For The Fathers

Father's day is right around the corner and I wanted to be more prepared than what I was for Mother's day. This post was written over several days. I have thought about writing about my own dad. But, I think that it should be in a different post. This one will be about the man that my kids call dad. I haven't really talked about him much, so, here it is.

   What is there to know about the husband? He is my other half, a loving dad , my best friend, a kisser of booboos, a warm cuddle and someone to play with. I can sum him up in one word... Love. When it comes to our kids he is their everything.
   Six days a week he wakes up at 3:45 am and gets home at 6pm, he never complains. For now, we have decided, for me to be the stay at home parent. It is so hard to watch him work his bottom off to make ends meet. His one day off we try to let him be so that he can sleep. Once he is up he spends his time playing with the kids. Nothing makes me happier than the sound that they all make. Laughter is the sweetest music.

 Everything that he does is for them, for us.

   When I am tired and grumpy he tags in with his gentle voice. Every night before he goes to bed he slips into the kid's room to check on them. More than once, when they were babies, he woke them as he was kissing their little cheeks goodnight.
   I remember, before our son was born, just how adamant he was that he wouldn't change diapers. After the long labor and my emergency C-section, he was the only one who changed the diapers for the first four days. Those were the first of many diaper changes to come.


Right after my emergency C-section.

  When the verbose one was only nine months old I had to go back to work to help pay bills. I was working graveyard shifts five nights a week. For two years he had night duty, with both kids, for five nights a week. He changed many diapers and gave bottles. I honestly think that he bonded in ways, with the kids, that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
   Yesterday my niece and nephew-in-law became first time parents. The delivery was much less than ideal, but, both mom and baby are alive. It brought back emotions and memories of the less than ideal delivery of my son. I realized just how much of being a parent happens on that day. You are almost reborn thru the pain of birth. 


My husband and son on a fieldtrip.

  The special needs dads out there that are active in their children's lives, you are my hero. Your level of dedication and love is more than I have ever seen in any other group of dads. On behalf of all of the children, moms, grandparents, communities and the world, I thank you. I hope that you get to spend the day with your loved ones and that your day is blessed.