a thank you to my farmer

To my farmer: 

Thank you. 

Thank you for putting up with me for the last nine months when I was tired, weepy, anxious and cranky. 

Thank you for praying as fervently for the Lord to bless us with children as you pray for the child He's already given us.

Thank you for carrying the laundry downstairs when I couldn't see over my belly and definitely not over the hamper.

Thank you for putting up with a wife who wore your pajama pants for the last month. (You get extra points for that.)

Thank you for bearing with me through all the Braxton Hicks and the real contractions.

Thank you for installing car seats and setting up Pack and Plays and pretending to understand why I suddenly felt the need to clean all the things in the house. 

Thank you for driving me to the hospital at midnight when I was freaking out something was wrong. 

And thank you for praying with me on the way. 

Thank you for working hard so that I can stay home with our baby. 

Thank you having plans and goals for our family that include everything from reading to travel to work to theology.

Thank you for caring as much about our family of two as our family of three, even as we pray for a family of even more.

Thank you for taking care of me so selflessly and patiently. 

And thank you for taking care of and loving our baby, even though we haven't even met him or her face-to-face.

Or to put it more simply: You're not going to make a great dad. You already are one.