43 Days Old

Today is my wife’s first day back at work.  For the next 12 weeks we are splitting our days.  She is working mornings and I’m working afternoons. We are grateful for both our employers working with us for this opportunity.  The timing worked out so that if all goes well, our daughter won’t be in day care until she’s 8 months old.

   My wife is a tough cookie.  After 6 weeks at home it was not easy for her to leave our daughter at home.  I think it was a little easier knowing she is with me instead of a non family member.

  So now here I am.  Up until now, I’ve been alone with her for an hour at a time.  But this will be my first real test.  I think already I am failing miserably since she is crying on the couch next to me as I type this.  Hold on a minute…

   Okay, I’m back.  She’s in the swing on the cusp of a hard nap while the Decemberists play on the I-pod.

   As hard as this has all been, my wife and I strongly suspect that a year from now when Von Bebe is running all over the place we will think of how easy it was when she just sat there and pooped and napped all day.  And then the same thing will happen when she starts talking.  My wife sagely said “If she can’t talk, she can’t talk back.”  I image 2 or 3 years from now we will feel the impact of this statement.

   Did I mention that my wife is a pretty smart person?  I can’t imagine what this experience would be like without as supportive a partner.  But that’s a blog post for another day.  

   Meanwhile, here's a photo of me being an ass and not paying attention to my daughter.