Special Gifts From Daddy

Emma's very first Christmas, though wonderful, was bitter sweet. I was elated to share Christmas with her for the very first time but was incredibly sad that Issac was deployed during such a special time. I love spending Christmas with him and ever since we were married four and a half years ago, have looked forward to eventually sharing our special holiday traditions with a little one. Well, this year we finally had the little one but unfortunately duty called and Daddy had to be away. Though I was very sad, I know it was much harder on him than it was on myself. Not only has he had to suffer being away from his wife, daughter, home, and everything that brings him comfort for four months, but he has also missed out on so much. All of Emma's first holidays, most of her major developmental milestones, not to mention the ever so important day to day mundane activities. He is an amazing man and I truly respect his sacrifice for our country and for our family. Issac is the most selfless person I have ever met in my entire life. No matter what is going on in his life, he is always most concerned with Emma and I. This Christmas, since he way away, he wanted to ensure that Emma and I had the best Christmas possible and decided to send us each a very special gift accompanied by two incredibly sweet cards in which he wrote himself. Below are the photos and explanations of these special gifts that I know truly came from his heart. Several weeks ago I decided that I was going to go ahead and get Emma's ears pierced. When I spoke to Issac about it he was rather upset due to the fact that he is missing out on so much. He asked if I would please wait to pierce her ears until he got home so that he could be there to experience it with us. Since we have now both agreed that she will soon be getting her ears pierced Issac took it upon himself to give her something very special for her first Christmas. When I was a baby my Mother and Father gave me a pair of pearl earrings for my very first Christmas. My mother still has them to this day and I have always cherished them. When I told Issac this story he decided to get Emma her own set of pearls as well. However, since he only gives Emma the best, he went all out and purchased her a rather large set of pearls from Tiffanys! Now tell me... How many seven month old babies do you know that have pearls from Tiffanys? Not only are the beautiful but they are also a memento that she will be able to keep always as a reminder of how much her Daddy loves her and how much he misses her when he is away. They are so beautiful in fact that I have been rather tempted to "Borrow" them. When I told Issac this he asked me not to wear them because he wanted Emma to know that they were just for her and that she was the only person that had ever worn them. He then said that he would like me to have some as well and agreed to buy me a set of earrings to match my diamond Tiffany's necklace that he gave me as a gift for our five year wedding anniversary this June. With this promise, I suppose I will have to behave myself and save them just for Emma (Even though I know she will begin borrowing all of my jewelry once she hits her teenage years).

After opening Emma's gift it was on to mine. Now let me just say that my husband is about as romantic as they come. He is an incredibly sweet, always loving, and is a very doting husband who pampers me beyond belief. Below if a photo of the card that accompanied my gift which was written by him especially for me. This ladies, is the reason I love this man so much and is why I am always willing to bend over backwards to ensure his happiness. He is truly an AMAZING man and words could never explain how much I cherish our marriage, our incredible bond, and our friendship which is the greatest I have ever known.

After reading my card which brought me to tears (The cards he writes for me are always by far, my favorite part of any gift), I opened up a brown shipping box only to see a giant box from Coach with a big red ribbon around it. When I opened this box, what did I see? The Coach Pink and Khaki Waverly Baby Bag that I have had my eye on for over a year now! Such a beautiful bag and so sweet and so thoughtful. I was truly surprised at this gift because we both agreed to keep this Christmas small due to the fact that I am getting a new car this spring which we hope to pay for in full the day we purchase it. Though we are trying to save some money right now, I will admit... Issac was completely right when he told me that once I opened the gift, I would not care how much it cost. My dream baby bag and the perfect accessory for any Mommy!

Thank you so much sweetie for our wonderful, thoughtful gifts. We love you so much and we are so sorry that you were not able to spend Christmas with us. I do however promise to make it up to you as best I can when you get home. We will have our own mini Christmas celebration this spring and I promise to cook all of your favorite foods. You are an amazing man and I truly admire everything about you. You are the love of my life, my best friend, and are in incredible father to our little girl. The blessings God has bestowed on me by bringing you into my life take my breathe away. Please always remember that I love you more than anything and that I am always thinking about you. We will be back together before you know it and this deployment will soon be a distant memory. I love you baby. Thank you again for making this Christmas as special as possible for us despite the distance. You are truly a gem.