Week 33: King of Pops

Father’s Day felt different this year. It was different in a good way. The kind of different that feels good because there’s a change that involves everyone in the family and evolves us to be even closer than we already are. At least, that’s what it felt like for me. As I mentioned before, this baby that I’m carrying now is Jesse’s first child. And yes, he has been a dad to Anaïs for some time now, but there’s something very different and unique about being a dad to your own biological child. Even though our son isn’t born yet, he’s already very much a part of our lives. We constantly talk about him and make plans, daydreaming about our lives intertwined as a family of four.
Mothers are given so much attention during their pregnancy and so often their partners or husbands are overlooked or overshadowed. This post isn’t really about me. It’s about the thoughts I’ve had recently about how strong the support from my husband is because this is also a monumentally life-changing time for him. No, he’s not physically carrying the weight of this baby. He’s not growing a human. He didn’t feel the first flutters of movement or experience the nausea or bodily aches that are all par for the pregnancy course. But without him, this baby wouldn’t even exist. He is a major part of this baby’s life, and oh, how lucky we all are because of that. He is this baby’s father and will soon be his best friend, his pal, his confidante and trusted advisor. He will fill a role that will be vastly different from mine, mentally and emotionally, and in many ways, be better at things than I will be. And that’s what makes this so special and beautiful.
I thought about all of these things on Father’s Day as I watched Jesse interact with Anaïs. I have seen him go from her buddy to her dad, the guy who she cuddles with when watching movies because she fits so perfectly in the little nook where he rests his arm on the couch. I’ve heard her ask him if she could marry him one day because she just loves him so much. I’ve listened in on her sweetly begging him to work from home instead of at the office because she just doesn’t want him to go.
All of this makes my heart beat hard and fast because he’s the man in her life and will be the man in this baby boy’s life. To our son, Jesse will be his (super) hero. With a boy, he can be a little more rough-and-tumble but will let him know that it’s OK to be sensitive, too. He will teach him how to be kind and love with a fierceness that he won’t be afraid to show. And they’ll have that special father-son bond that will just get stronger as the years go on. They’ll be thrill-seekers and adventurers together every step of the way. And that’s something I just can’t wait to see throughout our lifetime together.