Fatherhood

Thu - March 13, 2008

My girls

Pics of my two girls

Thu - January 10, 2008

Happy Birthday

My little girl is 2

Braelyn is now 2, and more fun than ever.

Sun - November 11, 2007

Our new blessing

Chloe Marie DeBow

Chloe Marie DeBow was born October 28th at 11:40PM - just in time for Reformation Sunday. She was 9 lbs., 9 ounces and 20 inches long. After a brief battle with jaundice, she is now doing very well. We are ecstatic to have her, and ask you to join us in thanking God for the blessing of children.

Fri - August 10, 2007

19 Months

It never ceases to amaze me how fast my daughter is growing

I don't know if I've mentioned it before on this blog, but she will soon have a sister! Then I'll have two little amazing blessings to marvel at how fast they grow. I can't wait to see her play with her new sister. She'll be here in late October - just in time for All Saints Day.

Thu - June 14, 2007

Early Father's Day present

Waking up this morning, I got an early present from my daughter for father's day

Right now our house is undergoing some major rework. I've got a team of 4 guys redoing the outside of the house while a painter is doing the inside. The girls are over at my parent's house out here, since I don't want the babies anywhere near the house due to the lead based paint. But since I'm managing the contractors and my parents have no internet out here yet, I'm working here from our house and then getting home late to sleep at my parents' house. All of this is a long lead in to say that I didn't get to see my daughter much yesterday and I missed her.

I didn't realize just how much I missed her, though I would have said "a lot", until I woke up this morning. I got up, went up to her room, and then picked her up and gave her a kiss. She had a big smile on her face and I just felt so happy to be a dad that I actually pity anyone who hasn't had that experience. Add on top of all that the fact that she can now say "I love you" and you can see why I'm still so happy I had to post it. Granted, her I love you sounds a bit more like eyeroveroo, and usually comes with a few more syllables thrown in on the end for dramatic flair - but in a daddy's heart it counts nonetheless. I couldn't ask for a better Father's day present.

Thu - January 11, 2007

Happy Birthday Braelyn

Today is Braelyn's first birthday

Sat - December 9, 2006

11 Months

Braelyn is almost 11 months old

Tue - October 24, 2006

The latest

My daughter just keeps getting cuter, and her dad keeps getting prouder

Wed - August 2, 2006

pics

More pics of my adorable daughter

Thu - July 6, 2006

Almost 6 months

More pics of my adorable daughter

Thu - May 18, 2006

4 Months

My daughter is 4 months old

Thu - April 6, 2006

Almost 3 months

More pics of my adorable daughter

Wed - March 1, 2006

My daughter's first shot

My thoughts on Braelyn's first real brush with the painful reality of life

Today, the inevitable happened. My daughter Braelyn had her first shot - or four to be more precise. It was a truly difficult thing to watch. Our nurse was, thankfully, quite swift with the shots and the whole thing passed by quickly in real time, but in parent time (and I'm sure baby time) the whole ordeal seemed much more difficult and long. Braelyn held her mouth open for quite some time and made no sound... and then, they crying.

She is, as I previously mentioned on this blog, a very happy baby. She rarely cries without a distinct purpose in doing so - she's hungry, needs her diaper changed, etc. But never a cry like these. I remember reading in a book my mom and step dad gave me (She's having a baby -- and I'm having a breakdown, by James Barron) about this day and he really said it well -

"Now the clincher: your kid the genius doesn't know the shot will hurt. You watch. You cringe as they're cleaning his thigh. It's in; it's out. Nothing. Your baby looks at you with shock; you feel you've let him down big time. Then comes the loudest creaming since birth, and you, involved father, sink to the lowest point of your new fatherhood. From now on, you know that your baby is aware of the joy-pain quotient of life. You hoped Eden could last. But it can't."

I looked over at my wife and she was crying too. It was a telling moment that gives a perfect glimpse into just how much she loves our little baby girl. I could see it almost (or perhaps did) effect her as much as her daughter. Of course, we can comfort ourselves in the knowledge that Braelyn has just been rescued from a number or far more painful or deadly things - but try explaining that to an infant. As it was, all we could do was hold her afterwards and explain that it was over and she was fine.

But I guess that is just the part of being a dad that you don't like but have to do. Certain actions protect while still hurting, certain things must be done that can't be explained until later. I know that I would gladly have taken those shots for her if I could have (and I hate shots). It makes me wonder what our Heavenly Father must go through - the things which His infinite wisdom knows are ultimately better but currently painful for us, the impossibility of explaining to us the ultimate outcome of an action. But we have a Father who not only empathizes with our pain from afar, but is able and did come and take our place for us. God did what I could not - He preserves His children from the spiritual and destructive force of sin by taking the brunt of that pain on the Cross. My prayer for Braelyn is that she will one day understand this and join me in praising God for it, and that I will be able to explain to her how our sufferings, like today, remind us of the sin that causes them and unite us with the God who has suffered for us.

Fri - February 24, 2006

My happy daughter

more pics... yes, I know, its all I blog anymore

My daughter is a wonderful little girl who is often happy. She also seems to have developed some sort of love for the camera, as any time I try to snap a picture of this cute crying face she makes, she immediately stops crying and stares at the magic silver thingie in my hands. Quite a useful device, as it turns out. Anyway, here are two great pics of here that my wife took yesterday.