Happy Mother's Day Celia

I have told Celia many times but I still do not feel I have told her enough. The position in which she has accepted since I left for Iraq has had to be one of the most difficult situations in her life. She was already raising one handsome toddler, three months pregnant with child number two; living in a foreign country with boxes still stacked to the ceiling, and then informed that her husband would be leaving in one day. With little time to prepare and brace herself from the gut shot delivered, Celia would be handling every aspect of our lives, by herself. The burden has been heavy and the job has been tiresome especially since there are now two children in the mix. I can hear the exhaustion in Celia’s voice when I call her some nights and feel that maybe she got the worse end of the deal. Through all of the dirty diapers, temper tantrums, late night feedings, and the attempts to still lead a semi-normal life she has rarely complained. She’s done a far better job than I ever could have done and a better job than 99% of the rest of the population. She’s been that constant pulse to my children since the day I left and not a day goes by that I do not think about her. I’ve told her many times but I still always feel the need to tell her just what an amazing job she is doing, because God knows, she deserves it.

I always knew that Celia would be a terrific mother; she just seemed to have that quality within her. I think you can tell that about certain people; those who have that natural maternal instinct and those who do not. I had seen the way Celia interacted with her little sisters and with my little brother; she knew how to play and how to be the disciplinarian. I, on the other hand, had perfected play time but would let 7 year old logic compromise my better judgment. None of these moments registered a level of importance until I found out that Celia and I would be having a baby together. When I heard that Celia was pregnant with Jadon I immediately began having images in my head of her with the child. She had years of practice changing diapers and was much further advanced in understanding how a baby operates that I knew I would be asking her questions constantly, and once Jadon was born I did just that.

Eventually we both fell into a routine with Jadon and had the baby thing down. We also realized that Jadon was extremely handsome, more handsome than any other child either of us had seen (we’re not biased, I swear!). To go with his good looks, Jadon was about as well behaved for a baby that you could ask for (and that I am not biased on – Proven Fact!). After talking this over many times Celia and I had decided that we wanted to expand our family by one. In May of 2008 we were thrilled to discover that Celia was indeed pregnant with Hailey, which would give us the perfect size family and a sibling to keep Jadon company.

We were both so excited for Jadon to meet his little sister because we knew he was going to be a wonderful big brother. He was full of love for other children and anybody he met that we were confident it would be no different with his little sister. Once Hailey was born Jadon did not disappoint us. When she dropped her pacifier Jadon tried to put it back in her mouth, Jadon loves to push her in the swing, and when I was home for Hailey’s birth Jadon could not stop kissing her. Practically every picture I was able to take of both Jadon and Hailey together Jadon has his lips planted somewhere on his “Sissy.” He loves his Sissy and she loves him too. Jadon’s attitude, behavior, and love are all a direct reflection of his mother.

Anybody can raise a baby but it takes somebody really special become that babies Mommy. Anybody can collect a check and feed the child when needed, watch the child grow and tell yourself that you are in fact a good mother. Anybody can do that but it takes somebody special to do it right and I never really comprehended that until I was able to witness it firsthand. Being around other people’s children only tells part of the story of what makes a decent mother and what makes a special mother. Celia Serena is about as special as they come. She is as loving of a mother as I have ever seen and the result is both of our children being two of the happiest babies I have ever seen. Jadon loves other kids so much which is the result of Celia’s nurturing. Hailey is always smiling when I see her on the web cam because she is always with her Mommy and her Mommy knows how to make her happy. Celia does so much as a parent that I never knew existed and as a result she has made me a better father to our children.

She has had to raise two children by herself and the result is better than I could have ever done. I know there is not another woman on this planet that I would want to raise children with other than my loving wife, Celia. She more than has her hands full with both Jadon and Hailey but somehow finds ways to volunteer for multiple community activities with other people’s kids. Many women would not be able to handle her situation but Celia is always accepting new challenges and seeking out ways to help other people. I feel that many people go about life and never tell those they love just how special they really are, almost taking them for granted. I do not intend on making those mistakes; that is why I always tell Celia how much I love her and how truly lucky I am to have her in my life.

I want to tell you Happy Mother’s Day Celia and I hope you have an amazing day. If anybody deserves it there is nobody more deserving than you. You are a beautiful, loving, intelligent, funny woman and I am so fortunate to call you my wife. The time will come when I will be home once again and after hearing you tell me Jadon is saying, “Show me poopy” after you change his diaper signals that it is a good time for Daddy to come home, but still know that you are second to none. I thank you and I know Jadon and Hailey do too for everything you do. You are the best wife and mother that there is, Happy Mother’s Day.