An open letter to my husband, Jordan.

Dear Jordan,

This morning Gracie woke up at 7:30. I know you were exhausted, but you rolled out of bed without a word. I got up to use the bathroom and found you making her breakfast, with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on and Gracie sitting in front of the TV happy as a clam watching it. You did dishes, laundry, and just left WITH  our one and a half year old to Wal-Mart for groceries and a few household items. Let me just say, thank you. I don't even like going to Wal-Mart alone with our toddler. You made coffee, bought more coffee, then drank a Red Bull. I know, it's exhausting. But you haven't complained once. I know that when you get home, you'll change her diaper, put away groceries, and probably read her a book you can recite without looking because she always wants you to read her the same book. "Everybody grows a nose! I see a nose on every face, I seen noses every place. A nose between each pair of eyes, noses noses every size!"

 You know I am not supposed to do, well, anything. 

You don't give me crap for being on bed rest, you don't make me feel like a failure for not being able to "do pregnancy" like most women, you even THANK me for taking bed rest seriously. Because I'm "giving our children a chance.." You make certain I don't feel worthless.

 Not to mention you give me a back rub every night. I know you hate it..but you still do it.  Thanks for that.

You spend all of your "extra" time (as if you have any) looking up your options for school so our family has a chance at a better future, going to interviews, and job searching like a maniac. Since you lost your job, you haven't wasted a single day. You really have had to do it all since this round of bed rest began. I mean, really. You've done everything, without complaint. Thanks for that.

You speak wisdom and peace over me every time I begin to worry. Whenever I break down about missing my dad, you hug me and talk me down from hysterics, even if it happens in the middle of a movie. You pause it until I'm done. Thanks for that too.

You make late night runs to 7/11 for sunflower seeds because I crave them, you dance with our daughter every single day because it's her favorite thing to do, you shovel dog poop, clean up baby poop, and you do every other house hold chore there is. But most of all, you support my dreams and you believe in me. You do everything a man should do and have grown into everything a husband should be. You have a tender heart full of compassion and conviction. I can honestly say you  come just about as close to perfect there is. I mean that. 

 We parent together. We make all of our decisions together. We have done it all, together. I've never been alone, because of you.  You have stood along side me throughout the past five years, when others would have left because it got too hard. You stayed. Not only have you stayed, you never even wavered. You're a rock.

 Who would have thought we'd suffer so much to get here? To this place. To this house, with this love, with these amazing children. Who would have thought we could do it?

You were a 16 year old boy at summer camp. And now you are the best man I know. 

My protector, my best friend, the world's best father and husband. Jordan, I love you. Words fail when I try to express how much. You are absolutely amazing.

Thank you for that. 

Love, 

Your extremely grateful wife.