Happy 32nd Birthday to my wonderful husband and Daddy to Lila. It was too painful for me to go into a store and buy a card so this is what I am doing instead.

Last year when I made Mike red velvet pancakes for his birthday breakfast, he asked if Lila could eat them with him this year, the answer is still a big no, but she should be here watching him eat his now. We talked a lot about how I would probably buy Mike the "typical" gifts that kids get their Dads over the years and he would be forced to like them no matter what. Even though Lila would have only been a baby I still probably would have taken her to the mall to hold her above the ties and then see which tie she "touched" and figuring she picked it out for him bought it as his gift.

In the 8 days that we had Lila, Mike and Lila were closer than I ever thought possible. They bonded the second that she kicked him when I was 20 weeks pregnant and it only grew stronger from that point on. He told me again the other day of how he felt when he first saw her after she was born and how he could not believe that his perfect little being was his. He said he stared at her for a long time and she was a million times more adorable than he could have ever imagined. He made the best of the most impossible situation and did everything in his power to make sure Lila was as safe and comfortable as possible. She seemed more at ease when he was around and she always opened her eyes only when he was there to see her. When I could not leave the hospital room he went down there as often as possible to see her and told me that he just talked to her and told her all the things he loved about her. He also told me that they had their own things to talk about that he could not share with me because it was just between them.

Most people know Mike as the baseball player, mechanical engineer, runner, occasional math nerd (haha) or simply as Jenny's husband, but he is so much more than those things. He is a courageous and honorable person. He is selfless and would have done anything for Lila just like he does so very much for me. He is patient and honest and will probably be a little embarrassed that I wrote all of this for you all to read. He can figure anything out and does not let anything stand in his way. He is kind and caring and always present, he puts me first always and did so for Lila too. He is an amazing husband, the best I have ever heard of, and a wonderful father to a baby he should have gotten to share a lifetime with.

Happy 32nd Mike, Lila and I love you. -Jenny