2+1= family hike

It felt pretty surreal to take our little Birdie on her first hike with us. We've walked these trails many times as a couple, often dreaming about her and most recently with her in my belly. 

On Sunday afternoon we strapped her in her carrier and started walking. A few minutes later she was asleep. The trail was empty and a light fog lay over the area. It was quiet, completely and entirely quiet and we felt grateful for the opportunity to talk and reconnect while we walked. We've had a lot of feeling like mama and papa lately and not as much husband and wife so the rare times that we do are special. 

On the drive home I slid my hand over to the passenger seat and it was promptly met with papa bear's familiar grasp. I looked over at him and smiled and told him how crazy it was in the grand scheme of things that here we were going on five years of marriage with a baby. Just eight years ago we were unaware of the other's existence and now we know each other better than we know ourselves. 

He's seen me at my most vulnerable, he knows all my fears and shortcomings, he's helped me achieve so many of my dreams and given me so much - the biggest of all being my darling girl. To say that he is my best friend is an understatement because he is so much more than that. I feel so honored that we have the level of comfort, trust, understanding and care that we do with each other. Life would be so hard without that.
I told him in that moment that the thing that made me fall in love with him the most the first time we talked was that I never had to explain myself to him, not then not now. He was the first person to "get me" completely and love me for it all. I also told him that he gave me my dream life. As a child I would fantasize about having a life like the one I have now but I never thought it would actually happen. I never thought I could be so happy, so blessed. I have everything I need - a partner to laugh, cry, grow and love with, a child to love, a roof over my head, two fur babies that drive me absolutely crazy and food on the table.

P.S. Papa Bear said V looked like Friar Tuck without her hood. Upon further inspection he's right.