November 21, 2016
Dear Daxton,
At this point, your due date has come and gone as of one
hour ago. True, your due date changed a bit, but your dad and I liked the 20
best, so that’s what we stuck with. Unfortunately, you didn’t agree and you're still
stuck in there, though it does seem like you want out. Your daddy and I want
you out too and we are so hoping you make an appearance tomorrow. Your grandma
is here, your Aunt CC (whatever you decide to call her is what we will go with)
got in yesterday morning, and your grandpa is coming in Thanksgiving morning.
We would love to celebrate your first Thanksgiving all together, so feel free
to join us!
I am actually glad that you are still comfortable in the
womb. You are already forming your personality of independence and
self-awareness, which are traits I have prayed for in my children. These traits
must be such a part of you that no crazy midwife concoction I ingest will get
you to budge. I continue to pray that your father and I will be able to instill
traits in you that will make you a strong man one day. Perhaps the most
important traits are confidence, joy, chivalry, independence, empathy,
self-control, and patience. Confidence is something that one can either have
too much of, too little, or just the right amount. I pray that I challenge your
confidence as much as I encourage it to get the right balance. Happiness may be
important, but it comes from the world. Joy comes from Jesus and that is
something I want you to learn you cannot live without. I pray that your never
take for granted your faith or the freedom you have to practice that faith.
Your father is one of the only chivalrous men left on this
planet. No other man has ever gone out of his way to open my car door, consistently
made sure I was comfortable, or has brought me flowers just because. When your
daddy wanted to propose, he asked your grandpa and grandma if he could marry
their daughter. He has always made sure that I include my family in my everyday
life. I pray that you are the type of gentleman for which all this is second
nature, and that one day, when you find a woman you want to date, you naturally
know you introduce yourself to her family and have her home early. I pray that
you date to marry and you never go breaking a girl’s heart.
Independence is going to be a hard one for me as your
mother. I want nothing more than a child who is confident enough in his own
skin to not need me, but I want you to know I will always be there for you. You
may be able to drive yourself to your football games, but I will always cheer
you on. You may end up running into preschool shouting “Bye, Momma” over your
shoulder, but I will peek in through the windows to watch you grow. Do not take
this as mistrust, rather my fulfillment of joy as a parent at the person I get
to watch you become.
Empathy, my dear, is something I will be teaching from day
one. I apologize half-heartedly in advance for the constant prodding you will
hear in your head to think before you act or speak. I truly believe empathy is
the heart and soul of life. If you are able to empathize, you can understand
people of the world and make some valuable connections. If you can empathize,
we will always be able to communicate openly and honestly. I pray that you are
a thoughtful individual who never doubts that he is able. Similar to empathy
would be your ability to maintain self-control. Know yourself and what makes
you tick. Know your true limits and be able to differentiate them from the
limits you put on yourself and then challenge those limits. I pray that you pay
attention to yourself and your needs just as much as you pay attention to those
around you. Just because you are caring and empathetic doesn’t mean you have to
sacrifice your own well-being.
Finally, my love, I pray for your patience. Your father and
I are doing this parenting thing for the first time. We have plenty of
experience, but I know that our experience will either make us over confident,
or slap us hard in the face letting us know nothing could truly prepare us for
parenthood. Your father and I may not always agree on things, and we will ask
for your patience while we figure it out. Food may not always be ready when you
want it, and toys may not always be available when you look for them, during which
times we will ask for your patience. When you do something for the first time,
we will be too, so I pray that it is through us that you witness and learn how
to be patient.
Above all, I pray for your soul; that you may know Jesus
Christ and call Him friend. I pray that your father and I can guide you well
enough that you are excited for church and that you make your own decision to dedicate
your life to Christ through baptism when you are old enough to comprehend what
that means and the weight of this decision in today’s world. I pray that you
are not swayed or tempted by the world we live in and that you live to one day
live in God’s kingdom. You are our biggest blessing and our most exciting
adventure. We absolutely cannot wait to hold you in our arms and tell you
everyday how much we love you.
Always,
Your loving mother
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