I know Father’s Day has come and gone, but sometimes, a story needs to be shared about a dad’s sacrifice in parenting, too!

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Monday night at 12 am, my youngest daughter awoke with a a 102.8 fever.  I moved her to the couch so that I could watch her and because the living room is the coolest room in the house.

After an hour or so of sleep, she woke whining and wiggeling and I knew that the vomiting would start soon.

I scooped her up in my arms, face down, just as it started.  She vomited from the living room all the way to the bathtub.  So, the living room rug, the hallway, the bathroom floor, and the side of the tub all had the evidence on them.

I yelled at my husband that the baby was sick and he woke immediately and took action.

While I got her into the tub, washed her off, told her she would be alright, and watched for round 2, he grabbed the Lysol, towels,  cleaner and a gas mask.  No kidding… you need one sometimes!

20 minutes later when I came out of the bathroom with her, he had everything clean and smelling 99% better, and had made up fresh blankets on the couch for her to lay on.

And then he sent me to shower.

Mind you, it was the middle on the night, on a work night, and he was leaving at 6am to go to a meeting a few towns away.

When I got out of the shower, he was curled up with Megan on the couch.

After he helped me move her and me to our bed, he went back out and slept on the couch so that he would not crowd her when she slept.

Now, I know that this may not seem like a lot to some women.  But to me, who knows that there are husbands out there would never even budge from bed, for him to spend several hours in the middle of the night helping me with a sick baby, it meant the world.   I interpreted it not as his duty as a dad and husband, but as a complete show of respect for me and my position of caretaker in our family.

I think, sometimes, in the midst of bills, kids, and daily activities, woman as mothers and wives tend to get lost in the “what does everyone else need” expectations of motherhood and marriage.  And some of us believe that we have to do it all and that if we don’t, or can’t, we are somewhat of a failure.

But, in reality, our kids generally want us when they are sad or hurting.  And to be able to just love on them and care for them as a mother wants to, and not to have to worry about cleaning up the extra messes, or washing the bedding, or even just to be able to get cleaned up ourselves, is greatly appreciated.

So thank you, the husband and the dad, I really appreciate you.