Putting On My Birthday Suit

September 24th is my husband Kirk's birthday. Also, it is his sister Karen's birthday too.

Have I ever mentioned that he is a twin? Kirk would say that he is the older and wiser one (very true). Karen would say that she is the funnier, better-looking one (also true). Here is a photo I took of Kirk and Karen a few years ago.



I often don't think of Kirk as being a twin because he is so different from his sister. We don't have the privilege of living near family so I don't see he and Karen interact very often. But when they do, it's very entertaining. I love to hear their childhood stories and I love to watch them feed off each other in a comical nature. Karen, I adore you but this isn't about you. So back to him -

Kirk has said that the only thing he wants for his 32nd birthday is for me to put on (or rather strip down to) my birthday suit. But I thought I would at least honor him with a well-written, sentimental post. That way, everyone who happens to read this would know what an awesome person, husband and father he is. Because he really is wonderful and I'm one lucky lady.

He's so great in fact that when I told him on Monday how I felt horrible for not planning something special or fabulous for his birthday, (nothing like what he did for my 31st birthday last month), he quickly pointed out that I have done a lot for him in previous years. Like the time I baked this cake (pictured below) for his birthday, just a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit our home. We weren't even living in our own house. We didn't have family or friends around to help us celebrate but I made sure he knew I remembered his day.



Then there was the time I surprised him with a few friends and family for an impromtu birthday party a year into our marriage. Also two years ago, while I was eight months pregnant, I waddled along with him to Dave & Buster's in Cincinnati (a giant arcade and restaurant combined) and watched him turn 30 years old by playing ski-ball, air hockey, and various other games you enjoy when you're around ten or twelve.

So even though I was brainless and uncreative this year, at least I have made some of his former birthdays meaningful and memorable. And I'll grant him his birthday wish too. ;-)

Actually, now that I think about it, Kirk and I aren't much into celebrations and holidays anyway. Normally, we just try to be good people, good partners to each other and good parents every day. That is not always easy to do when we both work full-time with stressful jobs, have a diva for a daughter and have no break or babysitter closeby. But we try. We try hard every day to talk, listen and show admiration.

The secret to our success and to Kirk's awesomeness is continual affection, laughter and praise. Every day, we tell each other how we are feeling. We express our love for one another. And we laugh. We laugh a lot at the silliest, goofiest things (which is what I always wanted in a life partner).

Kirk is such an affectionate partner. He hugs and kisses (and gropes) me daily. He loves being close to me and lounging around together. Repeatedly he tells me that there is no place he'd rather be than right next to me.

From the beginning of our courtship, we laughed and carried on like there was no tomorrow. Kirk understood me and I got him in a way no other woman had before. I think my mouth even hurt from laughing and smiling so much the first year we dated.



Thankfully, after seven years of marriage, we still laugh every day. Kirk and I will just hear a song or line from a movie and relate it back to a memory or comical experience. I love how we can be so intimate and serious one minute, then burst into laughter that almost puts us in tears the next moment.

Plus, I am a bit spoiled. Kirk praises me in some way nearly every day. I'm not a wife or mother ever fishing for compliments. Kirk will tell me I am a wonderful mom and wife constantly. Even when I'm having an off-day or feel bloated, fat and ugly (or seven months pregnant as I'm pictured below), he says I am beautiful and that I will always have my pretty face, no matter what. And while I do not agree with him, I believe that he means what he says. He is, after all, a man of his word and also a charmer!



The best joy about Kirk recently has been to watch him be a father to Vivian. He has taken his usual wacky antics to a whole new level with her. He is so great with our daughter - making her laugh, playing with her and captivating her attention. They get a kick out of each other. He is so loving and protective of her. When Viv sits on his lap and they watch videos on the computer, my heart melts. I love watching the two of them together.

Plus, Vivian looks like him, more than she does me, so it's not hard to see much of Kirk in her. I can tell that she will be a Daddy's girl already.



Kirk knows me better than I know myself. He puts up with my shenanigans and still loves me despite them. He asks me often if he makes me happy and I do the same. Because somewhere along the way of our marriage, we realized that making each other happy is just as important as making ourselves happy.

He is my best friend. He is my soul mate. As goofy as it sounds, he completes me in every way. And even though Kirk farts more in one day than any person should in a year, there is no one else I'd rather be next to for the rest of my life either.

I love you babe. Happy Birthday! Are you ready for your present, a little early, right now?