Some words for the Daddy

Dear Daddy,

Thanks a million for loving my mother.  

Thanks a million for demonstrating what a wonderful man can be like.

Thanks a million for being straight up with me and telling me when I'm being ridiculous.

Thanks a million for answering the phone that night that Javi and I had broken up and telling me to swallow my pride and call the sweet man to offer, if nothing else, an apology for being a drama queen.

Because of that advice, I'm married to the closest thing to you that I could find.

Thanks for dragging me all around the world with you.  

Thanks for making me wear Mark's underwear when all of my pairs were dirty and we hadn't found a laundromat in the foreign place yet.  That was character building...or something.

Because of those world travels, I'm not afraid of anything.

Because of those travels, I felt confident in marrying someone from across the ocean.

Because of those travels, I love being immersed in every culture/religion/tradition available.

Because of those travels, I learned how to live a low-maintenance life and to be extremely happy with it (not to say that I always live a low-maintenance life :)  )

Thanks for not getting too upset with me as I pulled prank after prank during my time in Young Ambassadors.

Thanks for that night in 8th grade when I was getting ready to leave with my friends (wearing something a little on the immodest side) and you told me that I looked inappropriate and that it really wasn't a good look for me.

I never forgot that and I'll never forget it.

Thanks for treating me similarly to how you treated my brothers (in the way of the "pull yourself together" attitude)

But thanks for treating me like your little princess...even still.

Thanks for still calling me "sis", "dollywog", and "Leecee".

Thanks for holding mom's hand.

Thanks for giving her kisses in front of us kids.

Thanks for always saying "I love you."

Thanks for being such a good texter and picture mail-er.

Thanks for being ultra obnoxious energetic about 5 am scripture study.

Thanks for not taking yourself, or anything else, too seriously.

Thanks for being mine.

Love, Leecee

Dear Daddy of our Baby:

You are really good at loving me.

Thanks for that.

Thanks for giving me big slobbery kisses even when I tell you to knock it off.

Thanks for telling me I'm pretty even when I know you're lying.

Thanks for talking to baby girl every single day. 

She loves you so much...maybe even more than she loves me.

Maybe I'm getting jealous.

Thanks for snuggling me even though I know you don't want to snuggle as often as I feel is necessary.

Thanks for giving me back tickles and being so solicitous when baby girl is stretching and kicking so hard that it makes me cry.

Thanks for loving me through contractions and pinched nerves.

Thanks for making me laugh so much.

Thanks for kissing me while I sleep even though I apparently get really mad at you in my sleep.

Thanks for always telling me about it the next morning.  

How embarrassing.

Thanks for letting me tag along while you do stories for the news.

Thanks for saying "I love you" so much.  You make it impossible to forget it.

I am so excited to watch you be daddy to this little angel in my belly.

I fall more and more in love with you when you talk and sing to her and she kicks and squirms at the sound of your voice. 

I'm so lucky to have forever with you.

Forever doesn't seem nearly long enough.

Love, the Mommy of our Baby