Your Dad is still learning.

Dear Baby,

It has been quite a week for me. I worked my butt of Valentine's Day weekend. I made a lot of money which is good and it is all going towards you. Your grandparents are turning the second floor of their house into a living space for us. Your granddad is doing the whole project himself. Your mom and I are helping out by putting money into the project whenever we can. I was so tired this week that I missed my classes last Tuesday. I was hurting so bad that I couldn't get out of bed. I have been lazy this week too. I had so much homework, but I kept putting it off. I have been so busy with work, school, an internship, your mom, and worrying about you lately that I just did not have the mental or physical energy to do my homework. I had a day to rest yesterday so now it is time to get focused again.
I have been trying to learn a browser based editing program and it is not easy for me. Your dad may be the smartest man in the world, but when it comes to computers, he is lost in the dark. Just remember when you get older, you need to help your dad with doing things on the computer. I can't imagine what kind of technology will be here when you are a teenager. Technology improves every year and by the time you're a teenager, we'll probably have holograms and we'll be able to control computers with our minds! Wouldn't that be something? Well, here is a quick video I made for you on a program called Pixorial. It's of your mom and me singing some karaoke at your granddad's 50th birthday party. I hope you like it. It is very simple because I was playing around with the program to learn how to do things. I hope you like it. It made me laugh.

It will all randomly work out,

DAD

I promise to support you

Dear Baby,

I was watching the Winter Olympics the other night and I thought about you and what kind of father I would like to be to you. I watched two amazing American athletes win gold medals: Lindsay Vonn winning the Women's Olympic Downhill Skiing and Shaun White winning the Men's Halfpipe event in Snowboarding. I thought to myself while I was watching, "Wow. How awesome is it for these two athletes to do something they love so much. They must have a great support system." I thought this because the cameras kept showing shots of the athletes' parents in the crowd looking so proud of their children.
I want you to know that whatever you decide to do in life, I promise to always support you. As long as you have the dedication and the passion to do it, I will always have your back. I think about when I was probably 12 or 13 years old; I just discovered what sports were and I loved playing football. A friend of mine got me to join a recreation league with him and I was hooked. I was good at it and I wanted to be in the NFL when I grew up. When I told my dad about my dream to play football he told me that I couldn't do it and I should have another dream. He said I would be too small to play football. His words crushed me. I realized later on in life that I was too small to play football professionally. But I wish that my dad had let me figure that out for myself instead of halting my dream before I could even pursue it. I wish he had supported me instead of telling me that I couldn't do something. I was too young to hear that and it hurt not to have his support. That is why I am promising you, whatever you want to do as long as you are dedicated and passionate about it, I will support you. Even if I don't agree with your choices, we can definitely talk about it and I can be reasonable. I know that you mom would feel the same also. She is the smartest and most logical person I have ever met, besides your dad of course! You will always have a great support system and no matter what happens, your mom and I will be in the crowd cheering for you and we will always be very proud of you. We love you.

It will all randomly work out,

DAD

Babies everywhere!

Dear Baby,

Ever since I found out that you would be joining our lives, I have noticed that babies are everywhere! There are books about them, magazines about them, and television shows about them. Who knew that babies are so popular? I guess I should have known because you are going to be the most popular person I know when you are born.
I was reading the newspaper at work the other day and came upon a story about a movie about babies. It is actually a documentary about the lives of four babies from birth to their first steps. It has no dialogue; it just follows the babies for about two years. The babies come from different corners of the Earth: from San Francisco, Tokyo, Namibia, and Mongolia. I don't know if I want to see it or not but I am pretty sure that your mother is going to drag me to see it. OK...I am lying. There is a little part of me that wants to see it. It's only because I know you are on your way. Do you see that? You are not even here yet and you are already affecting me! I'm just kidding, baby. Daddy loves you and that is why he is going to take your mom to see that movie. That is why he is going to read the books your mom got for him to read about being a daddy. That is why he is going to rub your mommy's feet and back when they are sore. That is why he is going to run out and get food for your mom when she has cravings even though after two bites she doesn't want to eat anymore because she feels sick. Do you know that the other day, your mom was watching a Google commercial and she started crying! Over a Google commercial. I'll explain to you what Google is one day. You see all the stuff you have me going through! And you are not even here yet! But I don't mind...that much. I love you and I love your mom. I wonder if this will ever get easier.

It will all randomly work out,

DAD

Super Bowl Sunday!

Dear Baby-

Yesterday I watched a very good Super Bowl where the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts! It was such a good game! I thought about you a couple times during game and I can't wait until one day when we can get excited about watching the Super Bowl together. I love football and I hope one day you will share my love for the game also. Your mom had to work today so I went to your godfather's house. Oh by the way, your godfather's name is Mike and he loves you very much and he cannot wait to meet you. You will meet him soon enough. I just hope he doesn't spoil you too much, but I know that he will. I think everybody who knows you will because you are your mother and father's child and people love us. I'll tell you more about your godfather next time, but today I want to tell you something about our Super Bowl XLIV and why it is so important. I believe that no team in the NFL or the United States for that matter deserved and needed to win the championship as much as the New Orleans Saints. In August of 2005, New Orleans was hit by the most destructive hurricane the city or Americans have ever seen. Hurricane Katrina took so many lives and destroyed so many homes. It was a very sad time. The city is still hurting and still trying to bounce back from the hurricane. I hope that one day when you are older, you will be able to read about what happened to the people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina in your history books. The Saints winning the Super Bowl has boosted the city's spirit a hundred fold. You should have seen the news. There was so much partying and everybody was so happy to be from New Orleans. It gave me goose bumps! I believe that this win shows what the human spirit is made of. It has been such a dark time in the history of New Orleans but the spirit of the people persevered. Their spirit shined brightly through their football team. The Saints went to the Super Bowl for the first time ever in the history of the franchise and they won. They fought to come back from a 10-point deficit and they won. They fought to come back from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and they won. This should teach you something. No matter how dark things might seem, there will always be a glimmer of light, a glimmer of hope. Just keep fighting and keep moving forward and you too will win your own Super Bowl. I love you.

Until we meet,

DAD

14 weeks down. How many weeks to go?

Dear Baby,
Charlotte, your mom, is now 14 weeks pregnant. I guess she is starting on her 2nd trimester. I feel like time has slowed down so much since I found out she was pregnant. I found out she was pregnant the day after Thanksgiving 2009. That is quite a gift to get for me on Black Friday! I can honestly say that this is the most exciting time of my life thus far. I can' wait until you get here. I have never been so excited and scared at the same time. Excited because I am going to be a dad and scared because I am going to be a dad. When I found out you were on the way, I cried. I don't think I have ever cried because I was so happy. The very next day, I was tripping out! I was dizzy, I wanted to throw up, and I felt sick. When your mom asked me what was wrong, I told her that the pregnancy symptoms were starting. I felt that way because I was worried about wanting everything perfect for you. I hope we have enough money. I hope you will have a wonderful home to live and grow up in. I want to give you everything I didn't have. I want to teach you to be good person. I want you to know right from wrong. How will you turn out? If you are anything like me and you mom than you'll be beautiful, smart, charming, caring, and everyone will love you. I know I will. No matter how you turn out. People always tell me that I am going to be a great dad. But are they just saying that because I am going to be dad, or do they really mean it? I think they mean it. Besides me and you mom, you will have a great support system of people that will love you.
We went to the doctor last week to check up on how you were doing and the doctor said that you were doing great and that you had a very strong heartbeat. He took a sonogram of you and you now have legs and arms. You were in the fetal position when you were on the monitor but I swear you knew we were watching because you suddenly jumped up and extended you your arm. It looked like you wanted to give your daddy a high five! It was amazing. You are amazing. Your mother is amazing. I am truly blessed that you are a part of my life. Just remember not to be too hard on me when you are growing up because this is my first time raising a child. I in turn will try not to be too hard on you because you will be learning to grow as a child. I love you. That is why I am starting this blog. It will be a series of accounts to chronicle your life, to chronicle our lives. Maybe one day in the future when you are a mad at me for something, you can look back on these writings and realize that I do love you and I do want the best for you. I can't wait to meet you.

Love,

DAD