Monday found me home with Cal for the first time in awhile. The last time I spent the day caring for him, just me and him, was during my maternity leave, three months ago. Then, he would weave in and out of sleep and all he wanted were the basics and some smiles. Yes, during the first month of postpartum, I was exhausted, recovering from the birth, facing and overcoming breastfeeding issues, and acclimating to my new role as the guardian and caretaker of an entire person. I remember one night in particular, watching a documentary in our bed on the laptop and thinking I couldn’t physically get through the night ahead, which included a menagerie of wake ups and feedings, because I was so dang sore and tired. But the fog gave way to clear skies as I pushed passed the six-week mark. I felt better physically and the caretaking task was actually getting easier.But Cal has changed. He has grown, taken on a dazzling awareness, and become better attuned at voicing his needs and harder to trick into any funny business like leaving the room. He prefers to be rocked certain ways at certain times during certain moods and has a roller coaster romance with sleep – flirting with it then waking up, sleeping only if the circumstances permit. He’s picky about it, but so are most people. And his budding personality continues to sparkle through his likes and dislikes and quirky sense of humor – blowing bubbles, laughing fits, successive chirps, and wild-eyed smiles.
Back to Monday. So Monday was fun but it wasn’t easy. Shaun, former Mr. Mom, welcomed my report Monday night as I recounted the rotation of activities and challenge of keeping Cal entertained. I told him that we sat outside on blankets; swayed in the hammock; played on the floor, in his walker, on the couch, and in the bedroom; read books; danced to music; took several naps; and ate somewhere in between, among other things. What it comes down to is that some major wheels are turning behind those keen eyes, yet Cal still needs an adult to guide him through his day. But independence is creeping in here and there. He definitely holds his own with toys now, fancying the colorful crunchy toys and manipulating and chewing on everything from stackable cups to wooden rings.
After all the craziness of the day, I introduced our new nanny to our wonderful, whirling lives and left Cal for a trial period while I took a respite at the gym. It was hard to leave him, but I was thankful for the break. I also couldn’t wait to return.
