Tom and Maggie

I love to watch the relationship between my husband and my daughter and how it unfolds each and every day in ways that are unique from any other relationship either of them have with anyone else. It is a special and beautiful bond.  I stand back in awe and watch the two of them talk to one another in their own love language. I love to watch how her eyes shine when he walks into the room. She demands his full attention and wants to make sure his eyes are always on her. When he thinks he is sneaking a kiss from me, she is quick to pop up from what seems out of nowhere and asks “where is my kiss daddy”.  She claims she is going to marry her daddy when she grows up. I love the innocent and pure love she has for him.

This morning she woke up still exhausted from last night’s escapade.  We received a phone call at six o’clock last night asking if she would like to go see Disney’s Frozen on Ice. Her friend had an extra ticket and wanted to take Maggie along.  We decided that even though it was a school night we would let her go. This was such a fun and exciting thing for her to get to do, we just could not say no. This morning she came stumbling downstairs, one hand on her head and one hand rubbing her eyes and yawning like a lion.  She told me she was just so tired from having so much fun. I told her she needed to go say good morning to her daddy and then we would get her some breakfast. She headed into our bedroom to say good morning to her daddy and not even five minutes later she came walking out with her daddy right behind her.  She had gotten him out of bed. I cannot even get him out of bed. 

As they walked past me into the kitchen she was telling him how tired she was from her adventure the night before. He listened attentively and then proceeded to ask her if she wanted a Latte. A Latte? Are you kidding me? We have been married for almost fifteen years and I just got him to set the automatic timer on our coffee maker. She is six and she gets a Latte? I chuckled to myself and thought, yep that little finger has daddy wrapped so tight around it, it might just fall off one of these days. I love it though; I really do. I have always had a great relationship with my dad and it is a blessing to see the bond between my husband and my daughter following the same natural flow.  Seven years ago, I could not have imagined seeing my husband fix hair into pony tails, play Barbie’s or watch Cinderella until all songs are memorized.  I definitely did not imagine him making Latte’s.

When I was pregnant with Maggie, we did not find out what we were having. We knew we were having a baby, not a puppy, but as to whether it was a boy or a girl, we didn’t want to know. There are so few happy surprises in life, my husband and I took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to be happily surprised with whatever the Lord wanted to give us.  I, however, did not mask my desire for a girl. If someone asked me do you have a preference, I said yes, a girl. I had been blessed with two beautiful sons and I wanted a daughter.  I think my husband got scared at the thought of a daughter. All he had ever known was boys.

Scientifically speaking, the male determines the sex gene. My husband comes from a long line of males. From males begetting males, there were 11 males and one female. I believe God is in science, but I also know my God is in the miracle business. I prayed for a girl. I claimed a girl and I even purchased several baby girl outfits knowing God would give me the desire of my heart.  Everyone from my mother, to my husband, to my in-laws doubted the possibility that Tom and I would ever conceive a girl. I must add that I would have been happy with another son, because I love the special bond I have with my boys, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t want a girl. 

We had a boy name picked out from early on. My husband and I, probably more I, are picky about the names we choose. We feel names should be special. They will have them for their whole lives; they will sign them on documents, hear them said out loud over one hundred times a day, and will be defined and immediately judged based on this one impacting thing, a name.  We prayed about names, looked through at least five different baby name books and searched every baby name website online. We also, wanted their names to have a family tie as well as something biblical. Not asking for too much are we? We also did not want the opinion of friends and family. One, I detest the look on someone’s face when you share a name with them that they don’t like. Two, it isn’t anyone’s business but mine and my husbands. Three, from experience if you tell them the name while you are introducing them to the little miracle, they seem oblivious as to whether they like it or not. But after 32 weeks of searching we still came up short of a girl name. 

I remember the moment God confirmed in my heart I was having a girl. We were coming home from a family vacation in Myrtle Beach, and we had a seven hour drive in front of us. I was 10 weeks from my due date and we thought this would be a great time to hash out picking out a girl name.  We tossed out names for hours. Somewhere on Interstate 95, in North Carolina between the South Carolina border and the Virginia border, God spoke to my heart, “Margaret Faye and you will call her Maggie”.  I had purposely avoided the name Margaret, because I had always hated it. I thought it sounded so old. I never considered

Faye, because again, it was not a name I liked. But somehow that name rang in my heart like a church bell sounding on a Sunday morning. I told my husband and he immediately agreed. My mother and great-grandmother and his grandmother were named Margaret. His mom’s middle name is Faye. It worked and to top it off, Margaret means pearl. My little pearl. My precious little jewel that God was about to bless us with. From that moment on I knew beyond a shadow of doubt I was having a daughter.

My husband was still convinced it was another boy and tried very caringly to put me at ease of how wonderful it would be to have another son.  My mother would speak softly about how God is in control and to trust Him. It really helped to build up to that moment when we would finally announce “It’s A Girl!”

The day of our induction came.  We were late getting to the hospital.  The nurse laughed at us and said this isn’t your first is it. We chuckled and said nope, number three. The wait was short, considering we were about 30 minutes late. I checked in, robed up, got my IV’s and the induction began. From the time they started the Pitocin until I delivered was about three and a half hours.  I know I am blessed, I never had any complications, and all three of my deliveries were easy.  My husband and mother-in-law were in the delivery room with me. I know, I am an awesome daughter-in-law what can I say. My mom was in with us for the first two, I felt it was just as special for my mother-in-law and one day I would be a mother-in-law and would appreciate the same courtesy from my daughter-in-law.  Wow that was a mouthful. I tarry. The moment came and she was born. The doctor claimed with certainty, “You have a daughter”.  I wish I had a picture of my husband’s face. The memory will always be fresh in my mind. If you can imagine, the complete and total shock of someone

who just won the lottery and then multiply that by like a zillion; that was him. He literally shook his head and asked the doctor, “Where is his penis?” I kid you not; he really did ask the doctor that question and the doctor smiling from ear to ear looked at him and said, “Tom, you have a daughter”. Tom looked at me and then to her and then to me and then to her and with a tear running down his cheek he cut the umbilical cord and followed the nurse as she carried her to the bassinet.  Before he walked away, he looked back and said so innocently, “Man, am I in trouble”. He had no idea what a truth he was speaking.

From that moment on there has been a special bond between those two like no other. He treats her like a princess. She treats him like a king.  When she was younger they would have tea parties and play dress up.  Now it is late nights and Latte’s. Haha!  She still likes to cuddle and play dress up, but her style is changing from princess gowns to skinny jeans and from tiara’s to headbands.  Instead of a Barbie for her birthday she wants an IPad.  She has a big girl bible now and the one with pictures in it is collecting dust on the book shelf. She is growing up so fast and into a beautiful little lady. He stands back and watches her and tells her not to grow up too fast.  She assures him, that she will always live with us and be his little girl. I will never leave you daddy. I will always be your princess.

Psalm 103:13 New International Version

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;