¡Sobreviviste tu primer año! La vida no se hace más fácil, pero se mejora cada año. Te prometo.

¡Feliz primer cumpleaños mi princesa! Papi te quiere.

One day my love, I hope that you understand the capacity of love that I have for you. Since you entered my life, it hasn’t been even a second the same as before. My actions, my emotions and my words are worth more when I’m with you because I recognize the fact that being your daddy will be the most difficult and the most important responsibility of my life.

You survived your first year! Life doesn’t get easier, but it gets better each year. I promise.

Happy First Birthday my princess! Daddy loves you.

This is baby G on day 1 at daycare yesterday. After a few minutes on daddy’s shoulder in the infant room, she fell asleep and mommy and daddy slipped out of the room unnoticed. The day was very emotional — extremely sad in the morning, but very joyful in the afternoon. On her daycare daily report card, it says that our daughter was “full of smiles.” As tough as this first day was, we all survived and I think now my wife and I know that we can do this.

So the page has been turned. Our daughter begins a new chapter in her life. We’ll be apart during the day and together at night. We’ll try to establish an evening and morning routine, for baby G’s sake and ours. She’ll be in God’s hands the hours we’re apart and I have faith that He will watch over her.

We laugh about this wild ride we’ve been on for 2+ months now. As G’s mommy put it best, “the past 10 weeks have been all about leche and caquita.” The translation of course would be “milk” and “little caca” (or “little poop”). And by the way, it hasn’t always been little. A few times we’ve had to say “caca grande” because…well…you know. I guess what I’m trying to say is that no matter where this ride with baby G takes us, we’re strapped in and ready for the ups and downs.

In a parallel world, baby G wouldn’t have to go to daycare because my wife would stay at home and take care of her. I would work from home and for the next 5 years, the three of us would spend most of our days together. I think everyone can picture a parallel world of how they would want life to be for them and their family. It’s far too easy to think about how you want things to be than it is to accept reality. I think if I asked a hundred parents how they are able to drop their babies off at daycare and carry on with their day, ninety-nine of them would probably tell me they just do it and say “that’s life.” True, but not exactly the advice a newborn parent is looking for.

Next week, my wife and I will both be forced to perform the difficult balancing act of a working parent…with no end in sight. We’ll do our best to balance work and our baby girl. We’ll try to work enough to provide for baby G and we’ll try to spend enough time with her so that she is certain that we love her and that she completes us.

I was able to spend a couple of minutes alone with my daughter tonight, getting her ready for bed and into her pajamas. I was speaking to her in Spanish, telling her how much I love her and how I can’t wait to do so many fun things with her. I’m sure it sounded like gibberish, both the Spanish and the mushy stuff.

Tonight is one of those nights when I have to thank God for our little gift. It’s almost impossible for me to put into words how much my life has changed. I really feel like my daughter is somehow motivating me to be a better man, husband and father. Just the thought of holding her in my arms when I get home is reason enough to power me through the workday. Thinking about teaching her how to shoot a basketball or kick a soccer ball makes me want to hop on that treadmill and stay in shape so that I will be able to keep up with her. And picturing that day when she will turn to me and say, “Papi, gracias por enseñarme español” (Dad, thanks for teaching me Spanish), makes me believe that I will fulfill the promise I made to her and myself when she was born.

Duerme con los angelitos esta noche mi princesa…sleep with the little angels tonight my princess

Baby G’s first Christmas (primera Navidad) was wonderful! She made her public debut at the 9 A.M. mass at our church. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sit with her since I was the lector for the mass and had to sit up front, but her mommy and Abuelos kept her company.

According to G’s mommy, our daughter was very well behaved except for one fleeting moment. At the end of mass, while the priest was singing “O Holy Night,” baby G felt it was appropriate to let out a half-asleep scream followed by a somewhat audible fart! Her mommy was a little embarrassed but luckily, it was during a louder part in the song so hopefully not too many heard it.

We spent the rest of the day at la casa de los Abuelos, opening gifts, eating, drinking and being merry. At night, G’s mommy and I were given the gift of 6 hours of consecutive sleep! I think this is the second time baby G slept that long. Needless to say, mommy and daddy woke up well rested today. In the end, a successful first Christmas for our little princesa and a funny church story to tell her when she grows up!

G’s mommy has already dressed my daughter in some adorable outfits, but baby G has looked so friggin’ cute the past two nights that I must harp on her cute factor. Last night baby G wore red feety pajamas that said “my first christmas.” Tonight the color is white with a snowman and the words “let it snow!”

Delving deeper, I totally understand why. Nothing says baby like feety pajamas. And of course, this will be her first Christmas. The combination has me wanting to scream from the rooftop that my daughter is the cutest…EVER and to thank God for our precious princess. I’ve already done the latter and since the former might not be the best nor safest idea, I’ll settle for writing about my beautiful baby G and her feety pajamas.