Being able to be a parent alongside my husband is one of my favorite things. He’s an absolutely awesome dad and has been from moment one. Not too long ago he confessed to me that before Gabbie was born he was terrified. He didn’t know what to do, how to handle babies, how he was going to handle being so responsible for someone else. Then, as she was born and placed on my chest all of these fears melted away, and all he wanted was his turn to hold his beautiful, wonderful baby girl. He said it was hard to be patient, but also knew that I had first dibs what with the pushing her out and stuff. Even though he had never held a baby before, he was a natural. He changed all of her diapers in the hospital and cuddled her as much as he could. Definitely a proud papa.
All along he’s shared equally in all the hard work of being a parent. He changes all types of diapers, even taking the stinkiest ones so I won’t have to deal with them. He gives her baths, gets her ready in the morning, is in charge of dispensing medicine, and even regularly gets up with her in the middle of the night. I’m so thankful to have a partner who is as interested in all the hard work as he is in the fun times, and I definitely realize how lucky I am.
We’re both constantly amazed at how much we love her, and even though it is hard (really hard) work to be a parent, it’s also more fun than we’ve ever had before. Watching Aaron and Gabbie together is pure pleasure for me. The sound of their laughter when they’re wrestling on the floor is a delight, and she often instigates because she finds it so much fun to tumble around. One of my favorite sights is when they’re on the couch together, watching some sporting event, each with their snacks balanced on their laps, hands absentmindedly picking up a chip (him) or sweet potato puff (her) while concentrating on what’s happening. When he’s playing a video game and she’s awake, there’s nothing more she wants than to get in on the action. And it’s a testament to how much he loves her that he takes the batteries out of his second controller and lets her play with it, though even I am afraid she might break it.
I didn’t have this type of father-daughter relationship. My father died while my mom was pregnant, and she and my dad didn’t marry until I was nearly three. Even though we had a hard time getting along while I was growing up, and I respect and love my dad so incredibly much, we definitely didn’t have this. It’s wonderful that Gabbie is able to have this type of relationship with her dad and it delights me to no end to watch them build such a strong bond.
Aaron deserves the very best Father’s Day for being the very best dad. I offered to get a babysitter so we could go out to a movie and to a steak dinner, but he declined. There’s nothing he’d rather do on Father’s Day than be a father, so we’re spending the day together as a family and getting in as much daddy-daughter time as possible. I wouldn’t want it any other way, and I’m so happy he feels the same.
Happy Father’s Day to the best dad I know. I love you!
1 comments:
What an awesome tribute to Aaron! I hope he has a wonderful Father's Day!
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