#she was like 'would you rather prep salads or watch the steaks?' & like a Manly Man he picked steaks

[dreamlogic]

taught my housemate's bf how to cook a steak & feeling very smug about it

[nancydrewnickerson]

Ned’s first Father’s Day (June 2017)!

I was able to celebrate my first Mother's Day before @asknednickerson​  had his first Father's Day, but Henry and I are definitely planning to spoil all the fathers in our lives today, especially Ned. We're starting off with breakfast in bed, and I have to make sure that I make plenty because Henry is going to try to taste everything. He has a super strong grip and he's very curious. Ned says we both know exactly where that came from. ;)

Edith hosted our Mother's Day gathering, so Hannah decided she was going to handle Father's Day lunch. Ned already put in his request for Hannah's incredible chocolate cake, so I have no doubt we'll be enjoying that. For our very manly meal, Dad will be grilling steaks while Hannah handles loaded twice-baked potatoes and salads. I'm bringing cheesy bacon crescent rolls, although to be more accurate, I'll bring the ingredients and do the prep at Dad's so they'll be warm for serving. Edith will bring something spectacular, I’m sure.

Henry and I made a special little present for Ned, to commemorate his first Father's Day, and I can't wait to give it to him—so much that I might end up showing it to Ned while he's still enjoying breakfast and feeding Henry well-curated bites of it. In the past few months I've managed to get some great shots of Henry with each of his grandfathers, so that's part of our presents to both of them. They've both joked that their favorite part of today will be seeing all three of us, and being able to hold Henry. Henry's my—no, our son, and I know that I'm a bit biased, but he is seriously the most adorable baby. Even spending so much time taking care of him, I still adore holding him. When both Ned's parents and Dad and Hannah are around, though, the only time I'm allowed to hold him seems to be when he's crying, because everyone else assumes immediately that he must want me to feed or change him.

It's incredible that Henry’s first birthday is going to be soon. Just thinking about it makes me tear up a little. Feels like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms for the first time.

And Henry is an incredibly blessed little boy, to have Ned as a father. James Nickerson certainly taught him well, but Ned is such an amazing father. He and I have spent much of the past year stumbling around sleep-deprived, terrified that we were forgetting something, that we were the worst parents in the world... but I've watched Ned rock Henry to sleep so many nights. Sometimes Ned will just hold Henry and talk to him for hours, playing with him, reading to him, carrying him around, telling him the names of things. We've laughed (and sometimes cried) over all the dirty diapers we've changed, all the outfits we've changed and washed, but Ned has never begrudged it. He's stumbled out of our bed half-dead with exhaustion, but he's never complained about being the one to bring Henry to me when Henry's crying and begging for one of us. Henry so clearly adores his daddy, and the love I see in Ned's eyes when he looks at Henry takes my breath away. Today we'll relax with the people we love, and tonight I'll be home with my two favorite boys. With any luck Henry will sleep soundly for at least a little while, so we can get in some much-needed bonding time.

I love you, Ned. I'm so happy and so glad that we met, that you somehow fell in love with me, and that our love for each other helped us create a tiny, perfect human. There could be no better father for Henry on this earth than you. Seeing Henry learn and grow, his sweet blue eyes so big while he seems to really listen to everything you say... just imagine how it will be when he's actually talking, toddling around, joining us on adventures in the park or on the playground. There's no one else I would rather share this with than you, sweetheart.