Dad's and Daughter's A Special Connection

As the week officially starts the days tick by when life flashes before your eyes. Our little girl will soon be a mommy herself. Yes, it is very hard still to believe. I am amazed at how each little thing that goes by makes me go back on my own personal journey before our daughter was born. The parallels are sometimes their. She is the same age I was when I had her brother, she has had some of the same body issues that I had carrying her. Although it has been a lifetime ago, their are some things that never change.

Recently when her Dad was home, as always Jennifer came by to check on her Daddy. I have always been amazed at that father/daughter bond I had always heard people talk about. It started the day she arrived, rather fast 23 years ago. Unlike with when her brother was born, her Dad got to cut the cord between mother and daughter and probably a little bit of that connection from then until just a few years ago. I wasn't the first one they handed her too, her Dad was right their, arms outstretched to receive his not so little (9 lbs 15 oz, in 8 minutes, with no drugs)bundle of joy. The first picture taken was of the two of them. I remember early the morning after she was born he had went down to the gift shop and returned with a brown and white bunny hand puppet. He walked right in the room, up to the portable bassinet with puppet on hand and leaned over and greeted his new daughter.

When she was sick usually the first thing out of her mouth was "where's my Daddy"? After the big earthquake "I want my Daddy, when is Daddy going to be home"? Her Dad was the one who would hold her when she had to get shoots of any kind. It was always a little comical because she would try to bargain any way she could with him but somehow he would get her to calm down and take it.

Yes a few times the words "Well if you won't do it , Dad will" did come out of her mouth. Yes we had our blowups. Yes we are a little bit alike. Although I have always thought she looked more like her Dad, females do find their times to stick together.

I think the turning point for us was when she went away to photography college. On the other side of the country the calls would come frequently. The conversation of I don't know if I can do this came to me and the no option of coming home until you finish and my frequently visits to her helped build a different bond.

But the special connection still holds. Recently after a trip, David mentioned that he had been looking for a hand puppet. He wanted to find one for our soon-to-be granddaughter Hadleigh.
"You don't think Jennifer would be upset do you?". "It is something between her and I". I really didn't know what to say. Still even as I type this tears come to my eyes. I told him I really wasn't sure but he should ask her.

I know she still has that multiple washed, old rabbit somewhere. She like her Granma Edith Amazetta never threw special things away. But I am pretty sure if one appeared Jennifer would get the connection. Also I think Granma Edith would get a little laugh that she will have a little namesake in 2010.