day 203 - One!

Today was a day of celebration. A day of jubilation. A day of semi-exhaustion? All of those things are likely true. 

As you well know if you read yesterday's blog, today marked Ellie's first birthday. I guess if you're wanting to be totally accurate, 6:15 pm marked Ellie's first birthday. That seems mildly nitpicky to go into that much detail though.

Now, I admit that it's completely unlikely Ellie remembers any part of her first birthday. However, that didn't stop Bethany and I from working to cram it full of special activities and treats for our baby girl.

Said special activities and treats included a trip to Chick-Fil-A for lunch with her mommy, a tour of DFA's new office with Bethany,  a zoo trip (accompanied by "Uncle" Malachi), a hot dog fresh off the grill for dinner, her very own swimming pool for a present, and last but not least, her very own cupcake.

Corporate baby.

See, I told you that today was chock full of special activities and treats for Ellie. Honestly, the conclusion I came to regarding this is that a child's first birthday really isn't about the child at all. Instead, I believe it's more for the parents. What do I mean by that? Well, I'll tell you.

It all began last night after Ellie had been put down for the night. Bethany and I sat in the living room flipping through the monotony of Monday evening television until we began reminiscing about what we were doing and feeling at the exact same moment in 2016. If our memories hold serve, we were watching 'Match Game' and counting down the time until we needed to leave for the hospital. Ironically, our feelings about that moment were very similar; excitement to meet our daughter, but unbelievably nervous for what we knew would be an extremely long day ahead.

Of course, the day ahead was very long. We checked into the hospital at 9:00 pm on June 26th and Ellie didn't arrive until 6:15 pm the following day. Honestly, I'd never been as proud of my wife as I was on that day. The bravery and fortitude she showed throughout the entire experience encouraged me. I can still remember the pain I felt watching Bethany suffer through every back spasm, vomiting fit, and groans of agony to the eventual epidural and birth. In fact, I warn every dad-to-be that will be the one of the hardest things they will go through in their entire lives.

Once Ellie made her entrance and was handed to Bethany, I saw a contented peace flow over my wife's face as she held our newborn daughter tightly in her arms. We were finally able to look upon our daughter's face, not through the grainy images of an ultrasound, but with our own four eyes (four eyes because there were two of us, duh). This tiny person who we had spent so long asking God for had finally arrived. 

The next few days were a whirlwind of doctors, nurses, and well-wishers until it was finally time to head home. As we drove the ten minutes from the hospital to our house, I vividly remember discussing whether or not we were ready to tackle taking care of Ellie on our own. While I was hesitant, Bethany was fearless. She knew that everything was going to be just fine.

Now, 363(ish) days later, I can see my wife was right. Ellie has grown and developed so much over her first year of life and it's been a pure joy to watch. If I was to list every awesome thing I've seen from Ellie, it would probably take me 200 words. So therefore, I'll just list some of my faves.

• ·         Ellie's first time letting me feed her a bottle
• ·         The way she used to sleep on a play mat just outside the kitchen as we ate dinner
• ·         Her first time rolling across the living room
• ·         Gently rocking her to sleep in the rocker in her room at 3:00 am while listening to 'The Show' over and over and over again
• ·         Watching her crawl for the first time
• ·         Seeing the excitement on her face every time I smile at her
• ·         The clumsy way she claps her hands or waves goodbye 

I could be incredibly specific and keep going (and going and going). However, living in the past is no way to be. If I was to do that, then I'd certainly miss all of the exciting things that lie ahead for Ellie, and for Bethany and me.

A joke in our household in recent weeks (one that Bethany doesn't appreciate at all), is for me to say something along the lines of "One year down, 17 to go." While it's meant to be a joke, there is something slightly sobering about it. However, rather than let it get me down, it incentivizes me to enjoy every single day with Ellie.

Honestly, that's part of the reason #DaddyWrite exists. Despite the often sarcastic bent, it reminds me to take note of the small things that happen in Ellie's life day in and day out. It also helps me to make sure I'm enjoying even the rough patches and we all know there are plenty of those. 

My hope is that someday Ellie will be able to look back at some of these posts when she's older. Maybe she'll appreciate the fact that buried among the stupid jokes and obscure pop culture references are some sweet stories about a dad's love for his baby girl. Or she'll just think her dad's a long-winded sap.  Both are probably accurate.

#DaddyWrite

All done...