It’s really hard to believe that it was 11 years ago today that Sara was born. So much has happened in that time. But I’ll never forget the excitement of that day. We both wanted a girl but refused to know ahead of time. (We already had a boy, remember.) Kim’s doctor at the time — a really, really nice man — barely got to the hospital in time to perform the delivery. The nurses were just about to do it themselves. But Dr. Smith arrived, corkscrewed Sara out of there and plopped her down on Kim’s lap … and there was my baby girl, bloody, messy and screaming. I think I was floating toward the ceiling at about that time. Not quite the nervous wreck I was when Alex was born, but soooo happy.

She’s been a handful over the years. I’m sure that’ll only get worse. But she’s a good kid. She is a huge help with her little sister and brother. I can’t imagine life without her around. Yeah, even the pouting and stomping when I have to make her clean her room. She’s at that age where she’s still Daddy’s little girl one moment, but then thinks she’s too big for me the next. When she wants money, though, then she’s always Daddy’s girl with the big blue eyes and sugary voice. And yes, it usually gets her what she wants.

I have a lot of pictures of Sara (and all my other kids), but my favorite is one I took when I was an undergrad. I had an assignment to take a photo indoors using only available light. I got Sara to pose for several — she was maybe three years old, probably a little less. She got tired of it, but I kept shooting. Finally, she’d had enough, but I had a couple of shots left, so I took them of her pouting, not expecting them to be any good. And that’s when I got probably the best picture I’ve ever taken. It’s still framed and hanging in my office at home. (I got an A- on it in class.)

I know one of her friends checks my Web site every once in a while. So, Jessica, if you see this, tell Sara her daddy wished her a happy birthday online. I don’t know if she’ll be happy or mortified. Eh, let’s go for mortified. Tell her Daddy said he loves her, too.