He Gets It

I knew my husband was going to be an amazing father when he came running into my hospital room after visiting Jackson in the NICU and declared, "I was just peed on, pooped on and puked on...and it was awesome!"

I was right. And lately, I have been feeling especially grateful for Drew.

I don't know how I would be able to successfully juggle being a working mom without his help and support. This week alone, Drew has:

• Stayed home from work with a sick Jackson
• Watched Jackson while I had my monthly girls-night-out dinner
• Cooked dinner AND washed the dishes in the same night
• Picked Jackson up from daycare while I got ready for a little get-together at our house with the girls in my department
• Cleaned the bathroom for the above get-together (Yep...the man does bathrooms. He's a keeper!)

I realize this is 2009. We no longer live in a society (I hope) where all of the "domestic" duties fall to the women. Men should be active participants in raising their children. Men should share the responsibility of maintaining a clean and functioning household. But just because it's a job you should be doing, doesn't mean it is going unnoticed. And it certainly doesn't mean it is unappreciated.

He gets it. He gets that when I finally get my hands on Jackson at 5:15 pm, all I want to do is shower him with love and undivided attention - not worry about cooking dinner. He gets that quick errands aren't as easy with an infant in tow - so we go together or we take turns. He gets that after a really long weekend with a sick baby, a little break to hang out with my girls will work wonders.

I'm learning that good parenting is all about teamwork. And I have to say, we make a pretty good team. Because Drew gets it. And I'm lucky...because I got him.