Hey Friends! It is June 19, 2018 and we were just able to celebrate the wonderful holiday of Father’s Day. Today I want to take a moment to write a blog post bragging all about the amazing father that my husband is. I am going to list just ten of the many, many attributes that I feel make my husband an amazing dad. He has only been in this new role for about 6 months now, but he is truly rocking it and I think he deserves some much deserved recognition for it. So be prepared for some mushiness ahead. Here are ten characteristics of my amazing husband that make him an amazing dad.
- He is such a supportive person. This is one of the things that I love so much about him in our marriage. He will support me in any and every thing that I do. One huge thing that I think he has supported me in that in turn relates to our daughter is my journey in breastfeeding her. Before I gave birth there were several things we talked about that I wanted to achieve and this was one of them. His support in this matter has truly made it possible for me to reach this dream that I have and be able to provide our daughter with what we think is the best nutrition out there. He does this in such a way that truly builds my confidence. The other day we were going out to dinner and happened to park right when it was time to feed her. I asked if he thought I should go ahead and feed her in the car and he mentioned that I should just feed her in the resturant. So we went in to eat and have our date, while I nursed out daughter right there at the dinner table. This support and him telling me how amazing, brave, beautiful, etc that I am in doing this truly gives me the power to keep going. I know the support he gives to me will only carry over to our daughter as she grows and has her own interests.
- He is such a hard worker. I think this is something we don’t tend to give dads enough credit for. We tend to just view this as part of their job. Dad equals provider, but I think they deserve so much more credit in this department. In our home we both work full time and I know how heartbreaking that is for me to be away from our baby while working: Phillip tends to get even less time with her since he works longer days than myself. I am so thankful for the sacrifice he makes to be able to provide for our family. About a month ago he made a huge change in careers after being at a job for 7 years. He made this change to be able to provide a better future for our family.
- He is the spiritual leader of our family. This was something that was so important to me to find in a husband. He always puts God first in his life and in our families life and I truly believe that has a huge impact on us and our children. He makes sure to instill a faith-filled lifestyle in our daughter that will be there and fosted for years to come.
- He makes time for quality time. Something that I have noticed in Phillip these last almost-six months is that he really makes the time he has with Penelope count. He isn’t just being there, but he is being present. The impact a dad has on a child’s life in just being present with them in astounding. He is always creating memories with her that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. His daddy daughter days on Sundays are so freaking cute. They spend the whole day together and I think that is something so special between them.
- He is always laughing and making jokes. This quality of Phillip’s is seriously one of my favorites in our marriage and life and I know it will be one of our children’s favorites. He is always making jokes, acting goofy, laughing, etc. He will do anything to make Penelope laugh. Whether it is flying her around the house like she is an airplane, playing the trumpet with his thumb while wiggling his other four fingers, making silly noises to get her distracted when she is upset, or just making mommy laugh during a stressful time so that she can be a better parent, Phillip is the king of bringing fun into our home.
- He always puts his marriage first. This may seem a bit odd to put into a list of things that makes him a great dad, but let me explain. Phillip is so good at putting our marriage first. We are both firm believers that before we can be great parents we must first be great partners. If we are happy in our marriage then we will be better parents to our children. There are days when he sees that I am stressed and he will make me feel better, usually by doing number 5 above, this then allows me to be in a better place to then be a better parent. He always tries to set up date nights so that we can be just Phillip and Cynthia in our marriage and not only mom and dad. Something someone told me before we became parents that I will never forget is to remember you choose your spouse first. Don’t neglect them once you have children. Phillip is great at reminding me of this as I tend to get very consumed in the baby.
- He is always boosting up and encouraging Penelope and myself. I can’t tell you guys how many times a day Phillip tells Penelope and myself how beautiful we are. It is one of the most amazing feelings in the world to be told that you are beautiful on a daily basis and know that he truly means it. He isn’t just saying it to say it. He also is always so encouranging in any of our efforts. I remember when Penelope was just trying to figure out how to roll over. I would often catch Phillip on the floor with her cheering her on in her endeavors. This constant uplifting from him is such an amazing reminder of what a great husband and dad does.
- His love is unconditional. This might come as a given, but it is so true. I remember when she was first born and of course she would cry often. I remember him being so tired, but he never once got mad at her or showed anger towards her. He is always so gentle and loving with her. I seriously think in his eyes she could do no wrong. His unwavering love for her is one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.
- He is a pro at our bed-time routine. One of the most special times of the day for our family is bed-time routine. Every night we go upstairs, he changes her diaper and gets her dressed for bed, and then we start our routine. He always picks out two books for us to read to her. He reads one and then I read the other. Anyone who knows Phillip knows how much this man loves to read. So of course our children will be exposed to a ton of books. I’m not complaining by the way. I truly believe this is how he connects to her. It’s his thing with her. After reading time we say our prayers that he leads us in and then we all sing a good night song together. This routine is something we both look forward to, but I love how special it is to Phillip and how important it is to him to be a part of this daily activity.
- He is always being a model. After almost four years together Phillip still to this day opens my doors. It seems like such a simple task, but with most couples as you get comfortable in your relationship you tend to fade away some of those things you used to do. Believe me, I have realized this within myself. Phillip however continues to do this and even does this for Penelope now. I don’t know if he even realizes it, but with this and all the other many things he does, he is shaping her image of what a future partner should look like. He is her model and I think she has a pretty good one!
Thanks for taking the time to read through just ten of the many characteristics that I believe make Phillip a great dad. The beauty in this list is that he does all this and we are only 6 months into this parenting thing. I can’t wait to see him grow more and more into fatherhood as Penelope grows and our family grows. I am so proud to call this man my husband and to have him as the father of my sweet babies. I promise you I could not have picked a better person for the job. Phillip, thank you for being the best dad you could possibly be. Watching your relationsip with our sweet baby brings tears to my eyes. It is such a beautiful bond that will be a part of her and you for the rest of y’all’s life.
Happy Father’s Day out there to all the men who fill a father-figure role in someone life. You play one of the most important roles in their life that will shape them for the rest of their life. You guys rock!!
To all the men who are still waiting to be able to celebrate this day whether because you haven’t found your partner yet or maybe you are dealing with infertility, my heart goes out to you. You are amazing and you too deserve to be celebrated.
Baby Dust To All,
Cynthia
Joy Comes In The Morning 