Letter from Daddy

Today is May 8th, 2011 and today is a really special day because it is your mother's first Mother's Day! You are just a little over 4 months old now and today is also just over one year since your Mother told me that we would be expecing a baby (talk abour surprised!). That night starts the story of YOU....

It was a Saturday night in late April and your parents were going out for a date night at Mommy's favorite place, Olive Garden. I could tell that your Mother was a little excited about something as she was very happy the whole night (and she didn't even have any wine!). She finally dropped the news on me as we were eating our meal, in front of the entire restaurant. Daddy was so surprised, I don't think I even finished my meal. Your mom was very sneaky about this as she found out earlier in the day by telling Daddy she wanted to go get some ice cream, but she was really getting a pregnancy test. Sneaky! We went home and Mommy took 5 more pregnancy tests to confirm the exciting news: we were going to have a BABY!!

This picture was the morning after we found out we were going to have you!


Both of us were so excited that we told our families right away...and then tried to figure out what we were supposed to be doing. Your mother started preparing for your right away, before we even knew you. We read books on how to have the best pregnancy. We took lots of long walks with your older brother Bentley and talked about everything but mainly how excited we were to meet you. Your mom was very sick but continued to work so we could be prepared for you. Daddy tried as best he could to take care of your Mommy since she was feeling so sick. Before too long, we saw our first pictures of you!

This picture was taken in August and was one of our first pictures of you.
This was taken in October in 2010. Mommy & Daddy were already in love!

Your Mommy began to grow bigger and bigger as you developed in her womb. Let's see how Mommy looked when she was carrying you!

As you can see, your Mother was the cutest pregnant woman ever!! And althought she was very sick most of the entire nine months, she was very happy and excited to be taking care of you and very much looking forward to meeting you. Around November, you started communicating with Mommy too! You learned that you could move your arms and legs and boy, did you like doing that! Mommy and Daddy loved to watch you moving inside Mommy's belly. Before we knew it, it was almost time for you to come meet us. You Mom & Dad enjoyed our last Christmas before you came, knowing that the present we most wanted would be joining us soon,

You were due on January 8, 2011 but shortly after Christmas, it became clear that you were not going to wait that long. We got the call from our doctor that you were going to be here on January 1st, 2011 - a New Year's baby! So Mommy and Daddy had a nerve-wracking New Year's Eve with very little sleep because we were so excited to meet you (and maybe a little nervous too). Because your Mother had been sick, Daddy was really worried and wanted both you and Mommy to be OK. Your Mother was nervous the entire time she carried you but when the day came for you to be born, she was a champ. Daddy was more nervous than she was.

This is the morning of your birth, on our way to the hospital to meet you!

We started labor about 9am on Saturday January 1. Your Mom was hooked up to a lot of equipment but was doing fine. We watched a lot of America's Funniest Home Videos and your Mom was even cracking jokes! For as much as we worried, you and your Mother were both perfect and everything turned out great. At 4:02 pm, you came into this world, kicking and screaming! I remember that moment very clearly. It seemed as if time stopped and I could feel everything from the previous 9 months: all the excitement, all the stress, all the anticipation, all the nights that your Mom battled sickness, the last month where your Mom was on bed rest, all those thoughts came rushing to me all at once. The emotions were so overwhelming but in the most exciting way. I was so full of love and excitement, I was in shock. In fact, I was so much in shock that the nurses had to remind me to grab the camera and start taking pictures! Here arethe first pictures of you, Brynn Isabelle Schueler:

The night you were born and the two days after in the hospital were very busy and so very exciting at the same time. The night you were born, Sally and Brayden came to visit you within an hour of you being born, they were so excited to finally meet you (Brayden said you were 'awesome'). Uncle John and Megan also came to see you and said you were so little and so pretty. Everyone (especially Daddy) was in love with your big blue eyes and everyone loved how alert you were for a newborn baby. As long as you had a dry diaper and milk in your belly, you were pretty happy. Over the next two days, so many people came to visit you as Mommy & Daddy realized how blessed we are to have such a close and loving family. Mommy was very tired and her body hurt from the delivery but she stayed awake to spend time with you and make sure you were taken care of.

Before we knew it, it was time to take you home. It was very cold so we bundled you up and Daddy drove (very slowly!) you home. G-MA Nancy was there to help Mommy and Daddy get settled in with our new family. So many people came to visit you that first week and bring us food that Mommy and Daddy didn't need groceries for two weeks.

Those first two weeks, Mommy and Daddy both realized that nothing would ever be the same - and we loved our new life with you. You slept in your bassinet right next to Mommy & Daddy's bed so we could get to you when you needed to be fed in the middle of the night, which was often. Daddy took care of you overnight on the weekends so Mommy could get some rest. Those nights on the weekend when it was just you and Daddy are some of his favorite memories of you as a newborn. You were quite the little stinker though! Many times, you would cry unless Mommy or Daddy were holding you. You would fall asleep in our arms and then as soon as we put you to sleep, you would wake up screaming. Daddy loved those nights though.

Your first couple months were pretty uneventful as far as babies go. You grew so much every week and it seemed like you were doing something new every week. You were so little at the beginning that the 'NewBorn' diapers were too big for you and we only had 2-3 outfits that fit you. Oh boy, would that change though! You ate so much in the first month or two that it seemed like you would eat, then sleep, then eat again an hour later! It was good to see you growing so fast although Mommy and Daddy were a little sad because we wanted you to stay our little angel forever.

G-MA Nancy came to visit you pretty much every other weekend and Grandma Cheryl came to visit you as often as she could too. When Mommy & Daddy wanted a date night, we had plenty of people that offered to come spend the night with you! You went to go see your cousins Jacob and Megan play basketball, all dressed up in your first Schueler basketball jersey. You went to church with Mommy & Daddy and usually, you were a very good girl.

Around 2 1/2 months, you started to do a lot of cool new things. You started to smile at Mommy and Daddy and even laugh sometimes when Mommy or Daddy was especially silly. You also started to stand up on Mommy or Daddy's legs and 'shake your tailfeather' when we sang to you. You liked Mommy singing to you the best for obvious reasons, but Daddy made you laugh because he made up silly songs and sang them in silly voices. Your favorite was 'No Hands' by Wocka Flocka - trust me it was awesome! Daddy loved to come home every day to see you smile when you saw him, it was definitely the best part of his day by far.

One time, when you were about three months old, Mommy and Daddy had to leave you for a few days to go on a trip for Daddy's work. Mommy and Daddy both were very sad because we did not want to leave you at all. The day before we left, Mommy and Daddy were both very sad and weren't sure if we would be able to leave. Right when we were questioning whether to go or not, you got so happy and made Mommy and Daddy laugh so hard because you were being so silly! Here is the video of you being a silly girl (Mommy and Daddy watched this video 100 times a day while we were gone to remind ourselves how lucky we were to have you!

In your fourth month, you just kept growing so much that Mommy and Daddy are wondering if you are ever going to stop growing! You were a very small baby when you were born but at your 4 month check-up, you measured in the 90th percentile for everything! As you can see, you are turning into such a healthy, happy big girl. Your favorite thing to do right now is lay on your playmat and grab things, play in your bouncer, and laugh at Mommy and Daddy. And we love every second of it (especially since you are sleeping through the night now!).

Well my dear, it is time to wrap up my first letter to you. I will try to write you more often but always know how much your Daddy loves you. You are the best thing to happen to Daddy (OK, you and Mommy might be a tie) and I promise that I will always try to be the best Daddy for you that I can be.