things he knows but you should too...

In my mind I've had a post about Seth ever since Amelia was born...3 months ago. It goes without saying that time is flying. But I'll say it anyways. Time is a flyin'!

Life with 3 kiddos is fun. Is challenging. Is stressful. Is comical. Is emotional. Is lots of things. But life with 3 kids is just plain A JOY when you have a husband like Seth. As we've been married for almost 4 years now, Seth has been consistent in his reminder to me that we are a team. The same team. It's honestly taken me awhile to really see that as truth. But it's true, and it's liberating. And he's an AMAZING TEAMMATE for all kinds of reasons. As God has blessed us with 3 babies to birth and raise, we've been learning and re-learning some of the same things for the past few years now. And God has been honing Seth's hubby/daddy skills quite well! From day one of finding out we were pregnant with Amelia, Seth has been excited and eagerly awaited her arrival. From day one of having her and bringing her home, he's been Mr. Spectacular. Not that he wasn't spectacular before that day, but I'm realizing it and seeing it play out more and more each day. I kid you not, the first week we were home I didn't change a single diaper for Lilly Jo or Jack.  Now that may seem silly and not-a-big-deal to you. But when you have 3 kids in diapers, you let me know if it's not a HUGE help to have to change only 10-12 diapers each day for a week, instead of 20-24 diapers each day for a week. He did everything around the house for the first week. And our house is still on the market, mind you. In all seriousness, all I did for the first 5-7days of life home with Amelia, was feed her, sleep when I could, eat when I could, and sit on the couch watching everyone play. Also, if I remember correctly, LJ and JL both had high fevers the first week Amelia was home. So Seth played Dr. Daddy in addition to his other roles. He did meals for the kiddos, playtime with the kiddos, put kids down for naps, went on walks, did bathtime by himself, the whole bedtime routine by himself...really, just about everything. And I know he did it because he loves me and loves our family. Since he's been back at work, he walks in the door after a long day ready to lay on the floor and rough-house with the older 2 while I'm either tending to Amelia or getting some kind of easy dinner together. (And I should add that for the first 6 wks of Amelia's life I cooked probably 3x. All other meals were provided for by our immediate family, our church and our friends - or we got Chinese:) Then he proceeds to clean the kitchen after dinner, help clean up the toys and wind down the night with the nightly bedtime routine.

Seth has his hands full, as does everyone else, but he's the one I get to brag on. He's the one I see day-in and day-out loving our family as Christ has called him to. Giving of himself as Christ did for us. And doing it WITH JOY! 
John 15:10-12 "¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."