This is a big week on both sides of my family. On my husband’s side, his sister and his brother’s wife are having a baby. Not together. Two moms. Two babies. This will make me an aunt for the sixth and seventh time. I have the baby thing down. Purchase tiny clothes and diapers, snuggle baby, check on the new mom, and pretend sympathize with the dads who are complaining about lack of sleep after two nights in the hospital. And, today is my mother and father-in-law’s anniversary. Cheers!

Also this week…my dad’s birthday. This one is more difficult. What do I get the man I call dad? He’s special in all the dad ways, but he’s also extra special. He’s the guy who went the extra mile. When I had a sleepover in middle school, my dad would let us rent a scary movie and then he would sneak out of the house, put on a gory mask and bang on the window of the TV room. He scared one of my friends so badly that she couldn’t stop crying and her mom had to pick her up.

He’s also the one who was with me in my dorm room on Valentine’s Day my freshman year in college. Valentine’s fell on a Saturday and it was Dad’s Weekend at my sorority. I told my dad that I had a dinner date that evening but wasn’t sure what time. (My date said he would call.) My dad said he would stick around until then. Time passed. More time passed. We didn’t say anything to each other, but we both knew I was being stood up. So I had dinner with my dad that night. I don’t think I ever shared this part, but the guy did call…at 1:30 a.m. I turned down the booty call, told him he could lose my number and went back to bed.

To top everything off, my dad is good at the sentimental moments, too,…in his own way. When my boyfriend (now my husband) asked for my hand in marriage, my dad said, “Yes, take her and all the bills that go with her.” So now he’s not just my dad. He’s a great father-in-law and a wonderful Papa. In fact, my toddler prefers my dad over me. I can’t say that I blame him.

If you have any birthday ideas for a man who fits this description, please share. (And, Dad, don’t leave an anonymous comment that says you are deserving of a car. You are, but that is not going to happen. Love you.)