Dear Bailey,

I wanted to let you know about the special things you bring to my life, and the special memories I’ll take away from this time we’ve had together.

I love –

• The way you scrunch up your face and grit your teeth together when you’re being ‘pretend mean’.
• Your impish smile, especially when you’re doing something impish.
• How when wisps of your hair blow in your face, you unthinkingly brush it away from your eyes with the back of your hands.
• Your intensity when you find something interesting on the ground to squat and look at.
• When your little hand slips into mine when you know we have to cross the street. I never, ever, ever want that to end.
• When you say “Thank you, Daddy” in your clipped, polite voice, especially when you haven’t been reminded.
• When you look at my mosquito bite “ow-ies” and carefully put band-aids on them with all the patience and concern of an OR nurse.
• Unexpected hugs, and expected ones too.
• How you sleep, arms and legs spread everywhere, no blankets, and your sweet little mouth just barely open; and then you shout instructions to your brother while in a dream.
• That you always hand my juice to me first during our nature walks with the daycare kids; you always want me to be happy.
• How upset you are when I can’t come on a nature walk; you always want me to be there.
• How you say, “It’s OK, Daddy” if you think I’m upset.
• Your naptimes when you ask to go to sleep and fall asleep right away (these are rare events indeed).
• Your tousled head when you wake up.
• How you laugh and tell me to “stop it” when I tickle you, then laughingly beg for more when I stop.
• The nights when you go to sleep and DON’T
• The time when we flew kites with your brother on a gorgeously warm, sunny-with-fluffy-clouds day and you spontaneously said, “what a beautiful day!”
• Your head lolling about when you fall asleep in the car.
• Every time you say, “I love you, Daddy”.

Will all my love,
Dad