I Get to Be The One: Father's Day

I love days like today, where my facebook news feed is full (mostly) of people giving heart-felt thank-you's to their husbands and fathers and recognizing their hard work and dedication as fathers.

It makes me happy.

Where do you even start?

I've compiled a list,

along with some recent pictures- because I want to

My love, thanks for holding my hand and whispering encouragement as you were watching my body rip open and helping me to bring a little us (although mostly a little you) into the world.

Eli got fancy to try out a church in Derby…then pooped ALL over it. During service.

Hey honey, thanks for taking the baby when I think that I might literally dissolve into a puddle of tears. I have exactly 1 soothing technique and you've mastered all the rest!

We dressed Eli up so his cousin Lizzie might care…and a lovely split screen to show Rico when he was little.

Sweetheart, I recognize and appreciate all those dirty diapers you changed and the pee and poop that has covered you…including today at church.

Eli likes to fly now! I saw this picture on pinterest and it was much less shady and much cuter…but I was working with an iphone camera- so I'll take what I get

My Baby daddy, one of my favorite parts of the day is being in the room next to you while you talk to our son and sing him silly songs that you think no one hears.

Daddy/ Son polos

Love of my life, when you bring me my cell phone, water, and a boppy whenever I go to feed the baby- I could melt. Also: just the fact that you know his cries better than I do is embarrassing for me as a mother- but super awesome at the same time.

watching the otters at the zoo

Honey boo-boo, the fact that our son is basically a shrunken version of you and has almost nothing that resembles me (except the dimples) can be borderline freaky…but it warms my heart.

The cute outfit Eli got the day before we left. She was worried it might not fit and I laughed it off, but we weighed him this weekend and he is 14 lbs!

I smile now…a LOT, especially right when I wake up in the morning and during naked time

Darling, I literally have no idea how I would be sane without you. But, like, not a figure of speech- really.

Still likes to be a baby burrito

We've only been parents for 2 months, and already I don't have the words to express how very lucky Eli and I are to have him in our lives.

Walking by the tigers at the zoo

He gives and gives and gives to us and I am so very blessed to get to have such an amazing partner to pick up my parenting slack.

Like when I think it is safe to not have my hand in this picture and Rico has to quickly remind me, "I don't care if it makes a better picture, you will break our son"

I have pictures hanging on this statue when I was little (just like every other kid in this town), so it was Eli's turn

But you also let us have some fun with this parenting gig- like when I think it would be funny to give him his first candy cigarette and you are immediately on board

(don't worry folks, it never went IN his mouth)

Or when we see The Jetson's Movie DVR'd and get to watch it while trying to put Eli down….and maybe after he fell asleep too

Or when you give him funny hair-dos

Or your funny conversations with him

Parenting would be VERY stressful and boring without you in our lives.

Not to leave out grandpas…

after all, great dads usually have great role models, here are a few I snapped this morning with my father in law and Eli:

Grandpa Brown getting some smiles…did I mention that apparently at 2 months our baby changed into an angel?

aaand my dad and Eli of course

he looks unsure, but I pomise he loves it,

And that night we got together with my niece- who was obsessed with our dog. The rest of the pictures actually have nothing to do with father's day, except that they happened at my dad's father's day dinner.