Dylan Stafford

Hi Christian, my almost six-month old baby boy,

This is your new Daddy, Dylan. You are two days shy of being six months old. You’re asleep inI the bedroom, with the humidifier next to your bed, the ceiling fan circling and the electronic notes of “Go to sleep little baby” serenading you.

I’m sorry I haven’t written more to you. You joining our family as our second son has been a miracle, and it has been exhausting said the frosting. I had just turned 38 when your older brother came into our life. When you were born, I was a few weeks shy of 43. Those five years make a difference. Taking care of little babies is a young-person’s sport.

But why I wanted to write was to tell you I love you.

I wanted to write to you some observations that I’ve had in the first six months of your life.

1) You’re a gift.

All babies are a gift, but you, coming to us the way you did, are extra miraculous. The way I envision it, you were up there in heaven, just a little whisp of nothingness floating around, waiting for a couple who wanted to have a baby. I think you wanted a powerful, loving, high-energy Mommy like Marisa. The angels listened to you and they said, “Well, we have someone who fits the bill, but you’ll have to go a round-about way to have her be your Mommy.”

You said, “All good. Where do I sign?” And we were able to adopt you into our life.

2) Your birth Mommy is a beautiful soul

We met your birth Mommy, the woman who carried your body in her body for a full term pregnancy and healthy delivery. She is a beautiful young woman. She loves you deeply. She chose us to be your parents because she appreciated that we value education, family and travel; she loved the pictures she saw of us with your big brother Jackson. She wanted to make sure that you have a big brother.

3) You are a smiling little guy

You never meet a stranger. You have a smile ready for everyone. I had a bad end of my day at work today. I was tired and cranky and I got to daycare to pick you up and you were listening to your care-giver read you a touch-and-feel book and then you looked up and recognized me and your face melted into a big smile and you stole my heart again.

You smile at everyone. I love that about you. You giggle and coo and you make eye contact and you smile at everyone.

When we prayed for a baby to adopt, we prayed for a healthy, happy baby. It’s the same prayer we had when we waited to have your big brother join our life. You are that, you are healthy and happy and it’s a blessing to have you with us.

4) You love to go poop at really important moments

This is a little trick you have, of waiting until something really important is about to happen and then going poop. When we visited grandma and grandpa Szem in South Carolina in May, you pooped right when we got to church. When we had you Christened last month, in the big church in Santa Monica, with all our friends and relatives in attendance, just as the Mass was about to begin, you, in your all-1hite Christening outfit, you had to relax and go to the bathroom, giving me, your Daddy a chance to go make a battlefield diaper change in time to get back to the service, with you clean of course, and not miss anything. I think you’re a sweetheart, but I also wonder sometimes if you don’t have a little devlish streak in you.

5) I can’t wait to see what kind of little boy you will become

You’re in the total “anything is possible” phase right now. I can imagine you becoming anyone and anything right now. I don’t know at all what your gifts are going to be, other than sharing a beaming smile with the world which as I mentioned you do really well. You have gorgeous blue eyes. We think they’re going to stay blue as you’re almost six months old and we see no indication of them changing. I think your hair is going to be medium blond. You’re still almost bald, and you haven’t had any teeth come in yet. I don’t think you’re going to be one of those bright blond tow-heads, but maybe when you get in the sun your hair will lighten.

6) You’re built to be here

You, as my second child, are sturdier than I thought your older brother was. I see now that babies are designed to survive and thrive. With your older brother, we were nervous all the time. With you, we have a confidence that you are here to stay. It’s so much more fun being a parent the second time.

7) I love you dearly

I want you to know that. We love you dearly. You came into our life so quickly. We barely waited three months and boom, there you were in our arms, alive and smiling and perfect.

We prayed for you and you came. We love you and count our blessings to get to be family.

Sleep tight little Christian. I’m going to go check on you and go to bed.

Love,

Your Daddy, Dylan