There is no telling when or if you will actually read this, but it felt right to put some thoughts down before you even arrive. If nothing else, maybe it will help guide me as a father in the future.

All parents should want what is best for their child. Your mother and I will live by that philosophy. We will love you unconditionally. We will praise you when you do great things. We will encourage the growth of your self-confidence. We will steer you in the direction we think is best while you are young, and then watch you make your own decisions when you are older.

Always be mindful there are consequences for every decision made in life. Those can be positive or negative. You will make mistakes. We all do. Just try your best to determine what is right and wrong. Hopefully your mother and I will assist you with this while you are growing up.

Always respect yourself. You will learn this at a young age. Your mother, grandmothers and aunts are strong willed and highly intelligent women. Respect them, and then expect that same respect from others throughout your life. There is nothing more precious on this earth than a woman. You will have to earn respect of your elders, your bosses and sometimes even your peers, but always demand respect from boys. You and all other women deserve this.

Appreciate friendship. While family will always be there for you, strong friendships will also never leave. Your mother and I have several friends we depend on for guidance. Sometimes they are sounding boards, other times they offer advice. True friendship has been a large part of our lives, and we hope it is with you.

Your family will always love you. We know you are not perfect, none of us are. However, we will push you. We will encourage you. We will answer your questions. When we think you are wrong, we will address it and educate you on why we think so. While we will push you, we will also respect your opinions as you continue to grow.

Appreciate individualism. You will grow to have your own personality, your own thoughts and your own goals. Always remember these are your qualities which will make you outstanding and unique. Other people around you may not share the same. That is ok. Always strive to do what you think is best.

Have a kind heart. There is always someone in worse position. Remember that and find time to help those people. Volunteer, give to charity, listen to someone’s plight. There are countless ways you can show you have a kind heart. Many people struggle with life just to find a place of comfort. Others have it all and throw it away. Be aware of your fortunes and not money. Your true fortunes are far deeper than a pocket.

Competition is good. It drives the world. There will be times in your life where you feel threatened by someone. That is okay. It is natural. You will learn to respond to competition the best way you know how. It may mean working harder or leaning on others for guidance. Regardless, do not shy away from competition.

You are our baby girl. We hope to provide you a sibling someday, but you will always be our baby girl. We want everything in the world that is best for you. You will grow up in a house that values education. Always take time to learn inside the classroom and outside. Many great lessons are taught in schools, but some of the best lessons are learned in life.

I look forward to all of your “firsts,” well minus your first date. I cannot wait to hold you for the first time, to tell you I am your father. You will grow into a beautiful, talented and intelligent young woman, and I always get to be your dad. I know I will provide you more advice than you will ever really want, but know that your mother and I will always love you madly.

Sometimes you just feel content. Happy. Thriving on life. Tonight is one of those times. With Courtney napping on the couch, a cup of Jittery Joe's and the Blue Jays on my tv, it is the start to a damn fine weekend.

Life has been hectic but fun the past several weeks. There was the trip to the SEC tournament in Atlanta, followed by a quick trip to Charlotte and the first round of the NCAA tournament. Quick because the Dawgs fell to the Washington Huskies, but a great trip nonetheless. Fortunately mom and dad were able to drive over and watch the NCAA game with me, as the Tar Heels just happened to be playing in Charlotte that night as well. Some things you take for granted, and I am sure I took many things for granted growing up. Having the opportunity to watch NCAA hoops with my parents was a blast and something I will remember for a long time. Hopefully the Dawgs can make the NCAA appearance a regular thing.

As a development officer, the road is your friend. You need to be out seeing people. Of course there are times where you must be in the office, but true work is accomplished visiting your donors. I've been on the road more the past few weeks, and I cannot say enough good things about it. Meeting people, answering questions, thanking people and talking about our initiatives reminds me why I made this change from operations to development and also why I love working in college athletics.

Wednesday evening while sitting down at dinner, Court and I were joking about how our baby was lazy. It hadn't kicked her yet, and we were wondering when that would happen. Court went to bed earlier than I did, but when I got into bed I placed my hand on her stomach and voila, the kid started kicking. Like crazy. Even though Court had to get up at 5am, I woke her up. So either this baby does not want to let us down or tried to spite us. Either way, I'm glad this little thing is moving.

Watching the Jays crush the Twins (10-0, top of the 7th) is just the beginning to a great weekend. After insane amounts of rain this past week I can finally get out in the yard tomorrow morning and do some work. Late afternoon we will get to relax and watch the Final Four. Tomorrow evening we are expecting the arrival of two good friends, Thomas and Brandon. Their respective wives are putting them on loan as about eight of us will venture to the Georgia Dome, Sunday, for:

Long, long ago on this blog I wrote this piece on being a professional wrestling fan. Around the same time the WWF changed to the WWE, and frankly I do find it to be appropriate. It is entertainment. It is not for everyone, and I get that. It is something I've enjoyed for many years now, and with Wrestlemania being in our "backyard" this year, it only made sense to go.

We have the hotel rooms, the tickets, the cooler for tailgating. Now we just need sunny weather. So yeah, life is certainly good this weekend. Tuesday we will find out if we have a little boy or girl, and we have a trip to Charleston coming up as well. Life is good.