I'm so proud of you.

Dear baby,
Last night we celebrated your dad. He's been working so hard for the past 3 years on his masters in business administration, and last night he was awarded at the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business Awards Banquet for the class of 2013. The banquet was fun, we mingled with a lot of his classmates and their wives/husbands, and even met a few of his professors. Your dad received a BIG award for being in the top 20% of his class, and stood up in front with honorary ropes around his neck that he'll wear at graduation next month, too. He worked so hard for the past 3 years, studying, writing, meeting with his group and staying up late. I just felt so proud to be his wife. But my proudest moment by far as your dad's wife was when he got up to present a few awards to other classmates and he started his presentation by saying "Long before I took a negotiations course in business school, I had to negotiate with someone else to even start this program. We are expecting our first child in a few months and she's been so wonderful and supportive. Thank you to my wife, Holly Clinard." Amazing. Your dad is just amazing. He had a few minutes up on that platform to say a few words, and he didn't boast about himself or his classmates...but thanked me. I snapped this photo and felt like the luckiest girl in the room, as my eyes welled up with tears. "I'm so proud of you," I kept repeating to him last night and when we woke up this morning. What an amazing man it takes to balance school, a new business, church, faith, friends, family, and a wife...and still come out saying "thank you" to someone else.

 Baby girl, I know we will be so proud of you someday, too. We are already so proud that you haven't made life miserable for mama as you've been in her tummy. You have made her happy, and never sick, with your movement and your good health. I am so proud of you. And I can't wait to see what you do when you get into this world. Above it all, all of those accomplishments and achievements that you might take on, I pray that you find a man as amazing as your dad--to make each day a little brighter and a little funnier, to be so humble in saying "thank you" and so strong in doing what takes work.

Love,
Your proud mama