DH appreciation thread!

[Calliope84]

No venting here!

Tell us about all the great things your DH does for you and your children and then make sure you tell him what you wrote today in this thread!

My DH:

• Works hard full-time for us at a job he'd rather not have in order to give us everything we need, including the new beautiful home we just moved into.
• Takes the baby in the mornings a lot so I can sleep in because sometimes I get less sleep than he does, or just because I am exhausted
• Always holds DD when I need him to, so I can do something else.
• Takes college classes online and does them in his spare time so he can become a software engineer and support us while doing a job he loves.
• Got out of the Navy because he knew I wasn't happy with the lifestyle. He eventually wasn't happy, either, but I am sure he would have stuck with the successful career he had going in the Navy if it were not for me.
• Spent 33 hours supporting me when I gave birth to DD. He probably breathed deeply with me 3000 times and did other true love things like empty my bedpan over and over. Amazing man!
• Is very open-minded and will consider any new info he learns, whether it be from my research, his, or movies or books we read together. We are both pretty "crunchy" at this point and I feel blessed that he is 100% on board with things like cloth diapers, homeschooling and extended breastfeeding.
• Does all the yardwork. He even bought an old-fashioned lawnmower and uses that because it is more eco-friendly! <3
• Mostly takes care of the dog. He cleans up the poo, too, which I certainly appreciate.
• Will do housework and clean the kitchen up / dishes. I don't even ask. I do all the laundry myself, by choice. 
• De-stresses by playing a few hours a week of video games and I LOVE it because he doesn't de-stress by going to bars, strip clubs, or out with the guys spending money. He even got me interested in games and I love them, too, now.
• He tells me how it is. If I am giving him any BS or doing anything else silly he will often let me know about it. He "calls me out" and I call him out. We are pretty honest with one another.
• Generally shares all care giving of the baby with me, whenever I ask. Changes diapers, gives baths, etc.
• Drives us around to appts because DD hates the car seat and it is really hard for me to listen to her scream for 1+ hours in the car while driving to doctors appts. He drives so I can sit in back and keep her from screaming. I am very sure he would rather have some free time or finish his homework.
• Supports all my crazy ideas / dreams, even though they change weekly and it drives him a little nuts.
• Always has a hug and some love for me!

I don't know how I got so lucky!

Tell me yours!

[mamacolleen]

DH washes the cloth diapers and wipes every week. In the first few months of DD's life this involved hauling them down the street to the laundromat twice a week after work to wash them there.

He is a car seat safety fanatic. I know next to nothing about car seat safety but I trust 110% that DD is completely safe in her car seat due to his research and technical know-how.

He is totally on board with GD and is even better at it than me sometimes.

When he can, he takes DD in the mornings and lets me sleep in.

He always puts me and DD first.

He still wants to co-sleep, even 21 months later, and says he's happy to have DD in our room as long as she wants to stay there.

When I was recovering from a traumatic unwanted c-section, he was my rock and would give me hugs and let me cry and say all the horrible things I was feeling out loud without making me once feel like I was a bad mama for feeling all those horrible things.

He is always telling me that I'm a good mama.

He wants to have more kids with me.

He shares my dreams for the future.

[motherhendoula]

My DH is working two jobs so that I can be home with our LO.  I have two kids with my XH and i had to go back to work right away when they were iittle - it ruined my breastfeeding relationship with one ...so he knew how important it was to me to stay home with this one and breastfeed ...and thats what im doing - even though DH is up at 5:30 AM and home from work by 8:30PM

[crunchy_mommy]

Great thread... I feel so blessed to have a wonderful man in my life!!

My DH is currently laid off but usually works full-time.

He also does all of the laundry and dishes and more than half of the cooking.

He changes (and washes!) all of DS's diapers when he's home, and gives DS all of his baths.

He spends most of his 'free time' playing with DS or hanging out with me.

He gets me food, water, etc. when I am 'stuck' with DS nursing or sleeping on me for hours on end.

He prepares and offers everything DS eats (except for breastmilk, though he did offer his nipple once or twice -- it was snubbed though).

He takes my (often irrational, sleep-deprived) criticism in stride and is always asking how he can 'improve'.

He listens & discusses important issues with me so we can get on the same page.

For DS's first year, he got up incredibly early (3am or something!!) so he could go to work & come home by 1pm so I could have some uninterrupted time to work (I WAH).

He always puts our family first, even ahead of his own needs.

Because of DH, I can take a bath whenever I want, spend an hour or two watching TV or reading most nights (not entirely uninterrupted, but working on that...), go run errands alone for an hour or two on a whim, send DH & DS out of the house for an hour or two on occasion, etc. My DS is very high-needs and it's taken all of the last 2+ years to reach this point but now I feel we are living balanced lives as partners in this.

[HopefulJo]

My DH is the stay-at-home dad to our 3.5 month old.

He wrangles cloth diapers, and has even been known to say that he likes prefolds! No "Daddy-friendly" diapers here!

He does the dishes and laundry more often than I do.

He was amazing support during my (our!) pregnancy, labor, and delivery, which went beautifully.

He can fix anything, and has high ambitions to build us a patio and put new siding on the house this summer. Last summer, he put up a fence in the backyard, and spent the winter doing all kinds of indoor projects.

While we definitely parent differently, he has lots of patience with his 'little buddy' and is the most nurturing dad I know.

No one is as effective at getting a smile out of Elliott as his daddy. It melts my heart.

[limabean]

I'm grateful for my DH every day. He just revels in fatherhood, and never gives the impression that caring for our kids is a chore. He comes home from work and immediately (like, before taking off his shoes or going to the bathroom) gets down on the floor and plays with them. I'm so happy that the kids have that model of a loving, engaged father who is thrilled to spend time with them -- I think it'll make them be great parents themselves!

DH is also so patient and level-headed -- I admire that so much, and strive to be more like that. I've learned a lot from him over the years about how to have a calm, respectful discussion, but at the same time he tells me that one of the things he loves about me is my fire, rather than wishing I would change and be more like him. In nearly 17 years together (since we were 19 years old), neither of us has ever hit below the belt during a fight -- no cursing, no name-calling, no words we've truly regretted. Even as a young guy, he just was never the type to make digs at people under the guise of "sarcasm" or "just kidding" -- he's just an all-around respectful, sincere guy, and I love that about him and love the example it gives to our kids. 

I could go on and on, but I'll try to wrap it up. In terms of more day-to-day stuff, he does as much cleaning as I do, gives me 2 nights a week to do whatever I want (he gets 2 nights as well -- tonight he's going for a long run after work, and last night I got together with friends, although we both usually choose to spend our free nights at home together), supports my interests in terms of giving me the time and space to pursue them, and just basically rocks. 

[Climbing Rose]

I know this was a while ago, but this shows what kind of a guy my DH is. 

We got married and had a baby really young.  When DS was a newborn, we were running late to get somewhere and DS needed to nurse.  DH was dishing up spaghetti for us to eat quick, and I was nursing on the couch.  I was just thinking, "How is *this* going to work?  I am not even going to be able to *eat!*"

And before I had even finished thinking it, he was there, holding a plate of spaghetti up above DS for me, so I could eat it with my free hand.  I think he was also eating with his free hand, with his plate on his lap.

It was a big deal for me at that moment, being sleep-deprived, starved, and very new to being a mom- to have him show such support for me nursing, and get us out of the house on time!  =)

[Ldavis24]

I love this thread!!

Ok, my DH...

He is the most gentle loving cuddle bug with DD. She cries if she is awake and he has to go to work and the face he makes is so cute, he would just love to stay with his girls all day!

He always goes to the store to get me ice cream at random hours! A big plus.

He can come from work and if I have had a long day without getting chores accomplished, he will immediately take care of anything needing to be done, without asking, without complaint.

If I am feeling stressed out he will offer for me to take a nap while he plays with DD (even though she won't let me sleep for more than 20 minutes).

He is genuinely a kind, and gentle soul but I know he would destroy anything in his path to protect his family.

I could write a novel about how he puts up with me and my craziness but I just feel lucky to have found such a fun, loving and all around good man. We have had our issues but at the end of the day he can look me in the eye and tell me he loves me so much and I know he means it with all his heart

[Caneel]

My heart melted this morning when, after DH heard DS say "but I wanted to give Daddy two kisses," DH ran back up the stairs for his second kiss.

[Mosaic]

Oh man, I could never tell you all the awesome things about my hubby, but I'll relish the chance to talk about a few of them!

He puts up with me when I'm a total bear, and he rarely holds it against me.
He replaces the toilet paper when it gets super-low, BEFORE it runs out!!
Never, not once, has he ever balked at changing a diaper.
When I get busy with work and kids and drop the ball on something (laundry, dishes, etc.), he picks just it right up, without hesitating and without expecting me to kiss his feet (though I totally would)!
He's always doing sweet, thoughtful things just to make my life a little easier, like reheating my coffee or programming the address into the GPS so that I don't have to do it the next morning in a rush.

He has helped me be more even-keeled, analytical, just overall a better thinker and decision-maker, not to mention calmer and clearer in my priorities in life. We've been married for 9 years and I hope for 90 more!

[hildare]

oh!  I'll join in!  my dh is a sahd, and he provides around two thirds of the childcare in our home.  he cooks all the meals, helps with the housework AND does all the outside stuff-- and we have a farm, so there's lots of that.  dd is .. um.. spirited, too, so it's a pretty intensive job.  all that and supporting the AP plan-- extended bf, cosleeping.. and, when dd was born and tiny, he wore her in a moby, those are the sweetest memories i'll treasure forever.  my dh is such a good, good daddy, and i am so lucky. 

[St. Margaret]

My dh pretty much drove 500 miles just so I could take a nap. I have been dying going nonstop for a month now, including tearing apart my home and fleeing to my (very busy) parents house bc of a huge leak in our house. He took care of stuff at home while I took the kids to a livable house, and he finally joined us. I am so grateful for what a man I have!!!

[Linda on the move]

This was awhile back, but it shows what a sweetie my DH is.

He was on a business trip 6 hours away and he needed to there the whole week. He had driven there.

He drove back home on Wednesday night (leaving there at 5:00, getting home at 11:00, and knowing that he would need to leave at 3:30 to make a 9:30 meeting) to celebrate our anniversary, bring me gifts, and tell me how much he loved me and that he would marry all over again.

It was so sweet! 

It was also one month before our anniversary!

I laughed until I cried and I nearly peed my pants.

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move 

This was awhile back, but it shows what a sweetie my DH is.

He was on a business trip 6 hours away and he needed to there the whole week. He had driven there.

He drove back home on Wednesday night (leaving there at 5:00, getting home at 11:00, and knowing that he would need to leave at 3:30 to make a 9:30 meeting) to celebrate our anniversary, bring me gifts, and tell me how much he loved me and that he would marry all over again.

It was so sweet! 

It was also one month before our anniversary!

I laughed until I cried and I nearly peed my pants.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

Oh man, that is sooooo sweet.

I love hearing the positive stories. I was getting pretty down reading all the negatives on that other thread!!!

[aurora_skys]

Tonight my husband and both of our babies are sick. My husband has a fever and just feels terrible. The baby throws up all over me (and I sleep au natural so when I say all over me, I mean it!) and my husband gets up, finds towels, helps us clean up, holds baby while I dry off and didnt complain one bit. He and I have matured so much together as parents and spouses, I love him <3