Wisdom and Grace

Sophie's Second Tooth
Originally uploaded by sixlyons.

In God's wisdom and grace, my first child, a little girl, was born. It's hard to believe it was six years ago. She is both new and old, and she is so much in between.

The nurses had taken her from the delivery room, wanting to bathe her, weigh her, measure her, etc. I wanted to see her. So I walked down to the nursery, a proud but uncertain daddy. She had just been bathed and she was wailing. The nurse tried to comfort her, but without success. She handed my daughter to me, and I whispered between the wails, "Shhh. Daddy loves you." And this tiny baby, barely an hour old and hardly six pounds, knew my voice and stopped crying. At that moment, I was hers. I will be until I die.

Sophia, Daddy loves you. Happy birthday, Sweetheart.