Happy Father’s Day — To the One Who Made Me Believe Again

This blog post is dedicated to my incredible husband—not to celebrate the kind of husband he is, but the absolutely amazing father he is.

When we first started dating in 2021, I was pretty set on not having any more kids. To give a little backstory: raising my daughter as a young mom was hard. Even though I wasn’t technically a single parent for the first few years, I felt like I was doing it alone. I was lucky to have my village—especially my mom and my daughter’s grandmother—who stepped in when I needed to go back to work. But the weight of motherhood fell heavily on my shoulders.

So I made peace with the idea that I might never have another child. He had two little ones of his own, and if we stayed together, that would be three kids between us already. We had honest conversations early on to make sure we aligned on life goals. “Do we want more kids?” was one of them. At the time, the answer was no. My daughter was 9, and his kids were just 3 and 4. Our hands and hearts already felt full.

But then something shifted.

I watched him be a dad. Not just in the title, but in the actions—the way he took his kids to the park, made them dinner, and gave them his full attention. I saw how he loved them, parented them, and showed up every single day. And I fell in love with him even more.

The biggest reason I didn’t want another baby was because I didn’t want to do it alone again—or even feel alone in it. I’ve known moms who were married and still felt like single parents. I’d already lived that life. I didn’t want to live it again. Period.

But he changed that fear.

In March 2022, he proposed. In April, we found out we were pregnant. It all happened fast. I remember the moment we had to decide—do we want a baby or should I get a new Nexplanon implant? I was 28. I didn’t want to put it off for 4 or 5 more years. I want to travel, explore, and not have to wait until i’m 70 to do it. We agreed we were ready—and our baby boy was on his way.

December 2022, our little one was born—and it was truly the best decision we ever made.

He still takes the kids to the park. He still makes dinner, plays games, and tickles them with his silly “I’ve got a secret!” joke until they’re all rolling on the floor laughing. He’s a proud bonus dad to my daughter and loves her as his own. He sends her off to school with loud, goofy goodbyes like “HAVE A WACKY WEDNESDAY!” or “MAKE IT A TERRIFIC TUESDAY!” and she rolls her eyes and covers her face.

One of his greatest dad “flexes”? hes been home with the kids every single weekend since I returned to work. For two years, 36 hours every weekend—1 to 4 kids in his care, solo. I’ve taken the occasional day off, but otherwise, he’s done it. And honestly? I don’t know how. But he does it.

Our home is filled with laughter because of him.

It hasn’t always been easy, but I could not have chosen a better partner to raise our children with. He is present, intentional, and wholeheartedly committed. He made me believe that I could do this again—and this time, not alone.

So to my husband, if you’re reading this:
I love you. Forever and Ever, Amen.