His Day.

As everyone in the free-speaking world knows- especially Hallmark - tomorrow is Father's Day. Since I know I will be too busy spending quality time with my family to write, I thought I'd jot down a few notes on this Father's Day Eve.

Tomorrow will mark my husband's very first Father's Day. This is significant. Two years ago on Father's Day, I surpised Josh with the news that we were pregnant. A few weeks later, I miscarried. The following Father's Day, I was nearing the end of my pregnancy with Max, and we talked about the fact that Max will be almost a YEAR OLD by the time Josh celebrates his first official Father's Day for realsies. The thought of our unborn son turning one year old was enough to make our heads spin.

And in the blink of an eye, here we are. Our bubbly, bobbling little sweetheart talks, explores, and laughs up a storm each and every day, and each and every day we just watch him in amazement. So tomorrow we get to celebrate Daddy, without whom we would not have this little boy who amazes us so.

As Josh and I were dating and getting to know each other, I asked him what he had always wanted to be growing up. "A Dad", he stated. Yes, professional baseball player and I'm sure archeologist snuck their way onto many an elementary school homework sheet (really - I dare you to find someone who never, at some point as a child, wanted to be an archeologist). But as his abstract cognitive skills grew with age, and as soon as he could conceptualize what fatherhood actually entailed - bam. That was the pinnacle. That was the goal. Now although being a father comes with a ton of responsibility, it alone doesn't pay the bills. So Josh selflessly started moonlighting as an Abe Lincoln impersonator at political functions.

Just seeing if I've lost ya.

No. He goes to work authentically passionate about what he does, with a drive to succeed so that he can provide for his family. As devoted as he is to his work, he is such simply to support his devotion to Max and I.

Every day, Josh looks at our son with the pride and love of having achieved his greatest goal in life. Not by having a kid - not by having a son even - but by having Max. It is no surprise to me that every time we hear the garage door open at around 5:00, Max stops everything he is doing, crawls in a few circles out of sheer excitment, then bee-lines it for the door to greet Dada at his feet.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention one extrordinary man who we can only celebrate in spirit. My dad, who passed away 11 years ago, was one of the greatest fathers on the planet. I could write hundreds of posts on his character alone, but the point that is so important for me to make here, now, is that had they met, my dad would have so loved Josh, for my husband and for the father of our child. He would have seen in Josh the same qualities I noticed right away and held on to like the treasures that they are.

I so look forward to telling Max about all the special times he and his Dad spent together when he was just a little booger (and if he doesn't believe me, do you think I'll have enough pictures to prove it?). Bath time, shower time, dancing in the nursery, "the scissors leg shake" (I'm sure you can piece that one together), swimming, sitting on Daddy's shoulders. If the memories already being made are any indication of what is to come, I am left with nothing but overwhelming gratitude that this is the man I married, that this is Max's father.

Happy Father's Day, my love!

XOXOXOXO ADED