Finn's playlist

So, if any of you have ever met my dad, you know that he is a pretty sentimental guy. Well, I inherited this trait from him. For as long as I can remember my dad has given me various songs that remind him of me.

The first one that I can remember happened when I was a freshman in high school. I came home and there was a cassette tape (that's right...a cassette tape, gosh I am old) that was labeled "Becky" from my dad. I remember taking it into my room and playing it. It was "A Father's Love" by George Strait. Basically, it talks about how nothing can change a father's love for his children. I remember listening to it, and crying my eyes out, knowing that this is one of the ways that my dad shares his love for us. He is not a writer, not someone that can express himself very well with his words, but he feels very deeply, and often uses songs, movies, and commercials to compare life to. It's like he is thinking, "I can't say it right, but I can show you someone else who says it right." This happened with the song my dad and I danced to at our wedding too, and I still can't get through that one without crying either.

The chorus sings,
"And I said, Let me tell you a secret, about a fathers love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
I said daddies don't just love their children every now and then
It's a love without end, amen, its a love without end, amen."

Ever since this, my dad has given me probably 20 different songs throughout the years that remind him of me, and he does the same thing with all of my siblings. It means a lot to me.

Since Randy and I found out we were expecting our little man, we have found so many songs that we listen to and think about it. So, I wanted to share a lot of these songs with my throngs of fans (LoL). Now, honestly, there are a lot of them, so I am just going to share our top five, and/or what I lovingly refer to as "Finn's playlist"

#1. Anything Like Me Brad Paisley: this song could have been written for Randy. It completely, 100% describes the boy that Randy was and the man that Randy is. He didn't care for 1 second whether the baby was a boy or a girl, but was ecstatic to find out. He was a rambunctious kid, a crazy teenager, and an amazing man. The song ends, "There's worse folks to be like, oh he'll be all right--if he's anything like me." And it's so true. I still cry my face off each and every time I listen to this song, and there's not another song that reminds me more of my little man.

"He's gonna love me, and hate me along the way
The years are going to fly by, I already dread the day..."

#2. Godspeed Dixie Chicks: I searched long and hard for a song about little boys and their mommies. It is hard to find songs about mothers and sons. I first heard this song while shooting a wedding (it was the mother/son dance) and I couldn't keep it together. It's special to me because it starts out talking about books, second because it refers to the boy as "little man" which is what I always call him. It is such a sweet lullaby, and I sing it to him all the time, so much that sometimes he will even kick when I sing it :)

"God bless mommy & match box 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."

#3. "Baby Mine- Allison Krauss: This song was first played in the movie Dumbo, when Dumbo goes and sees his mom when she is locked up away from him, and it was re-recorded for a country does Disney CD. I love it. Again, it's a sweet, sweet lullaby, and I think it describes a beautiful baby boy so well :) It is especially special because it was on Finn's ultrasound video too. Randy and I both still cry when we listen to it, sing it.

"Baby mine, don't you cry; Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head, close to my heart; never to part, baby of mine."

"From your head to your toes; you're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me, sweet as can be, baby of mine."

#4. "You're the sunshine of my life." Stevie Wonder: this one is relatively self-explanatory. It is upbeat, fun and I can just picture Randy and I dancing with Finn around the house to this song :)

#5. "I see me" Travis Tritt This song I found on a google search. It is a sweet song, and is somewhat similar in tone to "Anything like me." I can get through this one without crying, but it is a sweet song.

"Cause I look at him and I see a boy, And I see trouble and I see joy
See innocence and headstrong, And a heart full of dreams."


#6. "Lucky Man" Montgomery Gentry: This song mostly just reminds me that I am so lucky to have my little man, that he appears to be happy and healthy. I love it.

#7. "Smile" Uncle Kracker: this is another ultrasound favorite. "You make me smile like the sun. Forget how to breath." It is a nice, mellow song and it just makes me happy. Nothing makes me smile as much as the little man, and he's not even here yet.

#8. "Lord I hope this day is good" Leanne Womack. This song has a special meaning for me. My mom used to sing an older version of this song to me when I was in her belly (I was late), and it is a sweet, calm song, but mostly it just makes me think about how crazy it is that I am so old, and actually having a baby :)

#9. "Then" Brad Paisley/ "Letter to Me" Brad Paisley "Welcome to the Future" Brad Paisley
These songs all, in some capacity mention family, pregnancy, and sons. I love all of them. Brad Paisley might be "The official voice" of this pregnancy.

#10. "Your Song" Elton John. This one is a Randy choice. The basic idea is that anything that I have to give you--I'll give you. If I could, I'd give you anything in the world (A house), but I will give you whatever I can, which is so Randy.