Celebrating our First Father’s Day as Parents

Marriage…what a whirlwind life it can be. My husband and I are in our 3^rd year of marital bliss and our first year as parents. This transition has proven to take a toll on our minds, body and soul. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the romance is dead, but with an infant added to the mix it is hard to find time to show him exactly how much I adore him.

I am hopeful that as my daughter grows and begins sleeping through the night the sparks will return, but I am realistic and realize that our lives as a couple are forever changed.  I have begun to see him in a new light and the love has definitely grown. Unfortunately I am not positive that he is aware of the shift in my thoughts.

Mother’s day has recently passed and for the first time I was able to experience it as one myself. The day was hectic with diaper changes, teething rings and a ridiculous amount of family members to entertain. All the same, I was touched by the warmth in his gifts and feel as if on his day I need to show him exactly what I am feeling.

I am not one for showing my emotions and that is an area I definitely need to work on. Thankfully my husband is aware of this character flaw and never expects too much when it comes to expressing my deepest feelings.

This is all about to change. I have vowed that this will be the year of all new beginnings. It started with the birth of our daughter and will carry throughout the rest of the year. My goal is to lose the tough girl act and start showing people how much they really mean to me. Having a little girl has heightened my desire to do so as I hope she is able to find the confidence to be open with her emotions. Knowing that I have to lead by example is pushing me harder than ever before.

As I sit and ponder on how to achieve this goal I am thoughtful of how my husband receives love. Shortly after our wedding we both indulged ourselves in the “Five Love Languages.” This was a read that taught us so much and has helped us to understand one another on a deeper level. Turns out he is more sensitive than I had ever realized and his primary language is words of affirmation. Coming in a close second is receiving gifts.

I had no idea that he loved gifts in the way he did. His exterior is so nonchalant that in the years prior I would have thought the exact opposite were true. When we spoke about it afterward he opened up and told me that he keeps it to himself because he was always picked on for the things he enjoyed receiving. He loves flowers and anything that requires nurturing. In this moment, I fell in love with him a little more. Seeing his softer side melted my heart.

As I remembered that story, I realized what I had to do. I had to find the most masculine set of flowers known to man. Okay, that may be an over statement, but when I typed in ideas for Father’s day you would be surprised at how many unique floral arrangements popped up, nestled among baseball-themed gift baskets and fire engine bouquets. Other holders are shaped like barbeque pits, cars, and boats.

I am still trying to figure out exactly which bouquet I will buy for the love of my life, but I know that I am excited to see his face when he is surprised with a gift that speaks to him internally as well as externally.  Now I just need to find the right words to affirm exactly how much he means to me.