The Daddy

This morning, during Henry's nap, I read back over all of my blog posts. I don't know, I guess I just wanted to look them over as a whole and think about whether they are a true reflection of what we're up to on a daily basis. For the most part, I think they are, but after reading all of them, I feel like I haven't said enough about Jared. Since the blog is my outlet during the hours that I am at home with Henry housewifin', I guess it makes sense that I don't write very much about what happens after my fellow grown-up returns home...or before he leaves for that matter. But, those times are some of the most precious that our family has, so I want to be sure they are, at least, acknowledged here.

So, today, this little bloggy blog is devoted to the man of our house -- the hubs, if you will -- Jared.

Every day during the week, Jared is up with the sun. About half of the mornings in any given week, I am still catching zzzz's when his alarm goes off, so he is an extra quiet waker-upper...and most days, he is showered, ready, and leaving for work before I even realize he's awake. On the days that I am up before he is, I stay out in the living room with the baby until he comes out so he can have a few extra minutes of sleep. When he wakes up, if I'm not in the bed, he knows where I am....but almost always comes to 'find' us anyway. I hear his footsteps behind me, and suddenly he'll say in a silly voice (kind of in the rhythm of fee-fi-foe-fum), "Who's out here makin' all this noise???" It is at this point, that Henry will begin smiling. If he's nursing, I can just forget about it....he yanks his face away, toothless grin in all its glory, and starts peering behind me to look for his dad. The moment that their eyes meet, a symphony of giggles and snorts erupt from the baby....as Jared begins asking him about his morning, telling him that he's his little "Henry-bug," oh, and of course, reminding him that he is "Daddy's Baby." That last part he throws in just to tease me. Joke is on him though...we all know whose baby Henry is. heehee...just kidding Jared. :)

After he leaves for work, Henry and I resume our normal schedule for the day. He eats every three hours, sometimes he takes naps - most days he doesn't go more than 10 or 15 minutes for every 2 1/2 hours he's awake. At some point in the morning, Jared will call us to see how we are doing. I put him on to "talk" with the H-man, and usually Henry just listens to Daddy talk in his silly daddy voice...sometimes he smiles, sometimes he babbles back, but always, he is HAPPIER having heard his dad.

Jared usually gets home around 6...but sometimes a little later, especially lately with all the transition of moving. As soon as Henry spots him walk in the door, he starts smiling and hiding his face in my shoulder and his body gets all tense and wiggly with excitement. The "who's-in-here-makin'-all-this-noise" game begins again. Eruptions of laughter and snorts are abundant, and all is well with the world. Lately, Jared's been throwing in a new game...same tone of voice, he asks Henry, "What is that I smell in here?" Then, as he keeps saying it, he gets closer and closer to Henry and finally, as he buries his face down in his neck, he says "It's SUGAR...SUGAR!!!" The squeals that he can provoke with that game are absolutely priceless. After they play awhile, Henry sits on his dad's lap and they watch a little football together. It's truly heartmelting, as the mom of this family, to watch our sweet baby boy and his dad together.

When bedtime finally arrives, Jared loves to rock Henry in the man-chair and sing him old church hymns until he's out. I admit, I don't know the words to ANY of the songs he sings to that baby, but I think Henry knows them all by heart now...and just about every night, the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep is one of his favorite faces in all the world singing him a beautiful song that only they know.