A Love Letter to My Husband on Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day! I am thrilled that I get to celebrate not only my daddy this year, but my husband as well. Eric has always been great with kids. We always joked before having kids that I wouldn’t know what to do with them until they were teenagers although there’s something about having your own that makes that not the case anymore. I assumed Eric would be a great dad, but I couldn’t have imagined how naturally he would take to the role right away with an infant.

Not only did Eric coach me so well during delivery that our nurse joked she was stealing him next time she had a baby (read all about our birth story here), but he was immediately smitten with that little nugget baby from the moment he entered the world. Half of being a supportive dad in the beginning truly is being supportive of mom. Whenever I would nurse Leyton and still to this day, Eric will ask if I need anything or bring me water or whatever I needed. In those early days of breast feeding, you wouldn’t believe how ravenous I would be so sometimes when the baby was crying to be fed, I would be in tears over hanger as well. (Darn you, hormones!) Luckily, the hubs would whip up a grilled cheese sandwich or bring me whatever he could find to help make the hunger pangs stop.

Eric offered to hold Leyton to give me a break, he made sure the house was picked up when we had visitors come over and he loved on the baby and me hard. He listened to me when I cried 3-4x/day (again, stupid hormones!) and encouraged me when I wondered if it would ever get better during those first few sleepless weeks. Eric cleaned bottles, got up at least once a night to feed Leyton even when he had to work the next day,  he ran to the pharmacy to get me pain killers, and the random assortment of other needed things after you have a baby. He figured out how to work the car seat, put together our stroller/crib/and the host of other crazy things  you have to put together when you have a baby.

Eric is my knight in shining armor. He takes turns with me each night on who will bathe the baby while the other cleans the kitchen. Now that Leyton is a little older, I watch him read stories to the baby, encourage him to crawl and throw him in the air till he giggles with delight. Leyton loves his daddy and can hardly focus on feeding at night because he’s so intent on seeing what daddy is doing.

Not only does Eric do all these things for Leyton, but he also works really hard…sometimes he’s gone from 6 am till 6 pm and then he still gives when he comes home. Many times when we are out to restaurants, Eric selflessly holds the baby so I can eat first while my food is hot. (This is an odd pet peeve of mine.) Eric loves me well and he loves Leyton with all his heart. I am thrilled to watch Leyton watch my husband as he grows up so he can become a God-fearing, servant leader like Eric is.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be married to someone who values date nights with me. But he also doesn’t mind watching the baby so I can have girls’ nights out. I am grateful for a man who tells me I’m pretty, and that makes me feel valued. I love being on our back porch as a family and soaking up Saturday mornings in bed. I love that you are always up for an adventure with me and that we get to travel together and make the most of Birmingham when we are here. I think back many times to how young we were when we got married (22 & 23) and I marvel at how gracious the Lord was to bring a man like Eric into my life and for helping me be wise enough in my immature age to latch on to a man as fun-loving and grounded as he is.

Eric and I aren’t perfect but we’re perfect for each other and you are the perfect compliment to me as a parent, babe. I’m so grateful the Lord has been gracious in helping us through the hard times and the good times. I love you with all my heart! Happy First Father’s Day!