Happy Birthday, Lexi

Five years.

Five short years.

Sometimes it feels like 10, but usually more like 1 or 2. The time just flies past like nobody's business.

I remember that first night, Swedish Hospital, just the 3 of us. They got the bed, I got the chair. It was such a blur, such a lack of sleep that you didn't really know what was happening at any time. Changing diapers, feeding her, and sitting around until they finally released us late the next afternoon.

The first time I had to drop her off at daycare at 3 months old. It just seemed so cruel. Now it's such a relief sometimes, to know that they're going to be playing with other kids and eating a couple of square meals, compared to whatever slop I throw together for them.

Her first tooth, steps, words. Her first scrapes and tumbles. Her first smile and her first bath.

It's amazing how scared you can be with the first child, thinking of all the awful things that you are sure are going to happen any day now...it's just a matter of time. By the time her little brother was born, you're fine giving him a shard of glass and a lighter and just letting him go for it.

The time she was only maybe 6 months old and was throwing everything up for days, we took her to the emergency room and fed her by the dropper full. The doctor says, "Everything's fine, as long as she's not dehydrated". That's what I pretty much say all the time, but the wife never takes my word for it.

The first time she slept through the night all the way. Now THAT was a good night.

I'm not going to win any best-parenting contest anytime soon, but I will love that girl with all my heart for the rest of my life.

Happy birthday, babe.

March 6th and 7th

My wife is working that Wednesday and taking the weekend off. I cannot forget this.