Shovel

With the newest version of snowmaggedon to hit the Chicago area, I came home expecting to put in an hour of hard labor on the driveway. When I pulled up to the house, the driveway was clear. Guess who has an awesome wife?

Me!

Valentina's Day

My wife let's me know she lives me all of the time. She is so caring and wonderful. She always takes the time to really think about the ways she can let me know how much she thinks of me and how we are raising very special children.

Her card to me on Valentine's Day was very thoughtful and heartfelt. Her gift I me was equally emotional. I carefully unwrapped the present.

It was the movie Ted.

Awesome

A phone when you need one

Granted, my wife if completely sleep deprived from ensuring that our month old daughter is fed on her 2 hour cycle (4 over night). The feedings are a complex activity including switching sides, a bottle, diaper change, and pumping. It cannot be a fun activity, but my awesome wife is very committed to making sure our daughter has everything she needs.

My wife has some specific timings recommended to her by professionals and she wants to follow them very carefully. She sets a timer on her cell phone, but that tends to run out of power. When that happens, she will take our house phones that are wireless. We have three of them so it is easier to rotate the charging to make sure she can always have a clock available.

On the side, don't ask about wearing a watch...I have tried for years to get her to wear one. It is one of those things that she just doesn't like and won't do. It is what adds to her uniqueness and thus, more awesomeness.

A few nights ago, I am home and the house phone rings. I ask, where is the phone and no one seems to know. I miss the call and go on a search for the phones. I try using the homing beacon function to listen to the phone beep, but I cannot hear anything. I look under coaches, in cabinets, on counter tops...finally, I go into our bathroom, that is attached to our bedroom. There, on the counter, I find all three of our phones, all without a charge.

Awesome!

It is the important phone calls

My wife and I will communicate when we can about something important that happens to the kids when it happens and not waiting until later. Our daughter had, all of a sudden, developed a little digestive issue that is common to kids who nurse. For two and a half days, our little girl had not pooped. I know what you are thinking: Your wife called you for that?!

Of course not! Our daughter finally pooped on a Sunday.

My wife called me today (Monday) to let me know that she had pooped again this morning so strongly that she went through the diaper, onesie, sleeper sack, and cushion that covers the seat of the baby swing. The main point of the call was that this was such an event that my wife felt that only a hot shower would get her feeling clean again.

That must have been one awesome poop that my awesome wife cleaned up.

Strong enough to ask

We had a rough night with our month old daughter sleeping, again. We made sure she was fed, changed, burped, swaddled, loved, rocked, hugged, kissed and did it all again when she would still not quiet down. She just kept crying for 2 hours...or the torturous part, she would be quiet for about 12 minutes, enough for us to doze off, and then let loose the sounds of holy terror.

Because this was the night before a workday, my wife carried the load for most of this so I can make rational decisions at work. My wife is awesome because she rolled over in bed and ask if I could help. She does so much of this on her own because she is such a caring mother and wife. I got up and tried to repeat the steps that she took.

Finally, between both of our efforts, our daughter went to sleep.

Awesome.

Changing relationships

It is always difficult to stand up to your parents and tell them that they weren't necessarily right. My wife is awesome because she stood up for what she thought and it was the right thing to do. She shocker her parents.

Baby Weight

If a man had to do this, he would have given up a long time ago.

My wife is nursing our baby daughter and is constantly amazing me with her commitment to our children and our family. Our little girl had some minor issues putting weight on after being born. My wife is not only nursing her, but providing a bottle of breast milk to supplement, and then pumping after all of that. The entire process takes about an hour and ten minutes. Since, during the day, one is recommended to feed their child every two hours, when all is said and done, my wife might get about 30 minutes before the "feed me" cry begins.

This, of course, does not include the feedings during the night, where she must do this after being taken out of a deep, exhaustive sleep. During this time in the day, I would take a nap.

Not my wife...she has been making sure that house is clean, the boys have their school work done, laundry, etc. (I help out, but it is never good enough).

I know better to suggest formula or just switch to bottles. My awesome wife is going to do it her way and make sure that our little girls gets the best out of her, literally.

Apologies

Going out with a newborn is difficult. Especially, when nursing the newborn. There are feelings of exposure and some anxiety; not to mention the fact that my wife may not want everyone to see her nurse or know that she is doing so in the next room. (I think of it like the bathroom...we all do stuff in there, but you don't necessarily want everyone to know what you do in there.)

Anyhow, my wife made some great ventures out with the newborn and our family...mostly because I was pushing her to do so. She told me at one of the outings that she was not comfortable and wanted to go home.

My wife is awesome because she tried to go out, she is strong enough to tell me that she was not comfortable enough to stay, apologized for not speaking up in the first place, and most importantly, without saying anything, made me realize that I needed to apologize for how I reacted to certain events.

Everyday, she reminds me if how awesome she is.