One of my favorite parts of being a mother is having the opportunity to do so with Stephen by my side. I always knew he would be a hands-on dad, but seeing the bond he has with Gavin has really made me love both Stephen and Gavin that much more.
Stephen went back to school last year, so in addition to working full-time, he is constantly busy with studying, homework, and class. His time with Gavin is limited on school nights, so he learned to make the most of it early on by taking over Gavin's nighttime routine. Gavin gets his bath, with plenty of time to splash around and play with toys, then dries off in his giraffe towel before getting his oily massage. After a fresh diaper and jammies, G gets fed, put into his sleep sack, and read to. Still awake, he gets a big kiss from Daddy and dozes off as his musical seahorse plays lullabies. It's a pretty perfect routine, and one that has thankfully proven to help him sleep through the night.
The cutest thing is how SPECIFIC Stephen is about the whole process. He chooses two toys for Gavin to play with in the bath each night, and he likes them to be different so that Gavin ends up playing with all of them at one point or another. He makes sure the nursery fan is off so that G doesn't get chilled when he comes into the room naked, but always remembers to turn it on before shutting off the light. Gavin has a specific lovey he uses for bedtime, and another one he uses for naps. The thing I love most, though, is how much Stephen loves reading to Gavin. To preface, we have two book bins for Gavin, one filled with board books and cloth books, and one filled with books from my elementary education days (which are probably more appropriate for ages 4+). Stephen always ends his reading sessions with the board book "Goodnight Gorilla," but likes to start by reading either a Golden Book or something out of the big kid book bin. If Gavin doesn't show enough interest, Stephen doesn't read the book again the next night. If Gavin likes the book, he repeats it night after night until Gavin loses interest. He has read "The Red Lemon" by Bob Staake maybe fifty times. "The Red Lemon," meanwhile, is a book I used years ago to teach third grade students about consumerism...but he's convinced Gavin really enjoys the bright colors. He probably does. More importantly, though, Stephen has found a love for children's literature that makes me want to burst with excitement (since children's literature is one of my biggest passions). We went to Joseph Beth yesterday afternoon, where Stephen promptly went up to the counter to ask where more books by Bob Staake were located. As it turns out, he's only written one other book, an American History children's book about Obama's dog...but we are now the proud owners of "First Pup."
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because when I first had Gavin, a lot of people told me stories about their husbands never changing diapers...never waking up in the night...never taking charge of bath time or mealtime or anything...telling me how lucky I was that Stephen was so hands-on. And I am lucky, of course I am. But I am also not surprised that Stephen is so involved. That's the kind of man I married, the kind of partner-in-crime I wanted in parenthood. And as I sit here listening to him on the baby monitor say goodnight to our son, I am absolutely sure that I picked the right man to start a family with.
Goodnight everyone!
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