5 Traits That Add Up To An Incredible Father
Growing up, I was raised by one amazing father to look up to. He was present in my life, every day of my life. He was, and continues to be a very hard working man. Whether it was at his 9-5 job, volunteering at the church, or getting on the floor to wrestle with his three children at the end of a long hard day, he always made the time and had the energy. Or at least pretended to be. I thought I knew everything about what fatherhood was and looked like just from watching him.
However, it wasn't until I watched my sweet husband become a father himself that I was able to get a deeper glimpse of what fatherhood truly is. That change of perspective and the peek into the behind the scenes of parenting has really brought about a fresh understanding. So yes, I'm going to brag on my husband, the father of my children, on this Father's Day for five very good reasons!!
Reason #1 - He loves his children with all of himself.
The day my husband met our daughter and I saw the tears well up in his eyes the first time she cried, I knew he was done for. He loves catering to both of our children. Every day when he would get home from work during the newborn/infant stage, the first thing he would do was pick up our little Olivia and lay her on his chest and snuggle her until her next feeding. Not much has changed. Even now, the first thing he does when he gets home from work, after changing out of his work clothes, is spend quality time with his children. He cares for them, watches over them, and makes sure they know he loves them every single day of their lives.
Reason #2 - He provides for his children
Every day before he leaves work, I receive a text from him asking if we need anything from the store, and picks it up from the nearby Kroger, without complaint, on his drive home from the office. If he makes a solo trip to our beloved HEB, he makes sure to grab the juice at the register that the kids love so much to bring home to them. If he brings home flowers for momma, he grabs a bouquet for his littlest lady too. Something I'm perfectly ok with sharing, and makes my momma heart smile every time. He helps get the family to church on Sundays to allow us all time for fellowship and to learn about and grow more in Christ. He reminds me to loosen up a bit at times to allow our children to enjoy the undoubtedly delicious sweets every now and again, but he also assists me in making sure we provide them with healthy meals to eat every day. And he pays attention. He knows what his children love the most, and what they can't stand, and he tries his hardest to stick as close to the love side as possible.
Reason #3 - He isn't a baby-sitter
Now, my loving husband is far from perfect, but so am I. As with everything in life, there is a bit of a learning curve. Neither of us had parenting figured out from day one, and we still really aren't even close to figuring it out completely. But one thing is for certain, we both have a full understanding that this parenting gig is not 50/50, but rather it is 100/100. We are both equally 100% their parent, and while that took a little bit of learning, the parenting world we're in now has made that quite clear. I'm thankful for his 100% willingness to step in when I need a helping hand with discipline, or to get dinner on the table, or even to assist our little ones in the restroom. We're in this parenting thing together, and for as long as we're on this earth.
Reason #4 - He is a hard worker
He's up at 5 am every weekday, and heading off to work soon after to provide for his family. Even in his hobby as a homebrewer, he's working toward the end goal of that becoming his profession some day and puts a lot of thought, time, perfecting and planning into what the future holds in opening his own brewery some day. He strives to keep our family finances in order, and takes care of the trash days, some of the laundry, and even the dishes (more often than not) all at the same time.
Reason #5 - He is a fun Dad
Making sure that our children have smiles on their faces is, I believe, his main goal as a father. He loves to say yes more than no, although he doesn't shy away from the no's when the situation calls for it(thank goodness!!). He's always up for a good snuggle-fest, and even after a long day at work, 29 days out of 30 you will find him with our children outside playing in the evenings. He thinks of fun toys/games/activities for them to do, and makes sure that they have the supplies to do them, and he is all about letting them get messy in the process.
My loving husband has truly opened my eyes to what fatherhood is in a way I never was able to see before. My own father set a great example for me, and to watch my husband do all of these things from my perspective as his wife for our own children is a whole new level of joy and appreciation for what fatherhood is, and should always be! So today, I celebrate you, James Gould, my incredible husband, and rockstar father! You show me more and more each day the reasons why I married you in the first place and entrusted the role of fathering our children to you and you alone. Thank you for loving us so deeply, and for working hard to show it! Our children are more than blessed to have you as their father!
Love,
Your babies momma ;)