And that's how we got here, to you...

I know that I promised more pictures of all things baby girl - but I'm behind on something else. So bare with me - photos to come later.

There are a lot of things that I daydream about doing with Baby M once she gets here. Family vacations, dinner as a family, taking her to the park, laying in bed on Saturday mornings watching her smile or soothing her when she cries - this list could go on and on. Don't get me wrong, I know that there will be difficult times too - not every moment will be a Hallmark card in the making. I think about the tough moments and the teenage years too. The decisions and the dangers that she will ultimately face. This, of course leads to thoughts about some of the dumb things that I've done - will I tell her about those honestly and openly or just plead with her to do things differently?

Our Daughter won't always be a baby. One day she will start talking, and then maybe talking back and then, before you know it she'll be asking questions. Real questions. At some point, she is going to want to know more than the obvious about her Mom and Dad and we will have lots of explaining to do - no doubt. I mean the nickname thing alone makes me shiver. But there is one story that I look forward to telling her and one lesson that I look forward to passing on to her, because I know with certainty that I got it right.

I can't wait to tell her what someone very special to me, once told me about love. My Grandaddy once told me to find someone in life who makes you want to be a better person. You would have to have known my Grandfather to know that when he spoke - you listened - you and everyone else in the room. So I did. But it was more than just his presence that made me pay attention to his advice - I always looked up to his and my Grandmother's marriage and still do. So I thought about his advice all of the time when I was dating. I thought that I knew exactly what I was looking for each time I met someone. But you can interpret advice lots of different ways really.

When Mike and I met, I was in no way looking for a serious relationship. I didn't think that Mike was either - ever. I mean his nickname is Kook. And then there is the whole - he didn't ask me on another date for a year thing (yes, I'm still holding on to that one). He was a friend really and I enjoyed spending time with him. He was fun and I wanted to have fun. But the more time that we spent together though, the more he surprised me and changed the way that I had always thought of him. The more we were together the more we realized we had in common. We never really had "that" talk like every other relationship I'd been in - you know the "so does this mean we're serious" talk. It just kind of happened. I really wasn't expecting it or trying to plan it, like I had done so many times before. Really, things were so good that I was always waiting on the other shoe to drop. He was too nice, things were too comfortable - but it just never happened.

It took a long time to find the right person and I made a lot of mistakes before I did - but marrying Mike was the best decision that I ever made. I found the real deal. Someone who loves me for exactly who I am - the good and the bad. Nothing less, nothing more. And that type of person and that type of love, that is what makes you want to be a better person.

So when our little one grows up and wants to know about love and how to go about finding it. I'll tell her the story about my Grandfathers advice, about how I met her Daddy and how we fell in love. And I'll make sure that she knows that when I look back on the events of my life - one of the things that I am most proud of is November 4th, the day that I married her Daddy.