For My Husband On Fathers Day

 It's 23:15 on the eve of Father's Day.
I'm working on some last minute gifts for Andy from Gracie and Alfie tomorrow.
With all the chaos of moving and getting set up here in Cyprus this day has come around much quicker than I realised.
I'm sat here whilst Andy,Gracie and Alfie are asleep. I am watching them on the monitor.I'm trying to gather my thoughts to write something special to my husband for Father's Day.
Watching my husband and our precious children all snuggled and sleeping as my inspiration for writing this.

With tears in my eyes and a heart fit to burst try as I might I simply cannot find the words.
How do I translate what this man does with his heart every day?
I have had the privilege of watching this amazing man become the father he never knew he would be.
I have had the pleasure of seeing every moment of sheer love and joy he has had with our babies for the past 1 year and 11 days. That is 1 year and 11 days my husband has held our babies,  loved them and laughed with them and yet every day it's is like he is seeing them and holding them for the first time.
The happiness and love in this mans heart knows no bounds.
The love that he has for our diddy people makes my heart melt daily. As soon as his eyes open in the morning they are drawn to the diddies laying between us and a light is turned on that is met by a smile.
I didn't have a very good example of what a father should be but I know one thing, Gracie and Alfie are so lucky and this amazing man will make sure they know how much they are loved, how clever they are, how beautiful they are. By his example they will know joy, love, happiness, silliness, courage, determination and strength. They will know how to be brave, how to be kind, how to be loyal. They will also know of health and well being by his example. He will show them how hard work pays off and how to always do the best they can and take pride in everything they do. His laughter and smile will warm their hearts (as it does mine) and dry their tears. They will know their daddy is there for them and that he always will be.
When we married we never knew where our path would take us. Yet I always knew this man would be an amazing father. I'm so proud and grateful in so so many ways that I get to ride sidecar with him on this amazing adventure and watch him be that father every day.

So it's not a poem. It's not an expensive gift. The gifts I give him tomorrow are handmade with anything I could get my hands on locally while most of our belongings are in shipment. The greatest gifts we could have hoped for arrived 1 year and 11 days ago, these two little miracles that made him a father. He holds these gifts in his arms every day and will hold them in his heart forever.

To my husband on this Father's Day. I love you and I am so so proud.

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Our 5 Year Wedding Anniversary

Beautiful garden in Mauritius where we were married 

Today is our 5th Wedding Anniversary.

I was looking back at the post I wrote on this day last year (you can read it here) and was moved to write an Anniversary post again today.

I recall last year having been up all night unable to sleep with all the thoughts running through my head. I was sitting downstairs at 5am crying and writing that blog post. 



As much as I wished, hoped and prayed for on that day last year (and every other day)  I could never have imagined that one year on things would be so different.


On this morning a year ago I was wishing that instead of my thoughts and fears keeping me awake all night, it would be our baby. How could I have known then that a year on I would be up most of the night laying next to my amazing husband and feeling our baby boy and our baby girl having a dance off in my tummy. 

Sunset Kiss

I did write back then that it wasn't always easy throughout our then 4 years of marriage due to the struggle with infertility and IVF. Perhaps I have always played that side of it down. Sometimes now I wonder did I push Andy away to some degree because it was too painful to see and feel his pain? I cant even begin to explain how it is to see this man that you love so much without that light in his beautiful eyes and to know that you cant take that pain away. It's soul destroying. We came close to breaking point many times, especially after our miscarriage 2 years ago after our first cycle. I'm proud to say we held on. 

My intention here is not to trowel through the pain but I guess to say that I am so grateful that all that pain and heartache has been worth something and so what I'm trying to covey is even in the darkest despair on this journey to just try not to give up hope. 

As much as I willed it I could never have even dreamt that I would be sitting here this morning writing this and feeling our boy trying to bust through my rib cage. (Don't worry little fella do whatever you want, I'm just glad to feel you, just ask your sister to get off my bladder if she can.)

Pre wedding Giggles

I look at my husband now and I'm glad to say that light is back . His blue eyes are sparkling again. I have watched this amazing man deal with things you should never have to deal with, all the while remaining a pillar of strength to support me. I have said it before but without this journey we have been on I may never have seen the strength this amazing man holds in his heart. What a big heart. He thinks I can't see it but before every scan I see the worry and then (thankfully) the relief on his face.

I'm so proud of how hard he works with his full time job, then studying for his Open University degree, looking after me for the past 8 months when I am vommitting (tying my hair back and bringing me water), rubbing a tennis ball over my back, brining me food and drink, putting my socks on for me, doing a lot of chores in the house so I don't have to crouch, bend, lift. The most amazing sight for me is the look in his eyes when he shows me a finished project he has done for our babies nursery. All this relentlessly and never complaining, I think just because he is so grateful that he can do it for his family.

I won't use this as a forum to complain about my dad who left when we were 4 and passed away a few years ago but I will say that I didn't have a great example of what a dad should be. I looked at my husband years ago and knew then that he would be such an amazing dad. Just this time during pregnancy has already proved me right. 

The love of my life

I know, I'm gushing. I can't help it right now. This man is my world, my heart,  my strength, my past, my future, my best friend. I know as much as anyone that  you can never be certain of the future but what I do know right now is how proud I feel when I look at my husband. The gift of him and the blessings we have in my tummy.  I am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of forever loving him and our babies and watching him being the best husband and daddy I could ever wish for. 

My promise to him  is to be the best wife and mummy that I can possibly be. 

I'm proud of what we have overcome to get here and proud that we survived it together. I know I would not have come through this journey with anyone else.

This has turned into an "ode to Andy", that's ok, this is our anniversary.

September 2012 at friends wedding. I'm a lucky girl

Oh and a year on I am sat here crying again but for all the right reasons.

Love Chele
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