The ART of manliness

March 12, 2012

Today is our 26th week of pregnancy!!!  Another week down and 12 more to go.  This week, I can't think of anything more appropriate to blog about than my husband. People often tell me what a great job I'm doing in this pregnancy and those words mean so much to me.  But I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I owe so much to my husband.  He takes the meaning of being a MAN to a whole new level.

It's hard to even know where to begin.  From day one of finding out we are expecting twins, Joe has been my rock.  I know its cliche but its true.  After the shock wore off and we arrived home from finding the news, I had a total breakdown.  I started crying wondering what we were going to do. How would we afford two more babies?  We needed new cars, the day care costs, and the the concerns flooded me.  Joe was so calm and reassuring.  He told me it would be great and we would make it work.  Since that day, he has continued to be calm and reassuring in the face of each concern we've had along the way.

Now, here we are at 26 weeks and things are way different than I had ever imagined they would be.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have a hard time letting others do things for me.  I'd rather just do it myself.  I have to rely on Joe for so much.  And he does it, without asking, and without complaining.  Not only does he tie my shoes every morning, but he makes dinner, he cleans the house, does our laundry, and takes care of Ryder.  It's absolutely amazing to see him in action. He has sacrificed so much of his time to take care of our family.  It's truly an art to see how he manages to do 30 hours worth of work in a 24 hour time span.

I have to just end with how our day went today, a very typical day in the life of my husband, the man.  Ryder wakes up around 6:30am.  Joe rushes out of bed to get him to the bathroom and takes him downstairs to play while I try to roll myself out of bed.  He makes the family breakfast, gets Ryder dressed, and himself ready for work.  I pack Ryder lunch.  By 8:30 (we were running late this morning, thank you day light savings) Joe has Ryder loaded in the car and they are off to school and Joe heads into work.  Before I start my work day, I email Joe our grocery list.  He not only works all day long but goes and gets the groceries and comes home and makes dinner.  After dinner, I was really struggling with more contractions than we feel comfortable with.  Joe sends me to bed and he and Ryder build towers and play trains.  I'm laying upstairs listening to Ryder's giggles and can't help but think, "Wow. I truly married an amazing man!"  After they finish playing, Joe gives Ryder a bath, gets his pajamas on, and brings him into me to read him a bedtime story.  While Ryder and I read, I can hear Joe downstairs doing dishes.  When the story is over, Joe puts Ryder to bed.  Seriously, I'm awe stricken.  Now, Ryder is in bed and Joe is getting on his bike for a little ride that he couldn't squeeze in during any other time.  While managing all the needs of our family, he is still vigorously training for a running race.

Words cannot truly express the gratitude I have for my husband.  I am absolutely amazed by the lengths he will go to take care of our family.  He has selflessly given of his time and himself in so many ways.  When i think about how hard this pregnancy is, both physically and emotionally, I look at my husband and am reminded how lucky I am.  It's not just hard on me, its hard on him as well.  He doesn't complain.  He just does it.  He makes things happen.   For those of you that wonder how I am getting through this pregnancy, the answer is simple.  His name is Joe Walsh!  I couldn't be more proud of him or happier to call him my husband.  He's truly the backbone of our family.  We love you, honey!

The man behind it all <3 <3 <3