It was the spring of 2011. I’ll never forget how excited I was to tell you that I was pregnant. We had only been trying for a few months and when I was only one day late, I decided that I’d go ahead and take a pregnancy test. I was hopeful, nervous, excited, and scared all at the same time. It took less than a minute for those two pink lines to make their appearance. Oh my goodness! It’s happening, we are having a baby!
I remember wanting to jump in the car and drive to work to tell you the news, but I also knew that I wanted it to be a special moment that I wanted to share with you, and only you. So I waited. I only had to wait an hour or two at the most before you would be home, but it felt like a lifetime.
I wanted to be somewhat cute and creative in the way that I told you. At the time, one corner of our bedroom had a small white board and a small step stool. We used that as a prayer corner. We would use the step stool as a kneeling bench and would write down prayer requests for our friends and family on the white board. I decided to write at the top of the white board, “Baby Evans” with a tiny heart next to it.
When you got home that evening I tried to act causal. I followed you into our bedroom where you were going to change out of your work clothes. I remember stopping you and giving you a big hug and telling you to look at the prayer request that was added to our board. I think it took you a few seconds to realize that I was pregnant. At first you thought that I had written down to be praying that we would be able to get pregnant (since we had been trying for a few months). But after looking at the board and then looking back at me a time or two, you knew.
.Fast forward to the fall. My due date was quickly approaching. November 6th was “the date,” but because I had gestational diabetes and was experiencing some high blood pressure, the doctor decided it would be best to induce me on October 31st.
I remember getting everything ready to leave for the hospital. My bag had been packed for quite some time, but yours was quickly thrown together at the last minute (no surprise there). I was so incredibly nervous about what was going to happen over the next 24-48 hours. You were (and always have been) a sense of calm when my anxiety is kicked into high gear. You assured me everything would be just fine, and in just a few days we would be bringing home our very own baby boy.
Throughout my entire labor and delivery, you never left my side. You were the absolute best and most supportive coach, partner, and husband. And then it happened…
At 9:48 pm, on October 31st ,we became parents. YOU became a dad. I had never felt so close to you than I did in those first few moments watching you hold our baby boy. I had always known you would be an amazing dad, but seeing it with my own eyes was something I could have never imagined. 
That first night in the hospital after London was born, I watched you hold him on your chest and it was as if no one else in the world was around. I remember you playing this song for him and just rocking him slowly as the lyrics played:
Dragon tales and the Water is Wide
Pirates sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you
Godspeed little man
Sweet Dreams little man
Oh, my love will fly to you each night on angel’s wings
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)
The rocket racer’s all tuckered out
Superman’s in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon we’ll find the mouse
And I love you
Godspeed little man
Sweet Dreams little man
Oh, my love will fly to you each night on angel’s wings
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)
God bless Mommy and matchbox cars
God bless Dad and thanks for the stars
God hears “amen” wherever we are
And I love you
Godspeed little man
Sweet Dreams little man
Oh, my love will fly to you each night on angel’s wings
Godspeed Godspeed
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) by DIXIE CHICKS
You jumped right in with your whole heart. You were such a natural. I felt like you knew what you were doing way more than I did. You stayed calm, you stayed present, you stayed constant. You were, and have been, my rock throughout this entire journey of parenthood.
That first night at home with our sweet boy I don’t think either of us slept much at all. I’ll never forget how anxious I was, having this tiny human in our home and in our care with no nurses around to help! I was terrified. I remember laying in bed with tears running down my face fearing that I would never sleep again. You rolled over and whispered to me, “Meredith, we have to remember that he is God’s baby before he is ours.” “You’ve got to give it to God…you’ve got to give him to God,” you told me. So right there in our room, with our baby sleeping soundly in his little Moses basket, we prayed. We told God that this baby was His first and not ours. We asked Him to watch over our precious boy and to give us peace. I will never, ever forget that moment.
It’s been over five years since I got watch you become a dad for the very first time. Those were some of the sweetest moments that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. You continue to amaze me with our boys. I could not have asked for a better partner in this parenting journey than you, my love.
