Clinging To Hope
She desperately hoped she was wrong about him. If she wasn’t, she couldn’t bear to think of what that would mean for them.
Her heart began to pound as she connected to her camera device. She clutched the seat tightly as she leaned forward. Suddenly, her jaw dropped as she watched in disbelief. What was she seeing?
Her Whole World
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Amanda’s whole world was her baby and her husband. She got married to Sam right out of high school nearly ten years ago. Then, one and a half years ago, they had their first child – Xavier.
Amanda felt that she was living the best life she could. But the feelings she’d been having lately were about to threaten all of that.
Living Her Dream
Instagram/ thestephanieramos
Amanda had everything she ever wanted. A fulfilling career, a loving husband, and a beautiful baby boy. She often wondered how she got so lucky.
Her husband, Sam, was supportive, and always encouraged her to reach her career goals. He loved seeing her doing what she loved and seeing the pride it gave her. They were the perfect team, or so she thought.
A Sudden Realization
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Like all relationships, theirs wasn’t perfect but it still worked, until baby Xavier came along. Although Amanda was so excited to meet her baby boy, she was also terrified about losing her job.
As a high-profile reporter, she couldn’t afford to be a stay-at-home mom. The realization meant the couple needed to have a lot of hard conversations, one that eventually ended in tears.
A Tough Agreement
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As Amanda earned more than Sam, they agreed that Sam would stay at home and look after baby Xavier while she worked. It made the most sense but it was also a tough blow for Xavier, who also loved his job as a touring musician.
Nonetheless, they continued as planned and everything worked out for the better. But soon, Amanda noticed a disturbing change in Sam.
Troubled Sleep
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At first, it was small things like when Xavier cried at night and Sam began to ‘innocently’ sleep through it. But then when Amanda asked him to take care of it, he’d insist that Amanda do it herself. This happened for a while as baby Xavier began to have trouble sleeping.
When it continued, Amanda brought Xavier to the doctor and was relieved when she said he was perfectly healthy. But she felt something was off.
Rising Tension
Credits
She asked Sam if he was making him nap too much when she was at work that he couldn’t sleep at night. Sam was angry that she jumped straight to blaming him. He stormed out, unable to find his words.
But from what Amanda saw lately, Sam seemed so tired and uninterested in Xavior when she was home. And she could feel them growing apart. But this was just the beginning.
Acting Differently
GMA
Amanda felt that her husband had been acting strangely. He was being more distant than usual and it always looked as if he was thinking about something. But he’d never tell her what the matter was.
She didn’t know that she’d soon find out something about her husband that would make the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
Suspicious Behavior
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Amanda confronted Sam again but this time she also mentioned a couple of other things that were on her mind lately.
Amanda noticed that every day when she’d come home from work, the place always looked so clean. It didn’t look like he played with their baby at all. What was he doing with him when she was at work? The truth was unimaginable.
Thoughts Of Resentment
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Sam stood before Amanda and shook his head. “If you want to know so bad, why don’t you stay at home too and take notes”, he hissed. Suddenly, Amanda knew what was happening. Did he resent her for making him stay at home while she continued to work?
For a second, she wondered if he hated her. But what was clear now was that he wasn’t going to tell her anything. So she made a plan.
Spycam
BBC.com
Secretly, she bought a spycam, and set it up in their living room. She desperately needed to know if her husband was taking good care of their child when she was away.
Why wouldn’t he just tell her what they got up to? She had a right to know and she didn’t understand why he was acting so different lately. But soon, she was about to find out.
I-Spy
GMA
A nanny cam or spycam is a great way of keeping track of your kids. You just press record and can then watch the recording anywhere at any time thanks to a handy app on your phone.
But Amanda could never have prepared herself for what she found when she viewed the footage of her husband and their child.
Nerves And Fear
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The next day, Amanda went to work not being able to think about anything but watching the footage captured on her spycam. She was more nervous and anxious than she thought she’d be.
She desperately hoped that she wouldn’t see anything she didn’t want to. If she did, she didn’t know how to handle it or what it would mean for them. Her heart began to pound.
She Had To Know
GMA
Amanda had preset the camera, which she’d set up the previous night, to begin recording when she got up for work. She didn’t even think to tell her husband about it — why should she anyway? She felt that she shouldn’t have had to.
When she got her lunch break she decided to open the app on her laptop and watch the camera footage. She was missing Xavier. But she didn’t know what she’d captured on camera.
Moment Of Truth
Instagram/ thestephanieramos
Amanda opened her laptop in her office and connected it to her spycam device. She clutched the seat with her sweaty palms and leaned forward. It was the moment of truth. Would Sam be the father she hoped him to be?
It wasn’t long before her jaw dropped and eyes swelled with tears. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
She Caught Something Else
GMA
Looking for some peace of mind as she ate her lunch at work while watching the spycam footage, Amanda thought she’d find some cute moments of Xavier to send to their family.
But she never expected that this time, she had caught something else altogether.
True Colors
GMA
The video started with footage of her baby in the living room. Amanda smiled to herself as she watched her beloved child.
Sam looked like he was doing laundry in the background, but then suddenly he appeared in the shot. What he did next changed everything. In just a few minutes her husband’s true colors were brought to light.
Behind The Scenes
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Amanda watched her husband spend hours playing with baby Xavier. He sat next to him and played with a box of toys, and remained patient and fun-loving when Xavier knocked it over and climbed inside.
He walks in and out of the room, bringing new toys and distractions for them to play with including instruments like the drums and piano. He also feeds him and changes his diaper. Xavier didn’t cry once. But that wasn’t even the most impressive part.
Clean Up
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Then she watched as their playdate drew to a close and Sam cleaned up all the toys as little Xavier helped him. The place was spotless again just in time for Amanda to arrive home.
“When my wife saw it, she loved it…. and posted it to Facebook, and that was the beginning,” Sam said as he spoke about how the video got out into the public. But was he upset she planted the hidden camera?
No Love Lost
Credits
“No”, he said, “I don’t mind. If anything I thought it was cool to look back on how we interact. I just love my little man”.
But if anyone’s wondering about where their tops went, he explains; “He had turkey hot dogs and apple sauce for lunch, and we both got applesauce on our shirts which is why we took them off”. And Amanda?
Refound Pride
Credits
A wave of guilt hit Amanda after she realized she was wrong to question him. Of course, he was exhausted after doing this all day. “I love it, I can watch it a million times,” said the tearful, skeptical mom with refound pride in her husband!
She knew she had to share the moment with the world. And it wasn’t long before the comments came pouring in.
Going Viral
GMA
The video that also made the rounds on YouTube was called “Mom Finds Out How Dad Watches the Kids.” Some viewers complained that this title was misleading because they were expecting something less… heartwarming.
“Am I the only one who thought this was going to be bad?” Jace Bailiff asked. Viddi Kaddi wrote, “From the title, I thought this guy was a child abuser. BOY, WAS I WRONG.”
Father Of The Year
GMA
After this video went viral, Sam was dubbed “father of the year”. “Best dad of the year award goes to whoever he is,” commented Suzannah Danielle, a YouTube user.
Gabriel Klopp agreed that this man is a “dad who loves his kid!” But, in the end, Amanda’s underhanded act caught something priceless.
So Much More
GMA
When Amanda originally set the hidden camera up in her living room, she had only expected to be able to keep an eye on things and perhaps capture a few cute videos of her baby.
Instead, she got something even better: her husband showing what a devoted dad he was. Indeed, this is a clip she’ll treasure forever!
Not The Only One
YouTube
Amanda’s amazing video of Sam with Xavier isn’t the only time something like this has been caught on camera.
Lisa Roth uploaded a video titled, “Hidden camera captures dad and daughter dancing to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” on YouTube in May 2016. And again, it showed a devoted dad doing his best to entertain his daughter.