In the middle of the maelstrom of activity that was the month of May, there was one event that overshadowed everything else: The arrival of our little girl.

Yes, in fact, she is a she. She was born on May 13th at 3:58 A.M.. Yes, mother’s day. The whole labor process went so much smoother than I was prepared for. I was at the hospital, ready for a marathon coffee-fueled session of worry and non-sleep. However, everything happened so fast that it was kind of a blur. 1cm dilated, 1.5cm dilated, and then suddenly … BAM! … 10cm dilation, lets make this baby.

Heather was a true champ. I have always had the utmost love and respect for her, but seeing her pull through the labor as well as she did left me in awe. Women are amazing, and though I didn’t really need any more reasons, seeing her grow, foster, and deliver our child like she did left me filled with immense pride and utter love for my wife.

Little Kaylee Jane is beautiful. There is not a single thing wrong with her and she is the cutest, most gorgeous thing I have ever seen:

I have told my friends before that while I think the notion of love at first sight is a nice thought, I just didn’t think it was very realistic. However, after seeing Kaylee for the first time, I now know that I was wrong. It is very realistic and happens every day. Seeing her for the first time was like being hit with an emotional sledgehammer … erm, in a good way. The following day, my feelings could best be described as feeling both terrified and madly in love simultaneously. Terrified because I began to wonder if I could handle the massive life changes coming my way, and madly in love because I didnt want to be separated from her for a single instant.

I am happy to say that the feelings of terror subsided very quickly. You rapidly get the hang of knowing what she wants/needs when she is crying and it feels SO damned good when you hear it, respond to it, and you realize that you are actually doing it. You are giving your child what it needs and building a bond of trust and love that will enrich your life in ways you never dreamed of.

I have been back at work for over a week now and every single day it is an absolute pleasure when I go home, knowing that I will get to feed, hold, and bond with my daughter. I often think of the years to come and how I will influence her life, teach her right from wrong, teach her about the world she lives in, both good and bad. I think about the fun little things like getting to buy her legos and help her put them together, or teach her how to use email. I think about how much I love my family and how I finally have a chance to pay that forward. She is without a doubt the greatest love of my life and from here on out I am forever changed by this little girl who may not yet know my name, but I know she knows that I am her daddy.

Plus she looks so cute in the bunny hat!

This entry was posted on Friday, 1 June 2007 at 5:01 pm and is filed under Aimless Rants. You can leave a response, or Trackback from your own site.