Lucky 7

Dear Hubby,

I know this blog was meant to be about the Nugget and my daily struggles and triumphs with motherhood, but you must know that you are half the reason this family exists.  We just celebrated our 7 year anniversary, without much fanfare.  Neither of us had time to stop and get a card, we vowed to celebrate with dinner out this week instead.  While that would certainly have not flown our first year of marriage, it felt just perfect for now.  When our love was new, it burned so bright and intense that I could not picture it ever getting better.  Yet it has.

We were given the blessing in disguise of infertility so that we might have the ultimate gift of parenting our Nugget.  We have been to hell and back twice, losing an almost-daughter and an almost-son.  We hope and pray together that God will complete our family with the second child that we believe to be waiting for us.  I'm so glad that you have been, are, and will be my partner through it all.

You are the steady, balanced rock that grounds me.  Your patience and strength amaze me.  You work hard each and every day to provide for our family, yet you are home and present each night and weekend.  You seem tireless when I am weary.  Your optimism shines through my dark cloud of self-doubt.  Without further ado, here's your anniversary gift.

Top 7 Things I love about Hubby (the clean version)

7.  He announces toenail trimming time, "I think I'll trim my toenails today."  Like perhaps we'll all want to gather around to ooh and ahh.  Or maybe because it happens so rarely that it becomes an event of significance, like a solar eclipse.  Either way, it makes me laugh, and it does indeed, make the day better.

6.  He is not afraid to make a fool of himself to please the Nugget.  He marches, tangos, makes goofy faces, reads in a falsetto voice.  He is a pretty serious, thoughtful guy, so to see these moments of silliness is especially touching and speaks of his love - what he will do for a single Nuggety smile.

5.  He makes me a better person.  He is respectful, kind, and open-minded.  It is so very rare to hear him utter a single unkind word against another human being (unless that human being has cut him off in traffic).  

4.  His smile still gives me butterflies.  Lop-sided, with dimples.  My favorite moment of our date night?  When I come back from the restroom and see this handsome man sitting at the table, waiting for ME.  I am so lucky, the very luckiest.

3.  He truly is my opposite in many ways.  We need each other for balance.  He is thoughtful when I am impulsive.  He is calm when I am exuberant.  He is introspective when I am extroverted.  Together, we are a team.

2.  He changes diapers, sweeps the floors, does the dishes...even when I am so neurotic that I push him away, try to make him stop helping, deluding myself that I can do it all...he finds a way to help.  Thanks, honey - please keep trying to help me, and I'll keep trying to let you help me.

1.  Seeing him become a Daddy, witnessing him falling in love with the Nugget, is the most wonderful thing in the world.  It's like being present for a miracle.  I know that the Nugget will grow up to be an incredible man, because he has this incredible person to look up to.