An Open Letter to my Future Daughter (Week 31)

So I have been doing a lot of thinking and as our child's D-day approaches I have been thinking a lot about being a dad.  I usually say so many things to my wife but never actually write them down.
So here is an open letter to my baby girl.

Dear Baby Girl,

I know that we have been having lots of conversations lately and by conversations I mean me talking to your mothers tummy and not getting a lot back from you.  First you need to know that when I heard that we were having a baby girl I was a mixture of super excited and scared.  Excited because I couldn't wait to see you and know you!  Scared because you are the first and I have lived a life, that I can say with plenty of honesty, selfishly.  After the initial shock wearing off I had a chance to think and talk about what I would be like as a dad.  This letter is meant to encourage you and let you know how much your mom and I love you even before you were in our arms.

Baby girl, I can't wait to laugh with you.  The second you learn how to smile or laugh I will melt and want to do that for the next 60 years of your life or however long God has me here.   We can team up against mom and make funny noises to make her think that she has gone crazy.

Baby girl, I will be firm with you, but I will always do it in love and try my best to be fair.  I pray that you would call me out when I am wrong and that you can be as forgiving as possible when I am being a bone head.  And I warn you it can be a lot.

Baby girl, I can promise you that I will never leave your side. That I will protect you, care for you, cry with you, hold you and encourage you.

Baby girl, work will never come before you and your mommy.  I have taught other kids, guided other kids, poured over the lives of other kids so that they would feel loved.  I will still do that, but loving you and caring for you and your momma will always come before anything else I do in this life.  I will always be a dad first.  

Baby girl, when you start dating I will do my best to trust the kinda of man that you decide to date.  I pray that they would be honorable, respectful, courteous both to you and to us. They should hold your hand, open doors for you and give you their jacket when you are cold.  I hope and pray that I am able to model Jesus for you so that you will desire that very thing from every man you encounter and when they don't have these characteristics, that you'll drop their sorry butts (or it will be my pleasure to drop them for you).

**Warning if they can't wear their pants on their waist, say the word swag or Yolo or anything that sounds ridiculous, that's a dead giveaway to my approval.

Finally baby girl, I hope and pray that you become a beautiful person who loves Jesus and in part loves other people.  I hope that you become whatever it is that you want to become (except for janitorial manager; dirt inspector and my favorite working at the DMV-- they always seem so unhappy ).  

We are praying for you, we love you and we can't wait to see your face (even though it will be covered in goo and will request a clean up on aisle 3).

Love your future parents.

The End