In two more days exactly 15 yrs ago...

My oldest daughter was born. I was just a young adult, age 22. Had been married for 4 years before her birth. I thought I knew what I was doing.
This child was an exciting thing to come into our lives. I was in the military and far away from home. Thank you to George Bush, then president. I was in Okinawa headed for the middle east for desert shield / desert storm. So I received news of my child's birth via radio waves while talking on a mars station radio. Most exciting. It was a tough pregnancy for the wife. This kid simply grew and grew and didn't want to come out. A c section was necessary.
This kid brought so much happiness and joy to our lives. She was truly an easy baby to raise. Most perfectly content and the bond we shared then was incredible. I arrived home and it was like I had never missed a day. She was three months old when I first saw her in person.
We lived in Mississippi, after she was born. And moved on to Iceland not too long after that. One night she simply wouldn't fall asleep. We pulled out some recently acquired mardi gras beads and began waving them back and forth in front of her face saying "You are getting sleepy." To which her eyes would light up and she would giggle. It was so damned cute. We phoned Grandma 10 states away to share in this amusement and joy.
In iceland she would play on our piano and climb into a little pail. To look at her now you could never picture this.
I love this child and want her to have a terrific life. As she has grown up things of course have changed. Her mother and I are no longer together. And she is now a teenager who thinks she knows what is best for herself. A challenging time. Difficult to watch her make some of the choices she makes. But over all a well rounded and very considerate child.
It's been an interesting process watching this young life unfold. I wish her nothing but good things. My pride and joy.