Today is Steve’s favorite day of the year! He once again reminded me that it’s the ONLY day of the year that’s all about him. For those that don’t know, Steve’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, and he gets a little bitter about sharing it. Blah, blah, blah! 😉

In all seriousness, he deserves today and all the joy and pampering that comes with it. He worked last night so spent a good portion of the day sleeping, but when he woke up we made sure he felt extra special and super appreciated.

When CJ was born (three weeks early), being our first, we had no idea what to expect. There were long nights, countless hours of sleep lost, silly fights, and lots of frustration. When I tell you all CJ did was cry for hours at a time every night, I am not even kidding. I must have told Steve I thought he was broken six thousand times. The doctors told me he was colicky. I tried every remedy. Nothing worked.

One day I noticed blood in his stool. I consulted my good friend google and thought maybe CJ might be allergic to milk. I was eating blocks of cheese during my pregnancy. Maybe his body had all the calcium it needed for awhile? Long story short…I insisted on the allergy test, it came back positive, we switched to hypoallergenic formula, and a week later he was an angel baby.

We survived those first five weeks of hell, and as CJ grew I watched Steve grow with him. He was the most amazing father. He helped in every aspect of daily living, spent every minute he could with CJ, and wasn’t afraid to parade around with the baby carrier on so my back could get a break. We were kicking butt as parents.

Right around the time CJ turned one, we decided we were ready for another. The pregnancy went well and when we found out Ella was a girl, we were thrilled. She came a week late, the birth was rough, and what followed was even rougher. Never once did Steve waiver. Even when I was sitting in a puddle of my own tears, feeling sorry and scared, he was at the top of his dad game.

Jack came five years later and was our third blessing, and biggest surprise. It also became apparent that I don’t like to have carefree births. When Jack was born the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and he was bluish, as My husband would say. Steve was very emotional in that moment. I was touched, thinking he was choked up because it was our last baby. I later came to find out, it’s because he thought Jack wasn’t breathing. He went straight into dad mode and had all eyes on Jack until he knew he was okay.

He’s an incredible father and the bond he has with the kids is untouchable. He works long hours and gets little sleep sometimes, but always makes sure he is there when they need him. They see him and light up. My wish is for that love to forever remain the way it is today!

Steve and I aren’t big on the sappy posts and declarations of love and admiration. Today, on his day, I will make an exception. He truly does deserve to be appreciated and recognized for all that he does. I am so very lucky to have chosen him to be the father of my children.

I am starting to post videos of Ella. Make sure you follow us on IG at:

https://www.instagram.com/zurlnick_five