First Comes Love...: Co-Parents

Nick just left with River to 'run errands' together. I love that I have a hubby who not only takes an active role in caring for our little man, but enjoys being a dad so much that he takes River along with him just to go out and about. Nick is an amazing dad, and him and River are building an incredible relationship...

I think being a dad of an infant is tough for men - all a newborn wants is to be fed (mom), rocked (mom), fed (mom), to sleep on someone (mom), and fed (mom). It doesn't leave a ton of room for roles for new daddy's to play, and I think Nick felt very useless at times as River only wanted me (and my boobies) for the first few months. Ever since River hit 3 months old, though, Nick has become a definite preferred person for Riv. He always knows how to make him giggle (even if that means tossing him in the air while mommy has a silent heart attack mentally imagining horrid images of her sweet baby being dropped on hardwood floors). Nick changes a mean diaper (and has taken the occasional boy-baby-pee-soaking with good humor), and has become much more adept at all those little snaps and buttons on baby clothes that look somewhat ridiculous and out-of-place being fumbled around in man-hands. I even find it endearing that Nick is semi-terrified to give River a bath (what with the burning/drowning risks and all), but sits on a chair in the bathroom watching me bathe the baby so he can still be a part of it. While I still have Riv in his co-sleeper on my side of the bed, Nick gets up without complaint every single time I need a bottle made, and stumbles downstairs in his boxers to mix up a few ounces to tide the boy over till morning.

People forget to mention that co-parenting takes work. Not just the work they warn you about with the baby, but work to find a balance in this new relationship as fellow parents of a tiny lump of human. Nick and I have had our moments of snapping at each other when the baby is screaming, the laundry needs to be done, and the dog has pulled every single frickin' one of her toys into the middle of the living room. But, in the end, we make it work, and are finding our place in our ever-evolving roles as "Mom" and "Dad". It's still crazy to me to think of talking with Nick initially on eHarmony, and that I never could have imagined that I'd have a sweet baby boy with this man five years later. But here we are, and here our baby is, and (dare I say) we've made a pretty damn good family in the process.

Now, the real questions begs, what the hell will my two boys come back with from their errands...