We Need You: A Post Dedicated To Dads

I wish I'd taken a before pic of this contraption. God, there were so many pieces. A leg here, a spring there. And wheels--where the hell do these wheels go?
Ugh, I thought, this is why babies need their fathers.

Then it dawned on me: my baby has her father. That tall, handsome muscular fellow who gave me a wad of cash and said "So, yeah, do your thing." And even better: he lives here! He leaves the house sometimes and i get bright ideas like dumping unassembled exersaucer pieces all over the living room, but he comes back. He always comes back.

Him: "Ok, I guess this is for me to work on. Tonight. While you sleep."

Me: "Yep. That's why i put it on your side of the bed."

Hubby picked up the legs I'd put together and tried to put one into the base.

"The instructions are over here."

"Where are my glasses?"

"I dunno. These instructions are in foreignese anyway. I couldn't figure em out."

He put the seat ring into the tray.

"Wait, i think you gotta put these wheels on first. Let me show you."

"If you know all that, why are these pieces everywhere? Let me do this, Miss."

But you're doing it wrong! I thought.

Akua opened her eyes. She saw him and smiled. Daddy's home! He moved the bouncer pieces. "I'll do this later." He hugged his baby, tickled her. She squealed in delight. She wiggled and giggled. He asked did she miss him, she said "Yeah." They played some more.
He put her to sleep and laid her in her bassinet next to the bed. He got back in bed, wrapped me in his arms and I was asleep before I knew it.
How i slept till 8:30, i dunno. But by the time i looked up, he was snapping the last piece into place and smiling triumphantly.
"Aww, did you get up early just to do this?"
"Well, I wasn't about to have you texting all your friends about how you had to put this together cuz i couldn't."
"Yeah, there was no chance of that. That bad boy woulda stayed in the corner till babygirl got old enough to put it together herself."

He laughed. He picked up Akua, who'd just opened her eyes, and plopped her into the exersaucer. She flopped forward, grabbed a toy, and put it right in her mouth. He laughed, she laughed.

"I'm so glad you're here. At times like these, I realize how much we need you."

"Yeah yeah," he said, "I'll bet you do."