Today’s post got significantly delayed, but I wanted to
make sure it was still done. Luckily talking about how awesome Kent is comes
easily.
The next thing I love about Kent is how great he is at
being a dad. It isn’t often that I see Kent unsure of himself, but before we
had Hendrik he had a few moments of uncertainty. Despite having about a billion
nieces and nephews he told me he hadn’t really spent a ton of time around tiny
newborns and wasn’t too sure how to take care of one. Even once Hendrik was
born he liked to follow my cues on what to do for the baby, but like most new
things Kent encounters, he jumped in feet first. He has never been the kind of
father who tries to avoid changing diapers, giving baths (cleaning accidents out of the bath), dressing babies, or
putting them to bed. While he certainly does the lion’s share of horsing around
and rough-play, he doesn’t limit himself to only being the fun parent.
Although, I think he would probably admit I’m more the disciplinarian than he
is.
Now that he has been a father for over three years, I can
definitely tell that he is more comfortable in his role. He has never acted
like it was always my job to take care of the kids or as if he was doing me a
favor if he “babysat” our children. In fact, up until we had Adelaide and I’ve
been home, Kent was the one responsible for getting Hendrik dressed and ready
in the mornings to drop him off at daycare. After playing more of an active
role in Adelaide’s delivery, he even feels pretty confident that he could
deliver our next baby, if necessary. I was quick to reassure him that his new
skills probably wouldn’t be necessary with baby #3.
I’m really glad that he has been able to develop a strong
bond with Hendrik and that they have activities that really only they do
together. He always shows an incredible amount of patience with Hendrik and
gets him involved in a number of different activities that he does. Whenever
Kent is in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, Hendrik is usually in there with
him, nearby standing on his step stool to “help.” Even at such a young age,
Hendrik has assisted him with repairs and building projects around the house.
Kent’s ability to just let Hendrik try and participate in whatever he is doing
is an inspiration to me. Too often I find myself saying no to Hendrik’s offers
of help because I feel like I don’t have enough time or he’ll make too big of a
mess. Neither of those are a worry for Kent.
I’m also excited to see how being a father to a daughter
makes his relationship different with Adelaide than it is with Hendrik. One
thing is for certain, his children will never wonder if their father loves
them. I am incredibly grateful for a husband who shows love for his children
constantly and unabashedly. Two of my favorite moments of Kent’s fatherhood are
when he held each of his children for the first time. The look of awe and pure
love on his face I will never forget. My mom has always told me that she
believes all of us bonded with our Dad first because she was so tired after the
deliveries and I think that might be true with my kids. Kent held both Hendrik
and Adelaide first and I’m so glad that he wanted to be there and so involved
in welcoming our children into the world.
Just about every day, usually more than once, Kent will
say to Hendrik, “You’re my boy.” Hendrik’s reply is always the same, “Yes, you
are my boy.” Obviously he doesn’t quite understand what he is saying back, but
I think the message is clear. Kent is a father who loves, even adores, his
children. They are special to him and he will always make sure they know it. I
could not design a better father for my kids. He does so much to take care of
our family and we are forever grateful.
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| Baby Hendrik |
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| Baby Adelaide |
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