As I have stated before, there isn’t much that is more fun, entertaining, hilarious, and awesome as watching your child learn and experience all kinds of things for the first time.  The plums were amazing.  The lemons almost as good.  And of course there is always the staples: smiling, laughing, talking, standing, crawling, etc.

But this one is for sure in my top 3 along with the plums and lemons.  Maybe it’s because my daughter is so facially expressive.  Maybe it is just because it is hilarious.  I don’t know.  But whatever it is, it is awesome!  Now you get to be a part of my daughter trying chicken for the first time.

(PS – there is nothing wrong with the chicken.  KK and I actually both had it as well with much less reaction.)

So I know this is a little out of the normal order of things around here, but I just couldn’t pass up this video any longer.  My daughter is now 5 1/2 months old and is growing up before our very eyes (I guess that phrase works for almost every kid…except for Benjamin Button).  We have been trying out several different types of solid foods the latest being nectarines, peas and plums.

One of my favorite things about this whole parenting thing is watching and realizing the craziness of all the firsts.  I’m not talking about the walking or talking or whatever.  I mean the first time she experiences things.  The first time she tries to laugh but can’t because she doesn’t know how.  The first time she tastes something sweet but doesn’t know what to do because she has never had sweet before.  The first time she is tickled but doesn’t realize it’s funny.

Fortunately since my wife and I have been blogging and videoing all the time, we have caught many of these on camera.  This one is so amazing I have just watched it over and over and over.  Not like her first real laugh.  Not like a daddy looking at his growing daughter.  Not like that.  I watch this one over and over and over because I laugh so hard it hurts.  I’m not a crier, but I have already laughed so hard at this video that I have had tears streaming down my face!

Yeah.  It’s that good.  I recommend repeatedly restarting the video at about 12 seconds.  And cue the tears.

Last night I had the opportunity to start a tradition with my little girl (and give mommy a break).  I expect we will make this a weekly thing (as it should be!)  As soon as I got home from work, me and the little one took off for a night on the town.  Granted she is only 5 months old so for a while we will be a tad limited on our options for what she will enjoy so for now we walk and talk and bounce and play peek-a-boo and fly and such.  Good times for sure!  Thought you might enjoy a couple pictures from our night at the beach.  (PS – They are all of her.  I’m not good at the self portrait thing.  Plus she is WAY cuter!)

Last night we got to surprise my dad with meeting his first grandchild.  He has Skyped with her before but never been able to hold her.  Poor guy.  Last night he finally got to.  We were originally scheduled to arrive in Anchorage, AK for the start of our vacation on Sunday, but my wife found a pretty cheap way to get us there a few days earlier!  So we worked out all the details (including keeping my dad out of the loop) and then boarded the plane on Thursday instead!

After a couple flights, a pretty good baby (only had issues on the decents because her ears were popping and hurting her), one plane ride in the front row, one in the back row, a smelly neighbor (couldn’t possibly have showered or brushed teeth in the last week) and popping ear drums we finally arrived to play a game we like to call Show Off Your Daughter!  Her Poppa was definitely not expecting the bundle of worn out, tired, hungry and probably a bit overwhelmed.

So now here we are.  Vacation has come a few days early.  There is no snow on the ground but there is one happy Poppa eagerly trying to fight off the hounds (my mom and sisters) so he can hang on to Jessi just a little bit longer!

Our little girl is almost 4 months old now.  We have had some good times and some bad times when it comes to putting her to bed.  Sometimes we have multiple times in one night.  But the one thing that stays the same every night is that my wife and I want to help her rest, eat and sleep.

As I was putting her to bed last night the thought occurred to me.  We are just like my little girl.  Our loving Daddy, God, wants us to rest in Him.  But just like my her we fight and squirm and try to get away.  Sometimes we just don’t feel worthy of it.  Other times we think we know how to do it on our own.  Or we just want to do something else.  But no matter what the situation is, Daddy knows what’s best for us.  He knows we need to rest in Him and when we don’t we suffer.

Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?

Psalm 127:2

Are you tired?  Worn out?  Hurting?  Wanting?  Rest in your Daddy’s arms.  Don’t worry.  He wants you to.

Every night as I check on my almost 4 month old daughter I take some time and pray for her. I pray for health. I pray for safety. I pray for sleep! I pray for strength and guidance as her daddy to raise her right. I thank God for her. It’s easy. She’s my baby girl! It comes natural. I don’t struggle at all to pray for her.

But as I was praying for her last night I realized that I have not been following Jesus’ words. In Matthew 5 Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those that hurt you. I’m not doing that. There is a boy (maybe even not born yet) out there that right now is my enemy. As terrible as that is to say, I am NOT ok with the fact that my baby girl is gonna have boyfriends and one day get married. She is my little baby that has mommy and daddy as her whole world! Any boy that wants to mess that up is not a friend of mine…right now. I mean that’s down right persecution if you ask me! Dang boys.

So I realized as painful as it may be, I should be praying for all of her future and that includes boys. I am told to love my future son-in-law and pray for all those boyfriends that are gonna hurt my heart (and possibly earn a plot of land in our backyard). It’s not easy. I don’t wanna go there. I don’t wanna be ok with that. But I have to. Jesus told me to.

It’s time to man up.

What about you? Who are you supposed to be praying for that you are struggling to bring up with God?

One year and 2 days ago I gave my wife the best birthday gift I could have ever given her.  Because of the awesomeness of this gift we had to count it as her birthday and Christmas gifts all wrapped into one.  Even if that is the case and she had it to do all over again, I am sure she would do it in a heartbeat.

367 days ago my wife got the one thing she has wanted the most.  A little baby girl.  We didn’t know all that yet or any of the details at all, but needless to say, we had a pretty good birthday.  Fastforward to today.  My wonderful, amazing, sexy, awesome, and every other positive feminine descriptive word you can think of wife turns __ years old today.  (See that?  I didn’t even get myself in trouble for asking or telling a woman’s age!…That is a bad thing right?  Well, if not you can ask her yourself.)

KK, the last 3 or so years of my life with you have been the absolutely best.  I cannot begin to describe (except by beginning with that) how much I love, respect and cherish you!  (Can guys use the word cherish?)  Happy birthday, baby!  Sorry I ruined birthday presents for the rest of your life.  None of them will ever be as amazing as our little Jessi James!

I hope you have this much fun on your birthday this year!

As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine.  You know it’s true.  You know those times when you are feeling blue so you turn on your favorite comedy movie or laugh with friends or look back through photos of the “good ol’ days”.  Laughter helps us forget our current situations or pain or sorrow and moves us into a place of joy.  Well, I realized this week that there is more to the truth of that saying.  If laughter is the best medicine then your first child’s first laughter is the cure for cancer!

I have tried not to post a ton of videos of my daughter as Video Of The Week (yes, mom, I know you would rather it be a Jessi Video Of The Week) but this video has been huge for me this week.  Any time I have had a rough day or been upset or frustrated, this video has helped me get through the week.

Disclaimer: Ignore the goofy laughing of daddy in the video.  It is part real laughing and part fake laughing to egg her on!