They really got me...

"I don't know why they say 'you have a baby.' The baby has you."  

- Gallagher

When I first heard that I didn't quite understand what he meant.  I was a young teenager when I first saw Gallagher on television.  In my twenties I saw him live, and his show was still funny.  I knew logically what he meant by that statement but I did not understand until I became a father.  There are a few different meanings behind the statement, but to me it means that they have got me completely wrapped around their fingers.  I'm in trouble. 

I can still dish out discipline (sometimes) when needed so I am not a complete pushover, but it is safe to say I'm in trouble when they get older.  If they can smile and give me pretty eyes now, and I buckle, when they get older I don't stand a chance.

These three didn't do it on purpose of course, but they wrapped me around their fingers.   Look at those faces.  Hannah was first to do it.  I knew when she was born I was in trouble.  The first time she got in trouble and I swatted her bottom I cried more than she did.  She got in trouble for something relatively unimportant and meaningless, but I swatted her on her bottom one time.  She cried not from pain, but from the shock that I did it.  So, as soon as I saw her bottom lip quivering, I lost it and started crying with her.  So picture me holding my baby and both of us crying.  Looking back it was comical.  I snatched her up and gave her a hug and started to apologize.  Surely, I completely confused her.  I'm sure she was thinking her daddy was insane, or maybe a little bipolar.

Cooper caught me a few years ago.  But I knew I was done when she got in trouble in school a few months ago and I laughed while I was supposed to be disciplining her.  My first blog post was about her getting a yellow on her behavior chart and her trying to change it to a green.  She started laughing and so did I.  I'm a sucker I tell you.

When Riley was born I didn't stand a chance.  Her sisters already ruined me so she already had it easy.  She could crawl outside, climb into the car, put it in gear and crash it and sit there grinning.  After getting over the initial shock of how she pulled it off, I couldn't stay upset.  Confused, yes.  Upset, no.

Yep, it is safe to say my daughters are all going to keep me, and Ashley, on our toes.  I mean, look at those faces!  What do I do when they do something and I have to lay law down but can't because they look at me, pooch out the bottom lip, and apologize?  Holy cow.