All Night Long
The other day I couldn’t help myself from humming a Lionel Richie tune while I took my morning shower. Little Cambell slept all through the night. For the first time ever, I woke before he did.
The initial reaction of the wife and I was the same as any first time parents faced with a good night’s rest: fear. What happened? Did you get up with him? Is he ok? I’ll go check on him. Shew.
Our next reaction was all smiles and celebration. We would have danced the jig if it didn’t require us to get out of bed. Let’s hope this is the start of something special. Of course, the following day (yesterday, if you are following along), the one-time pattern didn’t hold. Still, we are both quite hopeful for the future.
For those who are wondering, Cambell is doing just fine. As my little object of facination, he has become more interactive every day. Coos and giggles are now the norm. He grasps at this and that, often latching himself to my clothing and refusing to let go. You can hold his gaze for a long while. Peek-a-boo is prime entertainment. Baby Eistein proves an interesting distraction.
He’s also developing a personality. Like all infants, he’ll let you know when he’s frustrated. He’ll let the world know when he’s mad. When he’s content, his facial expressions are littered with clues. When he’s happy, one of his signature smiles lights up the room. I’ve never seen a child who could smile so much with their eyes.
His mom on the other hand, is preparing for a bit of a tough time: she’s going back to work next week. The balance between work and baby is something we debated for a while. We recognized the need for income. We, and especially she (as the prime money maker in the household, my role was never in doubt), expressed the desire to participate in our child’s life during the daytime hours. You make sacrifices. In this case, at least, I think we did a good job putting our money (or lack thereof) where are mouth is. She’ll be going back part-time after a three month hiatus. I have to say that I feel incredibly lucky that we have the financial means to pull it off. Cambell will get to see his mother much more than the average bear.
It also signals a bit of a transition for me. After three months of letting the wife take on the majority of the nighttime feeding chores, I will be asked to take a larger role. Part of me will lament the sleep I’ll lose. Another part of me doesn’t think an extra hour in the middle of the night sounds like a bad addition to the little time after work that I see him each day (I’ll be sure to read that sentence to myself at 4:00 am one evening).
I think it will be good for the wife to get out a little more and converse with the natives on a more regular basis. I also think it will be great that mommy and baby can take more than occasional trips to the park or zoo in the middle of the afternoon. I know the wife is dreading her return to the workforce. It may help to tell her that I’ll know how she feels as she’s frets at her desk. I miss him too.
