This one is for the dads!

4 days into my 12 day work trip.....

So far so good. The days are so busy - we are up at 6ish eating breakfast and then out working by 8. After a long day we usually don't get back to the motel until 6 or so and then it is time to shower, eat dinner, and then go to bed. Even with the busy schedule I am still constantly thinking at 7:00 - I bet Fisher is waking up now. 11:00 - Fisher is eating lunch, and so on. He and Shawn are never far from my mind.
I am so thankful that I have such a great husband who coincidentally is an amazing daddy. I am so thankful that I can be gone for 12 days and not worry about Fisher. I hate when people gasp and say "I couldn't leave my child for that long" because it isn't like I am leaving my son with a teenager or a felon. My son is with his dad and I really don't think he is any less of a parent than I am. Sure, I made sure all the laundry was done before I left (laundry is really the only household chore that is "mine"), I went grocery shopping before I left (another duty that I usually do), and I tried to leave Fisher and Shawn in a way that would make this next two weeks as easy on both of them as possible. And I have to admit, I was a little worried when I left because SURELY my son would miss me and be inconsolable at times, right? I am his MAMA! And BTW - call it cruel or what - but he is simultaneously getting weaned from breastfeeding during the trip (though he was down to nursing one time a day, on his own). But no, when I talk to Shawn on the phone Fisher and him are outside playing, or he is feeding Fisher, or they are watching HBO family together, or he is telling me how long Fisher slept for a nap I realize that Fisher is just fine without me. He is happy and healthy and doing his normal things....with his daddy.
Shawn is a proud daddy. One of his facebook friends posted something about not liking babies and called them aliens and parasites and Shawn took it personally. Which I thought was awesome, because in all honesty, I would take it personally too (Aw hell no, I know you just didn't call me son an alien!! lol). Shawn told the girl that he thought it was wrong of her to make such a blanket statement and that she wouldn't say something like that about a particular ethnicity, gender, or nationality so he didn't understand why she could declare hatred for an entire segment of our population.
So the moral of the story is - I am impressed by the dad that Shawn is and is becoming. Over the past year he has impressed me over and over as I have seen him in a different light than ever before. He went from being my best friend, husband, comedian, antagonist, cheerleader,and partner in crime to being all that plus Fisher's dad. This new role is pretty awesome because I already loved my best friend, husband, antagonist, cheerleader, partner in crime - but by adding Fisher's daddy to the mix I get a whole new reason to fall in love all over again. So thank you Shawn.

Shawn's First Father's Day

From the moment I met Shawn I knew he would be a great dad. Maybe it is the way he treats his pets like royalty or that he is one of the most loyal people I have met or maybe it is how kids love him.
He has been a father for 9 months and has exceeded even my expectations. Fisher is incredibly lucky to have a dad who is so interactive, loving, and caring. From the moment Fisher was born, he loved his dad. In the midst all the chaos surrounded Fisher at his birth, he was looking straight at his dad while the nurses and doctors evaluated him. Shawn took a few pics of Fisher within a few minutes of his birth and Fisher had his eyes fixed on Shawn. Shawn can often calm Fisher down when I can't. For several months Shawn was the only one that put Fisher down to sleep - he would rock him to sleep for every nap and each night. He used to sneak upstairs quickly if Fisher woke up during the night and rock him back to sleep before I heard him and woke up. Every time Shawn goes to the store he buys Fisher a toy. I hear the pride in Shawn's voice when I hear him start a sentence with "My son." I see the happiness in his eyes when we are in public and a stranger fawns over Fisher.
It has been an awesome experience seeing the foundations of an amazing father/son relationship develop. Happy First Father's Day to Shawn!