First letter from Daddy

Dearest Bridget,
You are nine months old today and I must say, you have come a long way. Your mommy and I had no idea what to expect when we brought you home and we were definitely surprised. For nine months you grew inside your mommy’s belly and when you came into the world, you had nine months worth of things to talk about. We soon realized you were born with colic and wanted everyone to know about it.
I had no idea what it meant to have a colicky baby at home but we soon understood it meant many, many nights without sleep and many days of frustration listening to you cry because your little tummy was making a fuss. We tried everything and nothing seemed to work. Nothing we did helped to make you feel better. After a few days, we found that our pinky finger was about the only thing that seemed to sooth you besides breast feeding.
The days turned into weeks and then months and after about two months the colic passed and life suddenly became much better for the whole house. You were quite a bit different from your sister in that you did not like to placed down and did not like to be left in your car seat. I can honestly say, I have never heard anybody or anything, scream as loud as you did. We realized very early on, you had some serious vocal power. This was especially evident while we drove in the car. As long as the car was moving, you seemed content, but as soon as we stopped at a light or even slowed down too much, we were blessed with your vocal prowess. Within the confines of a sealed car cabin, the decibels emanating from you were almost deafening. You knew exactly what you liked and exactly what you did not like.
After a few months, I grew very attached to you. Your sister was up and running around and getting into everything. She was less and less interested in being held and more and more interested in getting into everything. You, on the other hand, loved being held and loved it when I came home from work to hold you. I used to sneak up on you while you were playing with a toy or in your bouncer. It was a dead give away that I was home because as soon as I picked you up, you became quiet and your mommy knew daddy must be home.
Bridget, when you were born, there was nothing that could have prepared your mommy and me for the amount of happiness you would bring our home. It has been incredibly gratifying watching you grow and learn and watching you smile lights up my heart every time. I love your little giggles and chuckles and I love the way you love to be near your mommy and me. I love watching you and your big sister interact and how much Calista loves you too. You have touched our hearts and have taught us an entirely new level of patience and a level of love we did not know we were capable of.
In your life you will be faced with many challenges and many more choices. Always remember that I love you and will always be here for you. When you are feeling lonely or sad, you can call your daddy. I may not be able to always pick you up, but as long as there is breath in my lungs, there will be warm hugs aplenty. Always remember, Daddy loves you very much. You are my little girl and I am so incredibly blessed to be your daddy. There is nothing more important to me then to watch you grow up into a beautiful young woman full of love and compassion. As long as you follow your mommy’s example, you will be a dream come true for a very lucky young man one day.
I love you with all my heart, baby Bridget. You are my little ‘chunk-chunk.’

With all my heart,
Daddy