Jeff Bates and his wife Kelly just experienced the holidays with a brand new set of eyes! This past Christmas was the first with their 9-month-old daughter, Brianna Nadine, and to see the new meaning of family brought everything full circle.

"She’s very happy and very loving," Bates tells Taste of Country. "To me, I’ve never see a more perfect, loving baby. That is definitely something Kelly and I want to make sure we pass down to her the older she gets. Kelly and I are both very affectionate people. She loves to give her daddy kisses!"

Little Brianna, who turns a year old on April 12, has been nothing short of a miracle for her parents. Each day they count their blessings the the precious moments they will cherish forever, including waking her up every morning.

"She sleeps all night," the proud daddy says. "She’s been sleeping through the night for the last five months. So in the morning, she’s up in her crib and we’re downstairs. Kelly and I creep upstairs, Kelly opens the blinds and turns the nightlight out, and we wake her up together. The first thing she does when she sees us is get this big, goofy grin on her face. I’m just wrapped."

Bates admits he is already extra protective of his little girl, but doesn't see that fading over time. "I’ve already said ... I spent some time in jail," Bates says with a grin. "I’m going to blow my mugshot up to a poster size and put it on the door and say, 'I don’t mind going back [laughs]!'"

Look for Bates' new album, 'One Day Closer,' to hit iTunes on Feb. 15.

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