If you are reading this, I am most likely off fighting in the Great Robot War. That, or off fighting the Canadians. It's conceivable they were the ones who actually built the robots to attack us in the first place. I am not certain. I will have to look into it.
This is how I envision the war. As you can surmise, it will be over rather quickly.
It's also possible none of that has happened yet, and I am just sitting on the couch watching a movie in the other room while you are reading this on your iPad37. If you will allow me, I want to share with you a little slice of your history. It is hard to believe exactly one year has passed since your mother and I discovered we would become parents. After almost a year and a half of trying, your mother and I took a few tests and received the disheartening news that we could not become pregnant without the assistance of In Vitro Fertilization. Now, when I heard of friends "trying to get pregnant" I always thought it was not the biggest deal, because in the end, at least you had some fun trying, right? However, it wasn't until we went through it ourselves that I found it is one of the hardest trials a couple can go through. We desperately prayed and hoped for a baby each and every month, but all to no avail. It was devastating and at times it often felt hopeless. We finally decided to try out IVF, our last resort.
I came to learn that having IVF done is not a pleasant procedure. It can be rather painful, very costly, and in the end, might not even work. Needless to say, we were not looking forward to starting it, but what choice did we have? This is where the story gets good. God stepped in and decided to shut up the fertility doctors, and on a cold Monday morning, three days before we were going to start the IVF treatment, we stood in our bathroom in utter shock and disbelief as we realized our prayers were answered.
What followed next was the most exciting/terrifying period of my life. We collectively held our breaths during each ultrasound appointment, scared to discover some birth complication, or worse, that we miscarried. Having that fear hanging over my head and the creeping realization that I was going to be a father put me on a roller-coaster of emotions for a solid eight months. The guy who drinks Mountain Dew for breakfast, still listens to Sum41, and has yet to figure out how to properly tie a tie was going to be a dad. Truth be told, I am currently sipping on a delicious Dew while I type this. And no, you cannot have pop until you are in college. If you are anything like me, I don't need you acting any more hyper than you already are. Oh yeah, if you ever want to learn how to tie a tie, just go on wikipedia or youtube. Don't ask me.
By God's grace you decided to stick with us and you grew stronger and cuter every day. I kept a little collage of your ultrasound pictures pinned up at work and I showed them off to every person who had the misfortune of walking by my cubical.
For some reason they were not as impressed with the blob-like/alien-looking baby in the photos as I was.
Even at the size of a corn kernel, you were the cutest baby in the world.
For some reason they were not as impressed with the blob-like/alien-looking baby in the photos as I was.
Look, my alien baby is sucking his thumb. He's the smartest baby in the world!
Before we could say, "The due date is in November, please stop asking," November jumped out at us like a ninja and you slid out into this crazy world. You actually took your sweet stinkin' time coming out, much to your mother and father's chagrin. I have a video of your delivery as your mother is screaming bloody murder in the background. I will have to play it for you when you bring a girl over to the house.
Anyways, I have lived on this Earth for 28 years now, and I have had some fantastic times (some of which I will not be able to tell you until you are much much older), but nothing compares to this past year and the adventure of fatherhood. If my future kids read this, don't worry, I love you just as much and I'm sure I was just as excited when you were born. Well, if you are kid number five, than possibly not so much. Sorry :)
You are growing up so fast. Soon you will be a little boy who thinks he knows everything and does not need help from anyone. You will unfortunately inherit my impatient nature and your mother's stubbornness, and you will most likely mess up and do some stupid things throughout your life; just always remember this William, I believe every good and perfect gift is from above, and you are one of the best gifts I have ever received. From day one, one year ago today, you have filled my heart with such joy and happiness I can only attribute it to God. I love you buddy. All that said, I just wanted to thank you for making this year so very special for us. God is good. Don't ever forget that.
