A Special Dedication...

'The World's Best Husband'
... and now...the world's best Dad

   I want to make this post a dedication to my husband Neil. I remember seeing something like a 'Dad of the month' award on Bounty or somewhere similar, where you could nominate your husband/partner as the best new dad and I just knew that no-one would deserve it more. Unfortunately I have looked online and cannot find it anymore :S. So... instead, I am going to write a post explaining why my little daughter and I are so lucky to have this wonderful person in our lives.

  Let me start at the beginning. Obviously I think he's the most gorgeous man alive, but that's my very biased opinion. I will mention here that I love drawing and a few of my friends have commented on how Neil looks a lot like the male characters I used to draw; so I'm not just saying it, he really is my ideal man looks-wise (long hair, beard, not too muscular etc etc). He's perfect for me in every way and for once I found someone I could talk about intelligent things with and also have a laugh. We hit it off so well that he proposed to me in a beautiful bluebell woodland at sunset, while we were out filming deer. We had an amazing wedding in a castle and although Neil had to work away all summer on a farm to get us some extra money, we still managed to have a wonderful honeymoon in the caravan he was staying in. He made an excellent husband from the beginning; always more interested in spending time with me than going out with mates drinking or doing anything else normal husbands do.

  When we decided to have a baby and Neil really became a perfect husband. My pregnancy wasn't 'the most amazing time of my life' as some people describe it; I had morning, noon and night sickness for three months, then chronic tiredness for the rest of it. Aside from that; being a small person I found my bump made breathing etc difficult and sleeping became almost impossible not long in. Neil made it all so much easier from the beginning though. He made me drinks, snacks and ignored my mood swings. He let me sleep as long as I wanted and hog all the pillows. He went to almost all my antenatal appointments and scans and took me out to buy baby things on regular occasions.

  Through the labour and birth Neil was caring and devoted. He made me as comfortable as possible and unlike all the other people crowding around at the birth giving me useless advice like 'Push, push, push!' etc., he just stood by my side, holding my hand and feeding me water every so often. Now our little daughter is here and he's become the most amazing dad I could have wanted for her. He is absolutely brilliant with her and never stops talking to her and smiling. It hasn't been easy for us, as I have insomnia and will spend hours trying to sleep without any luck, but he has been patient and devoted, letting me sleep in the daytime while he looks after her. We take it in turns to feed and change her and I am so proud when I tell everyone how great Neil is a dad. We are both so lucky to have him to look after us the way he does. I'm sure I don't deserve the treatment I get and I'm probably a terrible wife sometimes!

  For all those really devoted superhusbands and superdads: You are real men and you rock!

-You clean, cook, do DIY, know the best wild foods, look sexy in wellies, drive tractors, work hard, aren't afraid to show your emotions, you're an amazing dad...the list goes on. Neil I love you and I never stop being grateful that you let me into your life. Happy anniversary for the other day, I'm sorry I didn't get a card, hope this will do.