Being A Daddy

This post took about 4 hours to write.

As I was writing I (Austin) was feeding Grace. Every time I thought she was finished eating, I'd burp her, snuggle a bit, and then go back to writing. Of course, no more than a few minutes of writing, she would wake up and we'd do the routine over again. As soon as I finally got her to sleep, Kate woke up and we went through the same thing. Now all my girls (Sara included) are sleeping soundly and I can finish writing.

I have been a daddy for just over a month now! To say it simply, it has been the most nerve-racking, fun, sleepless, invigorating, stressful, and enjoyable month of my entire life.

For this post I thought I would share with you a few thoughts I've had over the past month and what I've been learning from my new role of a daddy. Then I'd like to close with a brief letter to my two beautiful girls.

1. Being a daddy reminds me of the important things in life.

2. Being a daddy has helped me understand better the character of God as my Heavenly Father.

3. Being a daddy has been one of the greatest joys in my life

4. Being a daddy has given me a greater appreciation for my parents.

5. Being a good daddy is a legacy I hope to leave to my daughters, that one day they would also marry Godly men who are also good husbands and daddies.

6. Being a daddy has been one of the greatest responsibilities God has entrusted to me, but is also one of the greatest blessings He's given to me.

I absolutely love being a daddy. I love my daughters; getting to hold their hand, getting to cuddle with them, and getting to see them learn and grow even over this short amount of time. I'm excited to take them on daddy/daughter dates, to see them walk for the first time, and to hear them say their first words (which will be 'daddy,' of course). I can't wait for them to grow up, yet I absolutely treasure the moments we have right now.



Grace and Kate, your daddy loves you, and I hope you always know that to be true. But even more importantly, I want you to know that you have a daddy in Heaven who loves you more than I ever could, enough to send Jesus to save you so that you could be with Him forever. As your daddy here on Earth, my prayer for you both is that you love God, your heavenly daddy more than anything else. He's entrusted me with the job of caring for you, spoiling you, and teaching you about Him, and I'm going to do my best. I'll always love you; I'll always cherish you; and I'll always be your daddy.

Love,
Dad