Last week it was warm enough to wear a skirt without tights for the first time in months. The week before, I went for a bike ride around the park one sunny morning while our babysitter, Mavis, took Jackson to the library for story time. When I came home, they were still out so I took a long shower and didn’t worry about listening for a cry or a wail from the other room. Afterward, I turned on the stereo and danced around my living room. This week, I’ve been working from a new neighborhood coffee shop the two mornings Mavis has watched Jack. No one there asks me where the baby is or how he’s doing or whether I’ve been getting any sleep (they don’t even know I have a kid). Some people ask what I’m working on though. [Click to continue]
by Wendy on March 14, 2012
· in Essays,It's Personal,Parenthood
Read the full article...
Over the weekend I did something that I recommend any new mother who is able, to do: I left my baby and husband for three days. Granted, I don’t breastfeed, so that makes the logistic of such a vacation much easier than if I did. And I also happen to have a very caring, compassionate, capable husband who was happy to do fulltime Daddy Duty for the weekend so that I could head back to Chicago and re-charge with my friends.
When I moved from Chicago to New York to be with Drew, after long distance dating for a year and a half, part of our “deal” was that I would make regular trips back to Chicago to reconnect with my best buds. I told Drew that even if/when we had kids, that was something that was important to me. I left a bit of heart in that city and it’s good — nay, necessary — for my soul to get back a couple times of year and find it again. So, that’s what I did this weekend and it was great.
[Click to continue]
by Wendy on March 7, 2012
· in It's Personal,Parenthood
Read the full article...
Jackson is beginning to notice that we have pets and that pets are … cute. And fun! And they make good pillows. Miles was lounging on the couch one afternoon this week and sensing a good photo op — Jackson was wearing his red “Brooklyn” sweatshirt, after all — I sat Jack next to Miles and told him to “smile for Mama!” As instructed, he smiled brightly into the camera, but it was his other gesture that made my heart explode into a million pieces. As he grinned for me, he ever-so-gently reached for Miles’ paw and he held it long enough for me to snap several pictures. Years and years from now, long after Miles is no longer with us and Jackson has left home for exciting adventures of his own, it’s moments like these I’ll think of when I remember the “good ole days.”
This week, it was better. How was yours?
[Click to continue]
by Wendy on February 17, 2012
· in Parenthood,Weekend Open Thread
Read the full article...
