Leaving Today

Ok...well, the day is finally here for me to make the trip out to Florida to be with Claire and get ready for Mr. Max to get here!

Honestly, I am not really sure what I am feeling right now. There is a weird mix of excitement, nervousness, joy, and sheer terror inside me right now. I feel like a football player just waiting inside the tunnel right before the game. We are about to embark on this entirely new chapter in our lives and I couldn't be more ready. I just want to get this going so I can hold my son, change his diaper, give him a bottle, or just hear him cry. I know that these things are still a ways off, and we have a few hurdles to go through before we get there, but I just KNOW that it is going to be ok.


The doctors have told Claire that they will be performing a c-section on the 10th of August, most likely in the morning. I should be arriving in Gainesville on or about the 2nd of August so Claire and I will have a week or so to spend together before "go time." Please be praying for safe travels as I drive 2,016 miles from Chandler Arizona to the Ronald McDonald House.


Lastly, I just want to thank a few people before I go. First of all, I want to thank YOU, Claire. You have been a ROCK in all of this. You are passionate, dedicated, loving, and will be the PERFECT mother for our little troublemaker. God really went above and beyond with you. You are beautiful inside and out. I could not be luckier.


Thank you to our families. Griz, Sue, Rob, Pat, and all of our siblings. You have all been such a source of encouragement, prayer, and love for Claire and I though all of this. We would not be who we are without your guidance and love. Thank you all again for being there the night before Claire left last week. That meant a lot to us, and you will probably never understand how much we both needed that. You are all amazing!


Thank you to Devin Holmes. You have been my friend for years now, and I truly consider you to be my brother. Thank you for opening your home to me as I travel through Houston. Thank you for random phone calls to yell at me and talk with me about Claire. It is nice to have a guy friend my age that is already a dad, and can just be there to talk, listen, cry with, or even play video games with. You really are amazing bro, and I love you.


To all of our friends, THANK YOU. Your prayers, phone calls, e-mails, facebook messages, and gifts have been OVERWHELMING. Claire and I could not ask for a more solid support system and network of people that care so much. We appreciate every prayer and thought that you have given and will give our family through this!


Thank you to the Ronald McDonald house staff and everyone that is there right now. You have made Claire feel like she has a home even while she has no car, and no family there (outside of lunch with Gee Gee and Wilson today).


Lastly, I would like to thank the network of CDH families that have found us as they have followed our story so far. We have been so blessed by each and everyone of your stories and are TRULY praying for you. Shawn and Stephanie, we are SO excited for Kamryn and have cried MANY times with you as we read your story. We have been so encouraged as we watched your little girl fight and WIN. There are many more families with blogs that we follow it would take too long to name them all, and show our appreciation. It is amazing how technology has allowed us to care for, cry with, and pray for people we don't even KNOW. Your stories have touched us and we look forward to speaking with all of you more in the future.


On that last note, I would just like you all to be praying for Rob and Candice and their baby Jackson. There are some serious things going on right now, but if you would like to see a picture and read some of their story go to http://beal-jackson.blogspot.com/2009/07/jackson-has-arrived.html. They could really use your prayers and words of encouragement. Go on there and send them the same love that you have all shown us.


We love you all so much!


Until I get to Florida,