My man

I am thankful tonight for my husband. Well, I'm thankful all the time of course, but a song lyric caught my attention today that reminded me just how fortunate I am to have him. He was pretty much as doting as a husband could be while I was pregnant. Rubbing my feet, eating wherever I wanted, letting me go all out on the nursery (which meant he and Justin installing a chair rail, and buying a different shade of yellow paint when the first one wasn't quite right). He listened to me moan about headaches, numb hands, and bad skin. He didn't judge when I bought a Doppler and listened to the baby's heartbeat several times a day for constant reassurance that she was okay.

He and I came up with nicknames for her, speculated on her hair color and eye color, imagined what she would love (music?), be good at (soccer?), be not so good at (nothing!), who she would date (Jer didnt like that topic), what she'd choose for her life. He went to the birthing classes with me, as well as the breastfeeding class, which were always late in the evening and, for the most part, boring as hell. He felt my belly, videoed her acrobatics, went to every single OB appointment with me - he loved her as much as I did from the moment the second line appeared and i knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for me or for her.

Then when the big day finally came, he was as excited, elated, and amazed as a new daddy could be. I could see how deeply and wholly he was changed when she let out her first cry. She was ours and he was hers, no doubt about it. Although I wasn't there, the pictures of him in the nursery are of a man truly in love and proud beyond measure. The first day I really couldn't do much, so he changed the first diapers, gave the first bath, and mastered the art of the swaddle. He was a natural! I always knew he was meant to be a dad, but I had no idea how easily and effortlessly he would slide into that role.

So then once home, he continued to be there. There for Juliette and there for me. Especially me. I had a very rough first couple of weeks. Call it baby blues, call it exhaustion, call it hormones, or call it simply being overwhelmed. I was weepy, worried, stressed. I would have sobbing fits out of nowhere and he always seemed to know just what to say to comfort me. I was blissfully happy and loved our new daughter more than life - and I guess I was having difficulty processing all those huge emotions. Now that extreme roller coaster has leveled out for the most part, but I still have my freakout moments, my hard days. I worry incessantly about her, and sometimes it's more than I can take. I can get so caught up in my fears, and he has to reel me back in and untangle me from my own self destructive thoughts. He reminds me to simply love her, enjoy her, and just live in the moment - to be happy!

Jeremy understands me in a unique way. I've loved him for over 20 years and would be absolutely lost without him. Thank you, Jeremy, for taking such good care of us. Juliette and I are so lucky. <3

"I was a heavy heart to carry
My beloved was weighed down
My arms around his neck
My fingers laced to crown.

I was a heavy heart to carry
But he never let me down
When he had me in his arms
My feet never touched the ground."

xoxo,
Jenne