My Daddy is a United States Marine

My heart goes out to my Marine today.  He typically calls in the middle of the night when Mason is sleeping, but it worked out today that Mason was awake when he called.  Brandon was more than anxious to hear Mason babbling and he was hoping to hear Mason utter the words dadada.  He has heard it a million times, but he hasn't heard it since he deployed.  He only wanted to connect with Mason in some way and those little words would have made Brandon's day.  Well we are talking about a one year old here who has his own agenda.  Part of me is grateful that Mason is so unaware of Brandon being gone, but then I wish there was a way the two of them could communicate.  We have the daddy doll, the recordable book Brandon read before he left, and pictures everywhere.  I wish I could know what is going through Mason's little head when he hears his Dad's voice.  I hope somewhere in there Mason knows that the voice he hears is from a man who loves him so much and that he is the reason Brandon defends the United States of America willingly and proudly.  I also hope that Brandon understands that Mason talks to him everyday.  It may not be on the phone like Brandon would like him to do, but I see it.  He runs around saying dadadadadadadadada.  He carries his daddy doll into his ball pit with him or pushes it around in his grocery cart.  He flips the pages of his recordable book from Brandon and babbles away to it.  Mason knows who his daddy is in his little heart.