Dear Zi,
Sup, jit? It's your old man here. Your momma was just showing me this app on her phone that tracks your growth through her pregnancy. Apparently you're about the size of an apple right now. I would ask you to slow down bc you're exhausting your mom but to tell you the truth, I want you to speed up. I can't wait to meet you, son.
Damn, I have so many things I wanna say to you right now. And honestly, nothing at all. Bc which words can truly express or articulate the raw emotions burning through my veins right now? If there are any, I've yet to come across them. And son, I've read hundreds, if not thousands, of books. Words like "joy" or "happiness" or "love" are far too mundane.
Man, I got the motivation for this letter from a Tupac song. Tupac is a legendary rap artist. But don't worry about that. By the time you're old enough to read and understand this letter, I'll have made sure you know all about artists like Tupac, Biggie, Outkast, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar and nothing about Lil Uzi Vert or Lil Pontoon. But I won't just hone you in on one genre either. No way. Not with classics from Earth, Wind & Fire in this world. Not with classics from Lauryn Hill or Bob Marley in this world. Not with classics from Curtis Mayfield, Bloodstone, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Rick James and Al Green. Yeah, son. I'm gonna raise you on some good ass music. Michael Jackson. You'll be well acquainted with George Clinton and the Parliament. You'll know some George Jones, George Strait, Gary Allen and Garth Brooks too. As well as some Sade. But enough about all that for now. I'm getting carried away.
But while I'm on the subject of music, earlier today, I was listening to an Eric Church interview on the radio that's the perfect segue for where I wanna go next in this letter. He was talking about how he misses the days before he blew up and got big time. Bc nowadays, everyone at his shows only wanna hear the hit records. But in his words, it's the songs in between the hit records that make a concert special.
That's the perfect analogy, son!
Yeah, we're all eagerly anticipating your very first breath. That's gonna be a hit record among both sides of your family, Crenshaw and Woods. (Well, really three sides of your family bc I can't neglect THE FAM!) But I'm more looking forward to 1-2 months later. Once all the hoopla has died down and me, you and your mom get settled into our routine. I'm looking forward to the song everyone skips on the album where I've worked a 13 hour day and I'm clocking out and pulling into the driveway and walking into the house that contains the melodic notes of my entire universe within its four walls. Where I'll walk in, give your mom a kiss, get cleaned up real fast and relieve her of her duties for a few hours. Where it'll just be you and I and I'm telling you all my big plans for your future, knowing you can't understand the first word. Where I'm telling you I got you and will never fail you.
Yeah, everyone is looking for the hit records like your first steps, your first homerun, your first A on a report card, your first car, your graduation. The hit records will go on and on. And don't get me wrong, I love a hit song just as much as the next man. I'm gonna be right there, heart swelled with pride and tears welling in my eyes, as you tackle accomplishment after accomplishment.
But those aren't what I catch myself fantasizing about. I daydream about the regular moments in between the highlights and chart toppers. I get lost in thinking about regular trips to the gas station with you begging me for a icee. You having a bad dream and coming to our room to crawl into our bed like every kid in the history of the world has done before you. Taking you to Open House to meet your new teachers. Those are the moments I cannot wait for. Moments where you'll say something or do something that reminds me of your grandma or your uncle or me or your mom, whether it be an action or a facial expression or anything.
Just like Church said.. it's the songs in between the smashes that make a concert (your life) special. I'm looking forward to those more than anything else in this world.
You were made with love. You are loved.
See you soon, Zi.
-your old man, Milton Jr
p.s: you notice how I did not include changing them shitty ass diapers, right? Yeah.. not looking forward to that. Like.. at all. Lol
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Saturday, April 22, 2017
We finally made it
14 weeks today.. the second trimester
Now Angel can finally let her hair down. Which she did. No, really.. she literally let her hair down. 😂
Now Angel can finally let her hair down. Which she did. No, really.. she literally let her hair down. 😂
(humor.. laugh)
Friday, April 21, 2017
We're having a son pt II (Fam edition)
Ang and myself are not only lucky enough to be blessed with the 2 single greatest families in the world but we are also surrounded by a core group of friends and family known as the Fam. If I could take a trait or two out of each one of them to impart on my son, they would go as follows:
Mynisha- if life knocks you down a million times, get up one million and one; inner strength
Mitch- to always be humble and remain grounded; be solid through and through; ear for music
Chelle- the importance of not being up in everybody face smiling all the time; keep it real at all times
E- time is money; don't waste a second
Suaad- mean what you say and say what the hell you mean; never let a nigga get over on you
Stacie- loyalty over royalty; never give a nigga anything expecting something back, give out the goodness of your heart
Quay, Auntie Lynn, Auntie Twink- always have your siblings' back, right or wrong; ride together, die together
Desto- always stay consistent; perseverance; don't let your guard down for just anyone; pay attention to your surroundings and be observant
Kenya- never take yourself too seriously; no matter how old you get, never lose that kid inside of yourself
Kiva- self confidence; know your worth and don't accept anything less
Ray- life of the party; be a good ass friend
Sherrod- be completely unapologetic and secure within yourself; if someone doesn't like it, fuck em
Marlon- treat each and every person with dignity and respect, from the President of a Fortune 500 to the janitor sweeping the floor
Your godparents, Mike P and Alyse- nerds finish first; do your damn schoolwork and get all As; it's not about the quantity of time spent with your friends, it's about the quality
Big Boz, Peezy and E-Ro- never fold; hold your own; a man takes care of his responsibilities above all else
Gotti- treat people as you would wanna be treated; love your queen; sacrifice for your family
Tay- one word: 🗣SWAG
Symone- be black, be proud that you're black; never bite your tongue
Rose- love and care about people; be compassionate
Momma Jess- be the change you wanna see in the world
Karni- sometimes words just won't get your point across and eventually you're gonna have to put hands and feet on a nigga
Mynisha- if life knocks you down a million times, get up one million and one; inner strength
Mitch- to always be humble and remain grounded; be solid through and through; ear for music
Chelle- the importance of not being up in everybody face smiling all the time; keep it real at all times
E- time is money; don't waste a second
Suaad- mean what you say and say what the hell you mean; never let a nigga get over on you
Stacie- loyalty over royalty; never give a nigga anything expecting something back, give out the goodness of your heart
Quay, Auntie Lynn, Auntie Twink- always have your siblings' back, right or wrong; ride together, die together
Desto- always stay consistent; perseverance; don't let your guard down for just anyone; pay attention to your surroundings and be observant
Kenya- never take yourself too seriously; no matter how old you get, never lose that kid inside of yourself
Kiva- self confidence; know your worth and don't accept anything less
Ray- life of the party; be a good ass friend
Sherrod- be completely unapologetic and secure within yourself; if someone doesn't like it, fuck em
Marlon- treat each and every person with dignity and respect, from the President of a Fortune 500 to the janitor sweeping the floor
Your godparents, Mike P and Alyse- nerds finish first; do your damn schoolwork and get all As; it's not about the quantity of time spent with your friends, it's about the quality
Big Boz, Peezy and E-Ro- never fold; hold your own; a man takes care of his responsibilities above all else
Gotti- treat people as you would wanna be treated; love your queen; sacrifice for your family
Tay- one word: 🗣SWAG
Symone- be black, be proud that you're black; never bite your tongue
Rose- love and care about people; be compassionate
Momma Jess- be the change you wanna see in the world
Karni- sometimes words just won't get your point across and eventually you're gonna have to put hands and feet on a nigga
We're having a son.
Whoever said dreams don't come true is a got damn lie!
Gonna send the lil nigga to Naples every summer once he turns 5 to train in bball with Auntie Chelle, Uncle Mitch and Grandpa. Gonna be a lil hooper.
And baseball lessons with Uncle Tay to show him how to hit the ball over the fence. Damn sure ain't letting Tay anywhere near him on the basketball court. 😂
Gonna have him sitting on the lawnmower with Senior at an early age to teach him the importance of developing a work ethic. And with momma learning them ABCs & 123s so he can be super smart like his mommy and daddy (more like mommy, less like daddy).
With Auntie Kaneisha and Uncle Josh to gain, decipher and discern the truth in a world of bullshit. With Uncle Quay to learn the art of talking to people and networking.
Summer vacations with Jania, Jaala and Jaelen bc your first cousins are also your first best friends.
Spend Sunday mornings with MeMe to ingrain in him the glory of our almighty God.
With Grandma Woods to learn that love is the most valuable trait of them all.
We're having a son.
Gonna send the lil nigga to Naples every summer once he turns 5 to train in bball with Auntie Chelle, Uncle Mitch and Grandpa. Gonna be a lil hooper.
And baseball lessons with Uncle Tay to show him how to hit the ball over the fence. Damn sure ain't letting Tay anywhere near him on the basketball court. 😂
Gonna have him sitting on the lawnmower with Senior at an early age to teach him the importance of developing a work ethic. And with momma learning them ABCs & 123s so he can be super smart like his mommy and daddy (more like mommy, less like daddy).
With Auntie Kaneisha and Uncle Josh to gain, decipher and discern the truth in a world of bullshit. With Uncle Quay to learn the art of talking to people and networking.
Summer vacations with Jania, Jaala and Jaelen bc your first cousins are also your first best friends.
Spend Sunday mornings with MeMe to ingrain in him the glory of our almighty God.
With Grandma Woods to learn that love is the most valuable trait of them all.
We're having a son.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
In case you guys wanna hear the heartbeat
Just downloaded Vimeo specifically for this blog. It's heaven sent. Lol.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Words mean things
The word "Zion" is first mentioned in the Bible in 2nd Samuel.
“And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, ‘You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,’ thinking, ‘David cannot come in here.’ …Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David… So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him,” 2 Samuel 5:6-7 & 9-10.
When David first became the King of Israel, he conquered the fortress of Zion, in Jerusalem, and built the City of David upon it.
Psalms 76:1-2 refers to Zion as God's dwelling place.
“In Judah God is known, His name is great in Israel. In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.”
In the Old Testament, Zion grew to become synonymous with the higher calling of God available to God's people. It was a place where authority and God's worship and glory were revealed.
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Amir is of Arabic/Hebraic origin & means "to give orders" or "prince".
“And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, ‘You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,’ thinking, ‘David cannot come in here.’ …Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David… So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him,” 2 Samuel 5:6-7 & 9-10.
When David first became the King of Israel, he conquered the fortress of Zion, in Jerusalem, and built the City of David upon it.
Psalms 76:1-2 refers to Zion as God's dwelling place.
“In Judah God is known, His name is great in Israel. In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.”
In the Old Testament, Zion grew to become synonymous with the higher calling of God available to God's people. It was a place where authority and God's worship and glory were revealed.
------------------------------------
Amir is of Arabic/Hebraic origin & means "to give orders" or "prince".
Monday, April 17, 2017
My testimony
During our 8wk ultrasound, the doctor found a cyst on the brain of our baby. This particular cyst, known as a cpc (choroid plexus cyst), sometimes leads to Down's syndrome or trisomy 18. The trisomy 18 is the worst of the two. If the baby had been diagnosed with trisomy 18, chances were very high that he would have been stillborn.
Ang and I have lived with this truth for the past 5 weeks without sharing it with a soul. We didn't even want to speak it into existence.
So now let me tell you about my God.
The Progenity test not only revealed that we were having a boy.. it also showed that Ang and Zion tested negative in every chromosome disorder category.
When I tell you a weight was lifted off our shoulders, I kid you not. God shed that dead weight and now we have a new lease on life. I am so grateful for His mercy and love. I am so thankful. I'm in awe.
God is good and I love you all.
Ang and I have lived with this truth for the past 5 weeks without sharing it with a soul. We didn't even want to speak it into existence.
So now let me tell you about my God.
The Progenity test not only revealed that we were having a boy.. it also showed that Ang and Zion tested negative in every chromosome disorder category.
When I tell you a weight was lifted off our shoulders, I kid you not. God shed that dead weight and now we have a new lease on life. I am so grateful for His mercy and love. I am so thankful. I'm in awe.
God is good and I love you all.
Just got off the phone with Ang..
We're having a little boy, world. His name is Zion Amir Crenshaw. I cannot thank God enough for his Grace. I literally cannot remember the last time I cried but right now, I'm on the verge of tears. I feel like I have a new lease on life. God is so good. I'm gonna share a testimony on this blog later tonight but I'm still at work right now so I'll talk to y'all later. Thank you, God. I love you all.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Since Suaad insists...
I want a little girl bc it's common knowledge that daughters love their daddies more and sons love their moms more.
At least, that's what the Internet told me and the Internet would never lie.
At least, that's what the Internet told me and the Internet would never lie.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Shout outs
As my very first real post, I wanna acknowledge all the fathers in my life doing their things. First and foremost is my pops. The man who taught me exactly how to be a man myself. Next is my father in law, who raised my beautiful wife into the strong, black, wonderful woman she is.
MarQuavius
Josh
Dennis Jr
Mike Jr
Gotti
E-Ro
Buff
Lil Ronnie
Lil Paul
Big Boz
Jeff
Tripp
Mark
Jake
Chan
Dave
These are men in my life who lead by example when it comes to raising children. If I'm even half the father they are to their kids, then my son or daughter will be just fine in this world.
MarQuavius
Josh
Dennis Jr
Mike Jr
Gotti
E-Ro
Buff
Lil Ronnie
Lil Paul
Big Boz
Jeff
Tripp
Mark
Jake
Chan
Dave
These are men in my life who lead by example when it comes to raising children. If I'm even half the father they are to their kids, then my son or daughter will be just fine in this world.
About Me
Hey, everyone. First time blogger here. I go by the name of Milton Arnett Crenshaw Jr. I'm very proud of that name and the fact that it represents my lineage. My lineage is actually the very reason I'm on this site right now, before you all, creating my very first blog. But before i get to all of that, lemme turn byke the hands of time real fast. So I met this wonderful human being 5 years and ten days ago to this exact date (April 11th, 2017). Her name used to be NaShara Woods but now she carries my last name because I'm not a complete moron and decided to put a ring on it. Everyone calls her Angel, by the way. They obviously don't know her like I do. Haha, jk (not really).
Now fast forward byke to present time and here we are. We're having our first child together and we are beyond excited. As a matter of fact, words can't convey the thoughts, feelings and emotions we're experiencing right now. We are beyond blessed and thank God for His benevolence each and every day. This blog will be about my journey into this new, exciting chapter of my life. If you're reading this(it's too late... jk... again.. ok, i'll stop now), you obviously care. And for that, I appreciate you. Those are the cliffs. So without further ado, welcome. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I think I'll enjoy sharing.
Now fast forward byke to present time and here we are. We're having our first child together and we are beyond excited. As a matter of fact, words can't convey the thoughts, feelings and emotions we're experiencing right now. We are beyond blessed and thank God for His benevolence each and every day. This blog will be about my journey into this new, exciting chapter of my life. If you're reading this(it's too late... jk... again.. ok, i'll stop now), you obviously care. And for that, I appreciate you. Those are the cliffs. So without further ado, welcome. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I think I'll enjoy sharing.