Today I'd like to give a shout-out to an often under-recognized group of Baby Bunchers - our hubbies. Maybe it's the nostalgia surrounding this week (Valentine's Day and also the fact that hubby and I got engaged nine years ago today), but I am particularly grateful for my husband these days. Too bad he'll never know HOW grateful, since he never reads any of my blogs, but I digress...
My husband is a very hands-on dad. Short of his biological limitations (he has never gestated, birthed, or nursed the children), there's not anything I do for them that he doesn't. Granted, he does it in his own style, which always involves mismatched clothing for everyone and a house looking like it was hit by a cyclone. But it's safe to say that he is truly an equal, if not better, parent.
This kind of partnership is critical when Baby Bunching because the children are hard work and they will wear you down FAST if you don't function as a team. Somewhere along the line, my husband and I realized that it was an "us against them" kind of situation and if we were to win, we had to use our our combined skills and talents to outwit our Bunch.
I'm often quick to point out to my poor hubby what he DOESN'T do instead of all that he DOES do. Lately, I've been trying to thank him more for the little things and this post is a part of that, although I can just hear him saying that he can think of other ways he would rather be thanked (wink, wink).
If anyone out there would like to share our Valentine's Week tribute to our Baby Bunching Buddies, post a comment and let us know what your hubby does to help make Baby Bunching bearable. And who knows - maybe he'll repay your public recognition of his efforts with a Valentine's spa gift certificate of some sort.
My husband of 15 years is THE BEST dad any mom could ask for. One small example: our 9 week old son sleeps in our room. No matter the hour, if he wakes up and needs a change, I simply poke my husband and say "Your boy is stinky" and off he goes - two floors down - to change the baby. Never a complaint, mostly because he doesn't have to stay up to nurse the baby, but partly because he feels it's the least he can do. He has done this with each of our children.
This man, despite long hours a the office, gets our three children up and dressed every morning. He puts them to bed every night. And he genuinely laments the fact that he doesn't get to spend more time with them. If he could be the stay-at-home parent, he would. I knew when I married him that he would make a great husband. I'm thrilled to find all these years later that he makes a fun, loving, nurturing and all-around incredible father. Thinking about that makes me feel like the luckiest mom in the world.
Posted by: Heidi | Feb 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
I think my husband is fab. From the moment I peed on the pregnancy test, he has been the calm steady influence in my life, always there with an answer to one of my freak outs. Even when we got pregnant with baby #2 waaaaay before we were thinking about trying, he kept his cool and helped me realize that it wasn't the end of the world, that everything was going to be all right and that we were a great team who could handle anything. I'm so grateful I have him in my life and there is truly no one else I'd like to have as the father of my kids.
Posted by: Tara Pringle Jefferson | Feb 13, 2009 at 05:08 PM
ain't it the truth. my hubby rocks. i kindof forget the toll it all takes on him as well.
Posted by: feener | Feb 13, 2009 at 06:22 PM
I'm with you... my husband does just as much parenting as I do. He works from home and helps me stay sane during the day by coming out of the office to help with lunch and naptime and such. Oh, and sometimes he puts me down for a nap with the kids. Woot!
Posted by: Casey | Feb 13, 2009 at 07:27 PM
Yes, husbands do take on Baby Bunching as well. I used to throw my kids at him the minute he walked in the door and sometimes disappear for a while. Mine is so patient with me and the kids that I need him to help balance out my craziness. And even with his crazy travel schedule, he has always been great with me just expressing my needs for him (aka help) and he's usually able to accomodate in some way.
Posted by: Linda | Feb 13, 2009 at 08:21 PM
you are SO right. having a hands-on hubby is crucial when you're a baby buncher! i am so so fortunate to have a hubby who shares the load. he does bath duty, works on kindergarten sight words (he even made poster boards), WASHES THE GIRLS HAIR (which is SUCH a project), does laundry, vacuums...hey! I do a lot too! but really, he's great. i truly don't know what i'd do if he were one of those uninvolved dads. but shh...don't tell him i said so. can't stroke the ego too much ;)
Posted by: Justice Fergie | Feb 13, 2009 at 10:19 PM
yay for good dads :-)
my husband rocks too!
Posted by: MommyNamedApril | Feb 15, 2009 at 09:49 AM