Dear Baby Girl-A Letter From Your Daddy

Dear Baby Girl,

Daddy is writing this note to you from Afghanistan where I'm deployed with the Army. It is Sunday; the day our family celebrates the Sabbath-day rest. It is hard to step away from work here and just rest. Daddy just listened to Pastor Bill back in NC give a sermon. I am so thankful that even in a war-zone half way around the world I am able to download a sermon and fellowship in spirit with our church family back home.

Daddy really misses you, girl. It was terribly hard for me to say goodby to you and you mommy two months ago. Time has dulled the pain a little, though and it gives me so much joy to see you and mommy almost every day over Skype.  Its hard to believe how big you are getting. You are now 10 months old and I feel like I've missed so many of your latest achievements. Daddy was able to see you crawl for the first time over Skype, though. You seem to really enjoy seeing me on the computer. Mommy says you go crawling to the computer every time you hear the Skype jingle. She thinks you know it's me on the other end. You have been talking a lot to me and you seem to enjoy showing me some of the new things you've learned. You like to show me how you can drop your toys out of Buddy's cat door and you like to try to put the jelly sandwich toy together but usually just bang the pieces of bread together until mommy helps you put it all together. You then immediately proceed to pull it all apart again. You also like to pretend call me either with mommy's iPhone or your own play phone. You hold it up to your ear whenever one of us says "Hello", and then you start jabbering away into the phone.

It has been a real joy for me to see you and Buddy getting along so well. Before I left he seemed to keep his distance and would only occasionally come up to smell you or tolerate your presence when daddy was giving him some scratches. Now that I'm gone, he seems to have warmed up to you. Maybe he just misses the attention daddy used to give him and will take it from whomever will give it. Either way, he now will come up to you when you are playing on the floor and plop right down against you. He also likes to smell your forehead, just like he does with me. You seem to know this and put your head against his so he can sniff you. Maybe you think he's giving you kisses. You still will pull his hair and smack his bottom, but I think you've learned to be more gentile than you used to. Buddy seems to take it in stride and even purrs during the beatings. You pull so much hair off of him, its a shock that mommy hasn't seen any of his hair in your poop yet.

You are now pulling up to stand on just about anything you think has something interesting to destroy (i mean play with). Pretty soon you will be standing on your own and then it is off to the races for mommy. You are now in IL visiting with your grandma and grandpa. I know they are excited to see you and your grandma is lavishing gifts on you even before your 1st birthday. Daddy knows this is grandma's love language so he tolerates this. It is really neat to see that grandma kept all of your mommy's toys and now you are playing with them. You really seem to enjoy the Lil Tykes scooter. Daddy couldn't get you to focus the last time we chatted because all you wanted to do was to get in the scooter and be pushed around.

Well, I love you, Mara. Thank you for brightening my day every time we chat. I can't wait to see you again in person even though that time still seems so far away. Prepare yourself for the biggest hug you've ever had in your life. It will be like bear hugs times a billion - trillion.

Daddy