Dear Madeline,
With 7 weeks left to go, you are currently still a little breech baby, meaning you haven't turned your head down yet, but are having a blast kicking and poking mommies ribs as your little feet are chilling by your head. Each day you have found a new position. Dad and I have had quite the adventure trying to get you to turn. First we created a pillow slanted couch, like a slide, for me to lay on upside down so you will swish into the right position. It's all "physics" google says. We've tried placing ice at the top of my belly and warmth at the bottom, playing music, and letting daddy say
"Baby! Come this way" and we have even tried shining a flashlight at night so that you would come toward the light! I hope you turn soon! Today is the Fourth of July and I will try doing a headstand in the pool. As dad put it, "I guess she isn't ready to dive head first into the world yet..." :) Don't worry baby. We will be here to catch you!
There are so many things to share with you. As you read along, there won't always be an order, but I hope and pray that my thoughts help guide you on your journey through life.
So let's talk about someone who is very important to me. Your daddy. Recently your dad was on a long trip in NY training for a new job, for 8 weeks! While he was away, I packed up our first little apartment and organized through our old things. Soon, I emptied a drawer where at the bottom sat half a dozen of dad's old shoes. Each black pair of leather shoes was a little different in style. Some has laces, others had just a simple stitching around the toe and were just slip ons. These shoes all had one thing in common, and that was that they all had holes. The heels and toes were cracked and falling apart, the soles were heavily worn. Tears came to my eyes as I sat there overwhelmed with the love for your daddy and a little thing called sacrifice. You see, sacrifice is love. As I dusted off these shoes I thought of a scene from the film, The Nativity, which also struck me with tears. The scene is of Mary and Joesph as they sit to rest a mid their long journey to Bethlehem. A journey overseen in only a quick verse of a primary children's song. Joseph lay back to rest in pure exhaustion and feel asleep. Mary, bearing the tiresome weight of her little baby, bent down to see Joesph's feet in open sandals, covered in dust and dirt, callused and cracked. Bleeding and scratched from every rock he had stepped on as he made the way leading Mary on the donkey's back. Mary saw this and she cleaned and tended to his feet. Sacrifice is love.
So sweet baby. One day I hope you find this. A man that will do anything for you, and in return you will want to do anything for him. Together you will build each other up because you will want to be better, for each other. When we loose ourselves in the service of each other we are creating a world of love and happiness, and we forget the self pity woes that drag us down. I love your father dearly and am so grateful for him. He does so much for me without me even having to ask. From doing the dishes and cleaning, to putting my needs above his own. The other day I lay half asleep in bed and your dad woke up to get ready for work. Exhausted, I lay there thinking, "cold shoulder, cold shoulder, my shoulder is cold", as a drifted in and out of consciousness... moments later a hand moved the covers, and tucked me in, and I was warm again. Then your daddy kissed me good bye and went to work.
We may have not traveled across desserts on the back of a donkey, but our shoes have worn through in other ways, like walking to school, or work, in all kinds of weather in all kinds of times of the day, and we do it for love, for you.
Love,
Sacrifice,
True Love,
Breech Baby,
World,
Marriage Advice,
Husband
