Fathers Day

Even though I'm still pregnant, I wanted to do something for Jeff for Fathers Day. He's been so supportive and helpful to me during this pregnancy that I'm confidant that he'll be a great Daddy to Madeline.

But what the heck do you get a man for Fathers Day before the baby comes? For Mothers Day Jeff surprised me with a pair of peridot earrings - which will be Madeline's birthstone. ♥ I thought that was so thoughtful and wanted to do something equally as sentimental, but that's kind of hard to do with the roles reversed. It's not like men are as sappy as women, so I had to think pretty hard about what I wanted to get him - as a gift "from" Madeline.

When I was young I used to love reading with my mom before bedtime. (I still love to read, which I think is because my mom would read with me all the time.) My mom says my favorite books were Dr. Suess books, but I don't recall having a favorite - I just remember loving books.

I never had my father in my life, but always longed for the relationship my friends had with their dads. This isn't to say that my childhood was short on love - my mom definitely loved me enough for two parents, and sacrificed practically everything to ensure that I always knew I was her life, her number one priority. But, I think most people who were only raised by one parent will tell you that they used to wish for both parents to be in the picture. (Trust me, I was MUCH better off without my father in my life, but you can't really explain that to a young child.)

With only 2 months until my due date I'm getting more and more excited about seeing what kind of father Jeff is to Madeline. I can't wait to see their relationship grow. I can't wait for them to have activities that are theirs, and theirs alone. I want her to have the father-daughter relationship that I wished I had. I want her to be a Daddy's Girl. ♥

I've slowly been trying to assemble a bedtime story library for Madeline. Then it dawned on me - I wanted to get books for Jeff to read to Madeline. Books that will be for them to read together, father-daughter books. I won't be part of that club. I'll have the rest of the books to read to her whenever I want, but these books will only be for Jeff and Maddy to read together.

I ended up picking Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle. (He also wrote Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See?)

It's a really sweet story about this father who sets out to get the moon for his daughter to make her happy. The pictures are phenomenal and while it's not a realistic story, it tells a very cute story with the sweet fairy-tale concept of a father that will do anything to make his little girl happy.

As well as My Dad by Chae Strathie.

This is a sweet story about all the stories the Dad makes up to tell his daughter. He tells stories of floating to the moon by holding on to a bunch of balloons, he tells stories of fighting sea monsters - which all happen to be the same as her bath toys, stories of being a secret spy, etc. The pictures are fun and colorful, and I just love it because it shows a dad being super involved in his daughter's childhood and imaginative play.

I know Jeff will be a super involved dad, and I'm sure he'll spoil Madeline and she'll be able to do no wrong in his eyes... I just can't wait to see it play out in front of me. I hope he enjoys reading to her, and I hope to find more books to add to his Daddy library. I thought we had a really nice Fathers Day - I just can't believe that next Fathers Day Madeline will be 10 months old and she'll be able to give him his present herself. ♥