Cinderella

My little girl turns 1 in two days and I can’t believe it! She is growing up so fast and I just want to savor every moment. Awhile back I stumbled across a song by Stephen Curtis Chapman that really portrays the feelings us Dads go through as we watch our little girls grow up. It’s a tear jerker for sure, but also a beautiful song that reminds us to cherish every moment we have with them. Man, when did I become such a softy? Grab a tissue and enjoy:

 

Short Story- Three Steps

I entered another short story for the FaithWriters.com Weekly Writing Challenge last week. I didn’t place this time around, but I thought I would share it anyway. My little girl is only 10 months old, but already I am amazed and a bit overwhelmed by how quickly it all seems to happen. I just want to freeze time even though I know I can’t. All parents go through these emotions and that’s where the idea for this story came from. For the challenge I had to illustrate the meaning of the phrase, “Every dark cloud has a silver lining”. Let me know what you think.

Three Steps

By Jake Chism

I watch through the viewfinder as she takes her first three steps. It’s an incredible feeling to know that my wife and I are both able to be here at this exact monumental moment. The tape is rolling and memories are being captured, yet my heart is breaking. Don’t get me wrong. Nothing thrills my soul more than to see my little girl discovering something new. What tears me up inside is the realization that my little girl isn’t quite as little as she was three steps ago. Slow and steady she is moving forward and I just can’t let her go.

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All too soon the big day is here. Kindergarten here we come. She is dressed to kill with her pigtails and bows and a lunchbox to boot. I’ve taken the day off to drive her myself and there is no where I would rather be. She’s my little charmer and no doubt she’ll do fine. As she hugs me goodbye I hold on a tad too long. If only I could freeze time and forever be in this moment. I hold back a sob as I release her and force myself to watch her go. She charges forward with a confidence I’ve never known. Three steps later she turns and smiles.

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The place is packed and it’s almost too much. My wife practically had to drag me here when it was all said and done. It has all happened so fast and I can’t believe this day is here. Excitement and hope fill the air, but all I can do is breathe deep and try not to let it get to me. One by one they cross the stage and accept the diploma they have all worked so hard for. Her name is next and I feel weak in my knees. Three steps across the stage and she is now moving on to a new chapter in her life. I’ve given her every reason to stay home a bit longer, but she is going away to the school she has set her sights on. As much as it kills me, I have to let her go.

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We stand arm in arm three steps from the altar. My heart is pounding through my chest and I’m sure the whole room can hear. She has never looked so radiant and the look on his face proves it. I know he loves her. He swore to me he did. But no one could ever love her like I do. She’s still my baby. The minister coughs and I realize it’s for me. I quickly manage to stutter out, “Her mother and I.” She smiles at me in tears and kisses me on the cheek. She moves forward toward her chosen and my hand won’t let go. I try and I try, but I cannot release. Suddenly, a voice whispers, “It’s time to let go.” With a sniffle and a smile I finally do. It’s time to let her go.

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On the other side of the glass she is beaming with joy. It’s been a long struggle but you wouldn’t know it from her smile. Never have I seen her happier or more alive. My little princess is holding her own little girl in her arms. Just three steps away.

 

Time Sure is Flying…I Must be Getting Old!

Angie and I celebrated 8 years together yesterday. 8 years! I’ve heard people say that the older you get the faster time seems to go by. Man I must be getting old then. It’s been an incredible eight years though, I must admit. Why, you might ask? Well if you know my wife, then it’s a no brainer. She is quite simply an amazing woman. I honestly don’t know anyone who has as much heart or compassion for other people. Especially for me (it blows my mind too). I married way out of my league, but you won’t hear me complain. God has truly blessed me.

Angie and I would both agree that as fast as life has flown by before Madelyn came along, since May 14th, 2007,  it has gone into warp speed. I look at my 7 month old princess and all I can think is that she is growing too fast. I know what all you other parents are saying..”Just wait until she gets older. You haven’t seen anything yet”. I have no doubt that is true, but for now, for me, I am already overwhelmed with those feelings. It is so amazing how you actually see her growing and developing on a daily basis. She is now at the stage where she no doubt knows who Mommy and Daddy are, and that is so much fun. She loves to laugh now, and nothing warms my heart more than her giggle. She can now roll like a champ and she loves to sit (by herself now….sniff..sniff) in the floor and play. Almost every day now she gets up on her hands and knees and seems ready to take off. It hasn’t happened yet, but I know it’s coming soon. It’s so amazing, yet so bittersweet. I  love every minute of it, but I also know that these minutes will be gone before I can blink. I just pray that I will make every effort to cherish each second God gives me with my little girl.

Well enough of that for now…I’m starting to get choked up. Yeah, God has truly blessed me.

 

Loving This Daddy Thing…

I’ve been a Daddy for a week now and I’m absolutely loving it. Madelyn is the sweetest little thing and I’m head over heels for her. I can’t get enough of her and I just want to hold her all the time. God has blessed me with an amazing daughter. Angie is such a great Mom, too. I love watching her with Madelyn. She is such a natural at this Mommy stuff.

We took Madelyn to her first Dr.’s appointment yesterday and she is doing great. She is already back to her birth weight, and let me tell you…that kid can eat. We are flying through the diapers! Madelyn is also extremely intelligent. She has just started her own blog and you can check it out by clicking here. She’s very insightful for a week-old baby.

Everyone that comes to visit always tells me that Madelyn is never awake. Well, I now have video evidence to prove them wrong. Enjoy:

 

I’m a Daddy!!!

She’s here!!!! Madelyn Grace was born on Monday, May 14th at 6:19pm at Denton Regional Medical Center in Denton, TX. She was 6lbs and 19 inches long. She is our first and she is such a cutie! Thank goodness she looks like her Mom! Unfortunately, she does have my feet…………

Angie and I couldn’t be happier and God has truly blessed us with a beautiful daughter. We are so thankful! I’m crunched for time now but here are some of the pictures we have. I will write more and post more pictures when we get home from the hospital. Thanks so much for all the prayers and support!

 

So Much Stuff…So Little Room..

We’ve recently had 2 baby showers and we have been amazed at the generosity of all of our friends and family. Here’s what Madelyn’s room looked like after the 1st shower:

Video: Madelyn's Room

Here is her room after the 2nd shower:

And we still have 2 more showers to go! Where are we going to put it all? I guess it’s one of those great problems to have. We are so thankful for all of the love and support from everyone. God has truly blessed us!

 

Quick Update and Prayer Requests

We’re almost at 36 weeks and Angie and Madelyn are doing great. We are now going to the Dr. every week. Today the Dr. told us that Madelyn is now positioned head down. Of course I was thinking to myself, “Huh? Is that normal?”, being the clueless first-time dad that I am. She assured me that everything was normal and that put me at ease. The Dr. estimates that Madelyn is close to 5 lbs at this point. Heartbeat was normal…so far so good. Please continue to pray for both Angie and Madelyn over the next few weeks. Angie has to make some tough decisions about when to stop teaching soon, so pray for guidance for us in that area as well.

Since we’re talking prayer please remember to pray for all of those who are grieving and hurting after the Virgina Tech tragedy. During these difficult times it is hard to know what to do or say, but one thing we can do is ask God to comfort those who are hurting. God Bless….

Psalm 17:6
“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” NIV

 

I Don’t Get It………………….

There’s a lot of things I don’t get. Take Nascar for example. Millions of people are obsessed with the sport, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. I’ve even watched it in High Definition. Still puts me to sleep in record time. Watching someone walk 26 miles on a treadmill would be far more exciting.

Or how about those Bluetooth wireless ear pieces? I don’t get ‘em. Granted, I understand that they make driving while talking safer for motorists, and I gladly applaud anyone behind the wheel who uses them. But the dude in the grocery store walking around with one protruding from his ear….is that really necessary? Congratulations! You have a Bluetooth ear piece….and we all know it. (But just in case we missed it please talk loudly to yourself so we notice). I don’t hate you if you are one of the aforementioned Bluetooth flaunting grocery store dudes….I just don’t get ya.

Also, I really don’t get all you people out there who don’t watch Lost. How can you not watch the absolute best show on TV? You are an enigma to me……

But what I really don’t get is how someone can claim that there is no God. During our extremely LONG child birth class the other day, we were flooded with facts and information on pregnancy and labor. I was amazed at how many things I didn’t know and at how complex the human body is. All of the details of Madelyn’s development and growth are so fascinating. Thinking about the way a mother’s body changes and adapts throughout the whole process is simply mind-blowing. While on the one hand it all seems so complex, on the other there is an incredible sense of order that is so evident. It all points to a Creator.

Many choose to explain the miracle of life away as just an act of mother nature, or even an amazing accident. But every time we hear Madelyn’s heartbeat or feel her move we experience something different. We behold the beauty of God’s creation. How anyone could deny that I will never know. I just don’t get it…..

Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” NIV

 

Hey…..Remember Me?

Well…..I’m back. I have regretfully neglected my poor blog for a couple of months. I hope this isn’t a precursor to what kind of father I will be…..I’ve decided to jump into this blogging business again and see where it takes me. I’m still chasing that writing dream, and they say the best way to become a writer is to write, write, and write some more. So here we go…..

Life is good and every day I am reminded of just how blessed I am. Madelyn Grace (yes we picked a name) will be here very soon. May 18th is the due date, and gasp…that’s just over a month away! People ask me all the time if we are ready. Honestly, I don’t know if there is anything I can do to be ready for this next awesome chapter of my life. But I am so excited and at the same time so terrified. Excited because very soon I will hold my precious daughter in my arms. This little girl that I am already totally in love with. Every time she kicks my hand I am wound tighter and tighter around those little fingers. Terrified because of all the unknowns. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t worry about health complications and such things that plague the mind of any parent. I worry about being a good dad and the daunting task that lies before me. I’m scared she will have my ugly feet. (If you’ve seen my feet you no doubt are shouting AMEN at this moment.) Despite the fears and worries, I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world. I already feel like the luckiest dad ever and I haven’t even seen her yet.

I love my wife. I always have, and throughout this pregnancy I have fallen more and more in love with her. She is amazing. We attended a 9 hour childbirth class (yes….9 hours!) last Saturday. Yes, of course we waited until the last minute to sign up. If you know us you shouldn’t be asking ridiculous questions like that. The class was informative, helpful, eye-opening, and extremely loooonngggg!!!!!! As we watched videos and studied charts and diagrams, I began to look at Angie in a whole new light. After seeing all that, and processing all the information, and beginning to realize exactly what is coming, she is determined and focused and ready. Sure she is scared, worried, etc. I wouldn’t exactly say that she is looking forward to labor either. But I think she is seeing what a beautiful and unique experience this is, and her faith in God is strong and pure. She has strength without measure and she blows my mind. She is an awesome mom and an incredible wife. See…I told you I was blessed.

We’ve done all the normal things new parents do at this point. We’ve worked on the nursery. Angie and her mom painted a beautiful mural on the walls. Here’s a picture:

We have a crib that is currently lying in pieces in the nursery. (It’s on my To Do List. I just need to find someone TO DO it. ) We bought a new video camera so I can document all those precious moments. (By the way, if anyone knows how to post video on blogger please let me know. I don’t want to overload everyone’s emails with pictures and videos). We’ve been so blessed with family and friends that have given us so much, and we have 3 showers coming up soon. We can’t thank everyone enough for all the material and spiritual support we’ve had. We pre-registered at the hospital (Denton Regional) last week, and that was a bit surreal. We have a stroller and a car seat ready to go, and we really had fun putting that whole contraption together. We changed the office into the office/guestroom. (Something tells me Madelyn’s grandparents are going to be making a few visits.) And most importantly we have been praying. Every night we pray for Madelyn and Angie, and for God’s strength and guidance for us as parents. It is our goal to always pray with Madelyn (and all of our children) every night, so that they will grow up seeing the value and importance of prayer. It is a challenging task for sure, but one that we feel is vitally important.

As I said earlier…life is good. It’s not perfect or trouble-free or even easy. But it is good. I can’t complain and I would be a fool to try. It is my hope and prayer that no matter what the future holds, my focus and strength will always be found in the One who blesses me eternally.

 

Baby Update: Wow!

Last night I felt our little girl kick for the first time! Angie has been able to feel her for awhile, but this was the first time for me. Amazing! Watching Angie’s belly grow and seeing the baby on the sonogram have been incredible experiences, but nothing has compared so far to feeling her move. God has truly blessed us.

We are currently in Week 26 and Angie and the baby are doing great. The baby has been moving around more and more and so far all the doctors visits have been extremely positive. We’ve been slowly getting our lives into Baby mode. We registered at Target a couple of weeks ago and I was amazed at not only how much stuff we need, but also how expensive it is. Wow! I have a new-found respect for Moms and Dads worldwide. We also recently decided my little Chevy S-10 truck wasn’t exactly baby friendly, so we traded that in for a new Honda CR-V. We love it! We’re just trying to forget that we actually have to pay for it. The nursery is still far from done, but hopefully within the next month or so we’ll have it close to ready.

Life for us is busy and exciting and we cannot wait to meet our baby girl. Please continue to pray for Angie and the baby, and thank you all so much for all the prayers and encouragement so far.