Papa here folks.
It’s been a while since I myself have blogged, as the sleep deprivation of a newborn was WAY underestimated by me. I am very grateful that I could use my vacation and sick leave to be off during this time for Zoey, as it’s been a “vertical” learning curve to get into her routine. I’ve got one week left till I return to work, and I can’t say I miss it at all. While it’s been great for paying the bills and making this life come together, it’s now just a job, and it will be hard to be away from my new family.
Mike and I lately haven’t always gotten to sleep together, as we take “shifts” in her overnight care. The diaper changes and bottle feedings with us BOTH responding to her cries wasn’t working. We’d both try to get up, and both end up exhausted.
Each day Zoey becomes more and more like a baby and less like a newborn. She’s animated. She’s learning what to do to get our attention. She responds to us. One of my favorite moments this last week was to see Zoey laugh at Mike. It melted my heart. She allows me calm her down when I talk to her over “Tummy Time”. Although for whatever reason, whenever I put her down for tummy time she goes to sleep. Must be my no nonsense sparkling personality.
Mike and I have had to have to take time to go out without Zoey and rediscover each other. There’s a lot folks will tell you before a baby is born about the sleep loss, the distractions from your marriage. Frankly, I blew off all the comments. Every one of them. Ironically, every one of the things I remember being told has come true. Staring at each other over a restaurant table without the baby seems strangely awkward now…. And then the waitress dumped a plateful of Aus Jus on my leg, whew, now I feel at home!!
There have been moments of clarity in the changes for us. For instance, I went to the store the other day without checking myself in the mirror, as Mike and I were starving. I noticed people were looking at me, I assumed it was from my “mountain man” look (I might go an extra day without shaving). When I got back and went to use the restroom I found the pancake size spit-up stain Zoey left on me. I frankly cannot imagine what people thought when they saw that walking around the store. “Does that guy even know he’s covered in spit-up???”
The house is closer to being ready, as we have to prepare to leave Tacoma soon to move into it. There’s going to be a flurry of cleaning, quickly follow by boxes, furniture, then a baby. All of our setup for Zoey in the apartment goes out the window with the move, and we finally settle into what we intended from the start, our family in the house. Just in time for the spring flowers to start growing…..
