Happy Father’s Day! + First Fatherhood Moments

I think most pregnant women think a ton about how their husband will be as a father during their pregnancy (or even before they’re married). I know I did. We’ve always had a very equal partnership and I wondered if that would continue as we grew our family since I had heard the opposite from so many people.

I think I’ve touched on this before— but Kevin goes above and beyond for our daughter and family every day. I don’t know a dad who does more for his family and though I try not to get too braggy on social media about all he does for us, I’m always making an effort to thank him and tell him how much I appreciate all he does.

In light of Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, if there’s one day of the year that I’m going to brag on my husband, I think it’s okay to get a free pass to do so today. This is my #RealStrength story.

It started in the earliest days of parenthood. Those first few days were a blur— but I so distinctly remember these moments and memories— how he helped hold my pumping parts in place at the hospital because I didn’t have a hands-free bra and hadn’t anticipated that I would need to pump because I wanted to nurse… how he was my biggest cheerleader and supporter during the toughest days of nursing… and how he loved Harper more than anything in this world and would do anything for her, including waking up multiple times a night to feed or comfort her or put her paci back in.

I remember the look on his face when I had to go to the ER for my postpartum complication and how he texted me photos of Harper when I got out of surgery because it was tough to be away from them so soon after having her. I remember the way Harper slept on his chest for hours and he loved every second of it. I remember the milestones— first solids, crawling, walking… and the way his face lit up every time she learned a new skill or said a new word… especially when “daddy” was one of her first words (much to my jealousy, haha!)

Nowadays, our lives are busy with both of us working full time and caring for a toddler (and expecting our second this fall), but nothing about Kevin’s caring nature has changed a bit. Harper is a total daddy’s girl and is always hugging him and saying such sweet things. It’s amazing to see their relationship grow and blossom and seeing him play silly games with her and make up all kinds of songs and funny voices just to make her laugh.

I could go on and on about how he helps so much around the house, cooks dinner for us every night or does sweet things like refill my gas tank when he notices it’s down. I think the bottom line is that he cares so much about our family that it’s natural for him to be a wonderful caretaker. It’s a quality I very much admire in him and I feel lucky on a day like Father’s Day where I get to celebrate him and take a moment to acknowledge all of the things he does, big and small, and how they make our family life so special.