Stay safe Hadley

Hadley-

We are 27 weeks into this thing and with each passing day you get closer and closer to being in my arms.  As long as I live, I will never forget the day I thought I had lost you.  It was the lowest moment of my life.  See, your Mom and I believe that life starts at conception.  Despite the fact that we had three other girls, we prayed for you.  We prayed God would give us you, then we prayed that he would take care of you.  That prayer will always be the first one we ask for.  I see you growing in your Mom's belly and feel you on a nightly basis.  I am losing patience because I want to see you.  Will you have blue eyes like Baylor Grace?  Hair like Carolina?  Maybe you will have Reagan's grace.  Regardless, you will be ours and we are so excited to have you.  But this week one of our good friends lost their baby.  It is the second time in a row this happened to them and I find myself wondering why such things happen?  To be honest, I wonder why we are so lucky?  I guess MaMaw is correct, God wants me to raise these girls.  So with recent events in my mind, I simply ask that you stay in your Mother's belly.  Stay there where it is warm, eat, and grow.  I can wait.  Its a lesson of a parent you know, you put your own feelings aside for whatever is best for your kids.  I want to hold you so bad but it can wait.  Someday before we know it, I will do my best to keep you warm in my arms.  My body heat did as much to your sisters.  They get near me, snuggle up on me, and all pass out.  To this day, it is still one of my favorite things for them to do. 

Before I go, there are a couple more things I wish to tell you.  We decided for your middle name to give you my first.  Hadley Blaine.  Your MaMaw gave me that name long ago and I never used it much.  It is a pretty name and I think it will suit you just fine.  Someday you will give away your last name, hopefully your middle name will help you remember your old man and how much I loved you, when I am long gone.  Speaking of your MaMaw.....we are going to ask her to be your Godmother.  She was the best mother I could ever ask for, so symbolically- we felt it was only fitting to ask her to stand next to you when you get baptized into our Catholic faith.  She has the soul of a Saint and we figured it would be necessary considering who we want to be your Godfather.  When you get to know your Pops you will think he isn't a very religious guy and if your measurement of that is how many times someone attends Mass, you would be correct.  Deep down though, he is a very spiritual man and I believe getting more so as he gets older.  While the walls might crack when he enters the church, hopefully my Mother will balance it out a bit.  Pops is a good man and will make sure you are always taken care of.  The balance of MaMaw and Pops is perfect for our new baby girl.  PawPaw will be there and bring you into the Church and Uncle Patrick and Aunt Sarah will be right there be our sides.  It will be a beautiful moment but it can wait.  Just like the first time I hold you.

Take care Hadley, stay warm.  Don't rush things too much, you will be here soon enough and once you're out here, the other girls wont leave you a lone.  Trust me. 

Love always,
Daddy