Francy Pants: August 2011

Dear Ford Frances,
It is the eve of your 1st birthday. Daddy (or Dada as you like to call him) just walked in the door. I asked him if he could believe that one year ago at about this time, I was basking in the comfort of a fresh epidural and sending him, aunt Ellen and aunt Megan home to get some sleep. You were working your way out, but it would be HOURS before I finally met you.

For nine months I thought you were a boy. I secretly hoped you'd be a girl, but for some reason I felt boy. After 32 hours of labor (I will never let you forget that) and a brief moment of shock when the nurses said, "Its a girl!", my heart was filled with a warmth I have never felt before. I thougth I knew love when I first found out you were coming, but this was a whole new kind of love. The kind that melted your mom's cold heart during the quiet mornings in the hospital when you and I snuggled. The kind of love that cannot wait to get home from a day of lacrosse or Growth Spurts to wrap my arms around you and give you a kiss. The kind of love that will never fade. The thought of your gummy newnborn smile or the chuckle you let loose when I chase you around the house can brighten even my darkest of moments. I cannot wait to talk to you and have you talk back. I cannot wait to show you the world and watch as your eyes open wide to take it all in. You will never know the joy you bring to my heart until you have your own children. Until then, you'll just have to trust that I love you with every fiber of my being.