Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

I am beyond blessed to have such wonderful dads in my life!

Of course, I have to wish my dad, one of my few readers, a very happy father's day!  Dad, thank you for always being my biggest fan!  For my entire life, you have been the best dad a girl could ask for.    You always put your kids first and you are genuinely interested in everything we do.  From feeding the ducks at the park to shopping til I drop at the Mall of America to driving me to the airport a countless number of times, I have nothing but happy memories with you!  Thanks for being there whenever we need you. You are now an equally wonderful grandpa to Ben.  We love you so much!

As my dad celebrated his 30th father's day, Andy got to celebrate his first!  I think it is safe to say that Andy LOVES being a dad.  I knew he would be an awesome dad, but I am not sure he knew just how much he would love the job.  (Or how good he would be at it!)  

Andy, I could write a list of a million reasons why you are an amazing dad, but I am going to stick with  a few highlights, in no particular order.

• You are so willing to help.  Since Ben likes to wake up allllmost every night, I really appreciate you getting up, making his bottles, and feeding him!  I know he loves it too.  (And who could turn down snuggles from this guy?)
• I know you do not especially enjoy the medical field, but you dove in when it came to Ben's medical issues.  You learned as much as you could, asked great questions, and didn't even flinch when it came time to learn Ben's dressing changes.  You wowed the RNs in the NICU and your confidence took pressure off of me too.
• Speaking of facing your fears, thanks for always tackling the cleaning of my pump parts!  You know I totally hate strongly dislike cleaning all of those pieces, so when I go into the kitchen and see the row of plastic parts drying neatly on a paper towel, it pretty much makes my day. Thanks also for entertaining Ben while pumping. :)
• Since we are talking about cleaning, I should also mention that you are the best at it!  I know I complain a lot about dog hair, but I also know that you do your best to get rid of it.  Thank you for vacuuming nearly everyday and for using tape to get the hair off the furniture.  The germaphobe in me appreciates that Benji will eat less dog hair because of you.  :)
• Not only do you clean dog hair, but you also do a great job of cleaning the kitchen, especially after you could dinner.  Thank you for making a delicious, healthy, meal for us nearly every night.  You never make me feed bad about my lack of cooking skills.  You know I would live on pasta and fruit if it wasn't for you.  (OK, and Laffy Taffy...)  Thanks also for making baby food for Ben-- he loves it!  
• Not only are you dedicated to being healthy, but you are equally committed to being active.  Benji LOVES riding in the stroller with you when you run.  You are setting such a good example for him.  I am sure he will want to be just like you when he grows up!  (Besides, he can already crawl as fast as you run.)
• I love how excited Ben gets when you enter a room.  He can be totally content in his playing, but when he sees you, his whole face lights up and he kicks and squeals in excitement.  I equally love coming home from work and seeing how happy both of you are to see me.  :) 
• Thanks also for mastering the bedtime routine.  Some nights Ben just needs daddy snuggles before he can fall asleep (and stay asleep.) 

Well, I better stop bragging about you before someone tries to steal you.  ;)  I guess I am mixing reasons why you are a great hubby and a great daddy, but they all kind of go together.  From the bottom of our hearts, WE LOVE YOU!!!  Thanks for everything you do for us!