Magnificent Man, Fantastic Father!

Just hours after Josephine’s birth

I want to take time today to share my appreciation for Josephine’s dad, Taylor Webster. I wasn’t sure how Taylor would deal with having a baby. I knew he’d work it out, but waking up early? Being on someone else’s schedule? Things not always going as planned? Not something I thought would come easy for him. I had only seen him hold two babies ever. I just wasn’t sure. I was, however, completely blown away.

From the beginning it was like he had always been a father. He could calm Josephine down in ways I just couldn’t. That’s still true today (he takes all night wake ups now, because he can just talk Josephine through whatever she’s going through). He has a way of talking to our daughter and teaching her so that she picks things up really quickly. Their minds work in the same way, so he knows just how to teach her the way she needs to be taught. I mean, just look at this pair:

Taylor has taught me a lot about being a parent. His support and consistency has made all the difference. There were times that he had ideas that I was reluctant to try, but in time I realized that they were amazing and made things so much better for our family. He’s always thinking! I found this quotation a while back that really spoke to me and rang true for how I feel about Taylor as a developing father:
“When a man is truly ‘present’ for the birth of his child and allows himself to be touched by the mystery unfolding before his eyes, he will have an unquestionable experience that can catapult him into the next phase of his development as a mature human being. His encounter with the power of birth…can connect him to his partner and his child in ways that sustain him for the rest of his life.” –John Franklin
Just read our birth story and you can get a glimpse into what I am trying (clumsily) to say.

I know how much Josephine loves her Daddy, and it brings me so much joy to watch them together, learning, laughing, and having a grand old time! Just listening to them joke around from the other room is enough to make me cry with happiness. And watching them devise funny little plans, like hiding from me when I come home from work? Forget about it. Watching their bond as father and daughter has been a thing of beauty. As Josephine would say, he’s her best.

Happy Father’s Day Taylor! What a dad you are! Thank you for everything you do for our family. We love you so much.

And because I can’t help myself, this picture:

😉