Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my dad's birthday. He would have been 57. It has been a weird day to say the least. Yesterday Forrest and I had an ultrasound. We are having a BOY! It has been fun to think about how excited my dad would have been to find out he was having a grandson. But, it has also been sad, knowing our son won't have the privelege of being absolutely adored by his "Boppa." I have been trying to think about what to do in memory of my dad today - it should be something that he would have enjoyed. So far all I have come up with is eating fried chicken at the deli below his office - but since I am not in Jackson that is not possible.

My mom sent all four of us an email today telling us the story of our dad at each of out births. It was really cool to read - we have all heard the stories before, but each story had something new that I didn't know before. I am going to share the story of my birth with you guys...

Amy, Guess what sporting event was happening on your birthday – The World Series – I wish I could tell you who was playing and what the score was, but I can’t – but you know that Dad knows! We were in our apartment and it was an evening that Daddy was not on call . We were watching the game together and around 9:00, my labor started. Dad would tell you how great it was that I let him finish the game. Being very naïve about babies and such, I wasn’t sure I was in labor ( your doctor thought I wasn’t due until November) A few hours later, we decided that we should go to the hospital. Dad with his big grin decided as I reached the bottom of the stairs, that we really needed a picture of me pregnant. I can still see his big, silly grin, thinking this was all going to be very funny – I wasn’t laughing. Contractions are not photogenic! Things went pretty quickly once we were at the hospital. No one could start my IV, so I didn’t get to have my epidural. Daddy was amazing and continued to rub my back till his hand I’m sure felt it was going to fall off. He was so encouraging. HE seemed to know what to say through all the stages of labor (even though he had slept through most of our Lamaze classes!) Then at 3:31 there you were – Daddy’ face glowed. You were his little girl – to cherish and love. Thankfully, Dad was doing a pediatric rotation and could stop in and see us during the day. It was on one of those visits that he held you I his hands and with tears in his big blue eyes that he asked me if I thought you would ever get married? His prayers for you and your future had already begun. You were only about 10 hours old.

Reading that story just makes me feel special - and reminds me of how much I was loved by my daddy.