You’ve got the diaper bag on your back, and our toddler has your hand as he yells “ouchie” stepping on every pine cone he can possibly find in our yard. You listen to him and play along and then race to the van. Things sure have changed in the last few years as we’ve taken on the challenge of parenthood together. I have had the privilege of being by your side through a variety of milestones and seasons of life, but this is the best one yet. It might not be as new or shiny as previous seasons, but seeing you as a dad to our wonderful babies is one of my greatest blessings. You have grown leaps and bounds as you’ve adjusted to fatherhood.
You’ve never looked better.
Watching you grow as a father each day is like food for my soul. It’s been a beautiful journey and we are only a few years in. From the moment we saw those two pink lines and heard those beautiful heartbeats, our whole lives changed. You were all in, but neither of us was prepared for how naturally you would dive into fatherhood. You’ve watched those little blobs on the ultrasound screen and dealt with the many, many cravings and so much “morning” sickness. You held my hand as we brought beautiful babies into this world. I wouldn’t trade the pure joy on your face when you saw our children for the first time for anything in the world. It’s one of those things I will never forget. The tears in your eyes as we heard those first cries, what a beautiful sound that is.
You’ve never looked better.
Fatherhood is messy. There are bodily fluids, smells, and many, many diapers. Seeing you in the trenches of parenthood, handling diaper explosions is honestly so attractive. From diaper changing to cleaning up throw up, you’ve been my partner. You’ve rocked babies and sung sweet songs until they finally closed their stubborn eyes as you forced your own tired eyes to stay open. You’ve shushed cries and patted backs when the little baby gas was just too much to handle. You’ve vacuumed while I walked and vice versa through endless hours of colic.
You’ve never looked better.
Remember that night we spent carrying our almost 2-year-old around the house? He had a fever and a nasty cold. You had to be up early, but that didn’t stop you from helping. We traded off rocking him to sleep and who had to wrestle him to give him his Tylenol. The compassion you had for a son was something I had never seen before. You were so kind and caring because he only wanted daddy. It was almost midnight when the sweat finally pooled on your chest as his fever had broken. His little blonde head rested right under your chin and your arms were wrapped around him like a bear hug.
You’ve never looked better.
The pride and joy on your face when our son kicked his first soccer ball is irreplaceable. I’ve never seen you more genuinely happy than when you’re chasing your mini-me around the yard or house. He brings out a smile I never knew you had. I can hear a new happiness in your laughter, especially when he’s the reason behind it. There is nothing better than seeing the two of you cause trouble in our home. You sit on the floor and play cars while teaching our toddler his colors.
You’ve never looked better.
You throw the stroller in the trunk of your “mom car” as you so lovingly refer to it. You wrangle our toddler into his car seat. Though it’s the not the cool car you once drove pre-kids, but it’s the practical option for our growing family. It was a trade you happily made. I shouldn’t even be surprised because you always put our family first. Maybe the mid-size SUV takes away from your cool points with the guys, but to me you sure scored quite a few cool points.
You’ve never looked better.
You lay on the floor and tell stories to our baby girl as she swats at a frog on her play mat. She giggles as your voice changes with animation throughout the story. You giggle at her giggle and your eyes sparkle with happiness. You tell her how big she’s gotten since you saw her at bed time last night. Your whole face lights up when she smiles at you.
You’ve never looked better.
Fatherhood suits you. It’s molded you into an incredible man. These tiny humans have a great role model and awesome daddy who loves them to pieces. Fatherhood has brought you genuine happiness that I don’t think you ever thought possible. It’s tested you and made you a better man. Those tiny humans might pose an uphill battle some days. Surely these kids are the reason behind any future gray hairs and worry lines, but they’ve also been the cause behind some of your biggest smiles and heartiest laughs.
Fatherhood looks so good on you.