Why My Husband is Such an Awesome Dad

It's Father's Day weekend 2011 and I want to honor my husband for being one of the best dads I know.

On one occasion, Brigham and I were discussing a couple that had recently divorced to escape the issues they had in their marriage. This couple was discovering that they couldn't just escape their problems with each other by divorce, because they had a child that kept them bound together.

As we were talking, I put myself in that position. I thought, if things turned disagreeable with Brigham and we ended up separating (heaven forbid), it would only be easy if I could get full custody of the kids and if Brigham never wanted anything to do with them so I wouldn't have to see him.  However, I instantly knew how impossible that was. Brigham would NEVER let his kids go. And here's how I know.

Because the first time he felt Lydia kick inside my stomach, when I was pregnant for the first time, it made him cry.

Because he is constantly sending me texts or calls from work telling me how much he misses the kids.

Because he used to beg me daily to bring the kids into his work during his lunch so he could show them off to everyone. (We just fulfilled this wish as a Father's Day surprise this past Friday, despite me stubbornly refusing for weeks)

Because he washes bottles when he hates it "SO much!"

Because he's so good at taking his turn wiping poopy bums, with hardly a complaint.

Because he watches both our kids and his one-year-old niece on Monday nights so I can go to water-aerobics with the girls...and he continues to happily volunteer to watch them. Even after the time Ammon started throwing up, and we came back and found various puddles of puke on the floor with all three kids screaming, while Brigham was frantically trying to change Ammon.

Because Brigham will always watch the kids if I need him to, and often volunteers to watch them to give me a break. Not every dad will do that.

Because, from the time he gets home from work until the time the kids go to bed, he probably calls them each "so cute" a thousand times.

Because of the way he plays with Lydia and calls her "little thing" -his term of endearment for her.

Because after we watch the movie Taken, he declares that he would do all that Liam Neeson does to rescue his daughter, to rescue Lydia. And he thinks that he could.

Because he rushed to the hospital when Ammon was sick, even though he was supposed to wait for my call to come, because he was so worried about his son.

Because he tries so hard to be patient with his kids' mom.

Because he works so hard so I can stay home to take care of them.

And finally...because when I told Brigham it would only be easy to get divorced if he didn't want anything to do with kids, he exclaimed, "That would NEVER happen!"  And then we spent the next hour jokingly arguing who would win the kids in the custody battle... :)