They say a picture (or look) is worth a thousand words…well, here’s a ton of words.

There is one thing that being a dad and even being an expectant dad has brought into my life. I have closed my circle of friends and family. One unexpected part of that is that the people inside that circle are more important and valued than ever. Friends who I would normally go weeks without seeing and days without talking to, I now want to see all the time.

GiGi came to visit this past weekend. The weekend flew by so quickly without us really doing anything. Showing my mom the new house and watching her hold my daughter was more than amazing. Epic? Legendary? Yeah, I think the last one applies.

Keshia came to visit the weekend after my daughter was born. Past trips included going out for margaritas or a fancy restaurant. I think all 4 meals we had were takeout. And the trip was amazing.

It’s so great how the roles of people in your life and your loved ones lives change so drastically.  Becky is now a mom and a wife. My mother is now a grandmother just like Emma Jean was to me. Keshia is now an aunt just like my Aunts (Jean, Elsie, Gretta, etc). And they are all perfect for the jobs as mine were before me.

Life is kinda funny like that huh?

-Brian

Emerson is one month old today…where did the time go?

A little recap…

• 1st week – a blur
• 2nd week – moved right along
• 3rd week – draggggged
• 4th week – wait, where did it go?

We are falling more in love with this little angel every day. She is our blessing from above.

We just finished our first week at home as a family of 3. We have loved our visitors – Aunts Chrissy, Laura and Keshia. We have started to find our schedule and are just loving having Emerson in our lives. She is a blessing and a beauty.

We had our first pediatrician appointment AND post-delivery followup. My lovely ladies are all looking great!

On another note…some wonderful and amazing people started a dinner caravan for us. So instead of another Papa John’s order or Chili’s takeout, we have had some delicious homemade meals…meals made with love. Oh, and people got to hang out with E too so I guess they got something out of it too.

There are no words in the English (or anything other language probably) to describe what it feels like to hear your daughter for the first time. I heard her before I saw her and was instantly in love, intoxicated and overtaken with emotion. This being that had been talked about, hoped for, showered with attention and discussed at great lengths was here. As I watched the nurses and hospital team, clean her and check her vitals, everything seemed so serene-even with all that was going on. Mom was OK, baby was OK. Measurements were all good…This little girl, this angel had made it into our family at long last.

I am partial but she is a beauty. A sight to behold. I don’t know how any part of me became a part of her. Her hair, fingers, toes, lips, nose, legs, arms, eyes, smile, farts, face…all perfect and as God intended. She is already bathed in God’s love-we just have to keep giving her refresher courses. Our wedding official, Mike Wakefield, has already started us on that journey. I have a feeling her ‘Aunt” Lindsey will lend a helping hand there as well.It’s been an incredible 3 year journey of self discovery and planning to get to this point. I am so glad to be married to my ONE and to share this with her. I honestly have no idea how single moms or single dads do it..and I am sad that as they do it, there’s not someone else to share everything with.

There has not been a single minute yet where I would have wanted things to go any differently. She wanted to be here so she came…11 days early.  She is now 2 and a half days old. She has met her grandmother who is about as excited as she was after our epic, mother/son dance at our wedding. Her Pop-Pop will keep her laughing for years to come with his stories and quick wit. Her aunties have been nothing less than stellar.

Well….that’s all. Thanks for reading this. And thanks for your support yesterday, today, and for all of the tomorrows.