While working on bringing together the jumble of posts I’ve written over the last year, I realized I’ve talked primarily about myself and my own thoughts on parenthood. This is natural, obviously, since it’s my personal blog and I’m writing from my own experience.

The most important player in this parenting game, however, has been Jordan. I am only who I am because he allows me to be (for the good and the bad). My “problems” as a Mom are trivial and I know that. My worries and fears for our girl are based on the certainty that she is fine, she is healthy, and we as a family are doing well. This is because of him. Jordan is the best husband and best father I could have ever dreamed of. He is obsessed with our girl (for better or for worse) and she is equally obsessed with him. I couldn’t be more proud of him – particularly thinking back on the first hour of parenthood when he looked at me with more fear in his eyes than I’ve ever known him to feel. We were terrified and for the first time, he processed (if ever so slightly) how much a baby was going to change our life.

He was born to be a father of girls and I knew that before we were married. His calmness, his sweetness, and his incessant patience for the ridiculous (read: me!) ensured that he can counterbalance even the craziest girl out there. This is in no way to say that boys aren’t insane – they are – and I’m certain that in many ways, they are more difficult. For Jordan, it was more that having a girl meant having another one of me. We both knew while I was pregnant that no matter what the gender of this baby, it was going to be exhausting. She moved all the time, kicked like a maniac, and was stubborn as a bull arriving 12 days late. Jordan is seasoned in handling the difficult – he’s been by my side for half my life now (whoa) so I was sure he’d handle her just fine.

Aside from his calmness, Jordan is just the most helpful, loving co-parent out there. I couldn’t have dreamed of someone more naturally helpful – from the first days of tracking how long Delaney was nursing or what kind of diaper she had to the current trials of waking up with her half the week or washing her hair (which is an event). The traditional marriage role barriers are broken with Jordan and there’s no one else to thank aside from him. People say annoying things to me like, “Wow, you’ve trained him well” and that couldn’t be farther from the truth (or more sexist and offensive, really). Jordan is a great, helpful parent because he chooses to be and because he sees our relationship as a partnership when it comes to not only Delaney, but everything else.

For these things and more, I’m so thankful to call him my husband and I know for certain that Delaney is more than thankful to have him as her Dad. We love you!