Mr. Ross.

I was teased over the holidays by some of my fabulous in-laws about how often I refer to my husband as 'hot' here on the blog and on my Facebook. At first I was a bit mortified; I have a Facebook friend who mentions his wife's hotness on a daily basis and sometimes I want to say, "Alright already! We know!" So I'll plead clemency because I most certainly do not assault you all with admiration of my husband more than a few times a year. And hey, sometimes the world just needs to be reminded, okay?

Having said all that, this post is not about the external attractiveness of Ben. But it is about him.

All three of our boys have a slight cold, and poor Noah was up late last night with a low fever. He was NOT happy about it. I tried nursing him, figuring everyone is happier after they eat. Not he. I rocked him for awhile, and he teased me by pretending to drift into deep sleep -snoring and all- only to suddenly snap his eyes open like a wild man, arch his back, and s c r e a m. Oh, the screaming. Throughout all this, Ben stood by the bed, saying intermittently, "Gimme the baby." I refused - I'm the Mama, dangit, and I will soothe my child!

Eventually, Ben gently heaved the wailing sack of potatoes from my tired arms. From there, my friends, it was like someone muted the entire stressful scene. Watching Ben with the kids is like watching a really great movie: it is watching all his best qualities, everything amazing about him that I really only had a hint of before we got married, unfold before my eyes. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes he has that something that I just don't. Sure enough, little Noah relaxed against his daddy's chest, making tiny sounds of contentment while gripping Ben's finger. They strolled back and forth down the dark hallway as the minutes ticked by and we were sure he wouldn't explode again. Ben slipped beneath the blankets with Noah still curled against his side, and we slept.

My husband is hot. But he's also a spectacular father, and that's something that blesses me almost more than anything else about him. I'll tell the whole world whether they want to hear it or not :)