Who's Ya Daddy?

This is a day late and a dollar short (like most of my attempted undertakings these days) but I wanted to take a few minutes and honor my babies' Daddy with this post.

Daniel became a Dad at the age of 25. This is the young man who, while we were dating in college, told me that he would not even consider marriage until he had finished law school. So, three happy years of marriage later, at the beginning of OUR (not his) second year of law school, two pink lines changed our lives forever. I knew he was excited when he skipped the UGA v. Clemson game to go home and tell our parents (well, our moms actually knew already because we had to call them for help in deciphering the pregnancy test - seems law school students can see everything two ways). Daniel truly did 50% of everything involving Mary Evelyne because he had no choice. We both had to go to class, both had to pass, and both had to sleep at some point. Other moms we knew (which weren't many) laughed that he knew all of Mary Evelyne's outfits including the names of the brands, the best way to clip baby nails, and how to clean the breast pump parts. Now that is hands on.

I don't have it quite so good with Maggie Beth since I work part-time and Daniel works full time, but we have the "team" approach to parenting down to an art. Sometimes we make it through picking the girls up after work, cooking dinner, feeding everyone, cleaning up, bath time, bottles, stories, with less than 100 works spoken, but everyone playing their part, carrying out this not-so-seamless dance known as evenings in the White house. Middle of the night wakings and feedings have a system all their own, with unspoken, yet perfectly understood, rules about who gets up when and for how long.

These are things you don't think of looking for in a man when you are 20, eating at Weaver D's, hanging out at the Abbey pool, and riding around in your VW Cabrio telling your roommates how much you like it when it turns from winter to Spring because you like how your boyfriend's legs look in shorts. But, it is the hundreds of little things that I didn't know about Daniel until we had children that are most precious to me. Some of them I can't even put into words. Sometimes it's just a smile in the midst of our crazy days that says, "yes we are running around like crazy, so tired we could be asleep if given 3 minutes, a floor and a pillow, but I love you more than ever and I wouldn't have it any other way".

God knew that I would enjoy life so much more with Daniel by my side. He knew that our girls needed a man who loves Georgia football, the Civil War, Jesus Christ, head scratches, Disney princesses, family, and most of all, us. When we were dating, I always felt like I was the roller coaster and Daniel was just steady and easygoing. Now that there are 3 of us emotional girls, I think we are the teacups at Disney World (see below), spinning round and round, and Daniel is holding tightly to the little silver circle in the middle so we don't make ourselves sick!

Thanks for holding onto us Daddy! We love you!

Your girls.

P.S. Maggie Beth apologizes, but as of today, there are no photos in our possession of you and her. Oops! Poor second child.