Brent's Top Ten

We were celebrating my dad's 65th birthday on Father's Day so I missed getting this up in time, but I thought I'd give you a glimpse of my wonderful husband in action...


Here's a list of my top ten things about him as a dad:

Brent with Ayden in the Nursery

1.  Brent faints at the sight of blood, but he was in the operating room without question or hesitation when Ayden was born.  He made sure he had a chair to sit on, though, to keep him from getting as faint, and so he wouldn't have as far to fall if he DID faint.  And he never once complained or referred to his fear of passing out cold while watching our son be born from a big slice cut out of my belly.  He didn't faint after all, because he was so caught up in the moment, and the miracle of birth.

2.  When Ayden was 12  months old Brent said to me, "I know we talked about adopting our third baby, but why don't we do it now, instead?"  And so we started the long journey that brought us our Matthew.  He's quiet and understated, but Brent has plenty of initiative, especially as a father.

3.  We arrived in Thailand to meet Matthew on a Friday evening.  By Sunday morning at church, Matthew reached over to Brent, climbed on his lap, and grinned.  He stayed with Brent for the entire church service, bouncing on his legs, touching his face, walking on the veranda, and playing.  More than anything, this little guy needed a daddy.  And Brent is just the exact perfect dad for Matthew~playful, funny, affectionate, firm, and full of love.

First week as The Vose Four

Spring 2006

Fall 2005

Spring 2006

4.  When we were thinking about being ready to try for baby #3, Brent went away on a business trip.  When he came home he brought with him two little dresses.  He had gone out to a store and bought some little baby clothes all by himself because he was so excited about having another baby.  And possibly a girl (which as it turns out was one baby too soon, but Amarys is wearing them so the cute little girl clothes got some use after all).  He might kill me for sharing that story.  =)

5.  When Riley was born, after 37 hours of no sleep because he had worked a night shift and come home to a labouring wife, after 8 hours of labour and 3 hours of pushing, after I cried and squeezed my fingernails deep into his palm over and over again shifting positions and praying and pushing with every cell in my body to have my first wonderful VBAC, he said to me, "I'm so proud of you.  You are so strong and you did wonderful.  You're amazing."

Riley, 20 minutes old

6.  He stayed so calm during the most frightening three minutes of our lives, when Riley was born unconscious and needed resuscitation.  He took action, pulling the emergency cord on the hospital wall when our midwife asked, and then stood beside me and prayed silently.  We both have a special appreciation for the fact that Riley is alive and healthy after his hesitant start to life earthside.

Spring 2010

7.  He wrestles and tosses and tickles and trips the kids for hours, and turns around and kisses their owies, cuddles them to sleep, commiserates regarding imaginary injustices, and involves them in whatever he is doing, from washing the car to assembling the computer.  He can bake cookies, build forts, and catch bad guys at his Superhero job.  He always lets the kids 'help.'  Including this afternoon when he and the kids washed all the road trip bugs and dirt off the van.

Summer 2010

8.  He patiently helps Matthew work through his homework and practice his spelling every morning that he is not working.

9.  When Amarys was just a week and a half old, she fell asleep on his chest in the living room and he stayed put for several hours because he didn't want to disturb her, and he was blissing out on baby cuddles.

Baby Vose #4 Makes Her Entrance

10.  One of my all time favourite memories is of when we went on a road trip to Brent's brother's place (12 hour trip) with three small boys, aged 5, 4, and 2 months.  He was frustrated up to his eyeballs with the mess in the van, and he said,
"The next person who touches the seat with their muddy shoes, I'm going to....I'm going to....I'm going to CUT OFF YOUR FEET!!!  And whose BACON is this?"
We still talk about cutting off their feet as a family joke whenever we get frustrated with their flailing limbs and childlike disregard for basic cleanliness, and every time I remember the Bacon Comment I laugh so hard I get tears in my eyes, three years later.

Brent is the best dad around.  I pinch myself every day because I just can't believe how lucky I am.  I'm glad my kids won't even really know how lucky they are~they will just take it for granted that every dad is a nutty mix of humour and support and exasperated bacon statements, and grow up to be just as wonderful with their own kids.

Love to my sweetheart.
♥

Best Daddy Award