How to Care for Your Child Teen Edition (Week 33)

The baby is not that far away.  Third Trimester has been in full blown beast mode, so we are preparing and excited for the arrival of our little girl.
Now most of you who read this blog know that I work with kids.  I believe God was preparing me for my own child and therefore equipped me for that wonderful age of teenagers.  Well my work put on a fabulous baby shower where a table of kids decided to fill out the advice form that was placed at every table.  I thought their advice on how to care for my child was quite insightful and interesting.


On the Baby's first six weeks:

1.  Watch as much football as possible.   (maybe they mean futbol)
2.  Lullaby songs should be by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  (Anyone know how to play bass?)
3.  Put the baby to bed at 12 midnight.   (If I can make it to midnight I celebrate)
4.  Buy the baby a leather jacket.           (Biker baby?)
5.  Keep the baby awake at all times!    (Nada, no one would enjoy that time)

On Parenting a Girl:

1. Give her lots and lots of toys.       (So I can relive Jingle All the Way)    
2.  Never drop her.                           (I thought this was a given?)
3. She needs all the clothes in the world.  (So I can control what she wears, sure)
4. Give her everything she wants.      (Within reason, the second she asks for a space shuttle, I'm done)

Must Have Baby Products:
1. Diaper (not diapers, but singular diaper)
2. Red Bull (for us or the babies, still unsure)
3. A snuggie.

As you can see if kids were raising babies who knows how they would turn out.  Though I would love to see a baby on Red Bull and trying to calm them down or get them to sleep.   Either way this gives you a little insight to the minds of teens:  chaotic, fun and the opposite of what you want to do.

The End~

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