Right now I’m nursing my (one allowed) cup of iced coffee, Teddy is in the other room at my brother- and sister-in-law’s house, it’s quiet and I’m in heaven.
To be honest, if you’d asked me earlier in the week how I thought I’d be feeling, I probably would have guessed other words that are a far cry from “heaven”.
You see, Ian had a photo shoot outside of NYC starting early (like 5am early) Wednesday, so since then, I’ve been on single-parent-duty with Teddy. And to be honest, I was kind of nervous about it. As a full time working mom, the most time I spend with Teddy is on the weekends and then it’s me and Ian tag-teaming. Even when Ian’s traveling for work, it’s still usually during the week when Teddy’s in daycare and I’m working. This is the first time I can recall where I’ve been with Teddy full-time, all day, by myself. And like I said, I’m in heaven.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m also exhausted. And my hair is a mess. And I’m feeling VERY pregnant (which at 7.5 months, is to be expected). But I had a realization on Wednesday morning, when Teddy got up at 6:45am. I realized I could suffer through it or rise up and embrace what could be a really special few days. I chose the later.
I’m so glad I did.
I also realized that with the new baby’s arrival coming right up, this special time with Teddy is only going to get harder and less frequent. So our little Teddy-and-mom time couldn’t have come at a better time.
Now this isn’t to say that I’m not getting help, because I am. I’m getting help by way of my amazing brother-in-law, Chris, my amazing sister-in-law, Nicole, and Teddy’s wonderful (and beloved) cousins, Ben and Rory. They’ve been outstanding, helping to play with Teddy, keep him busy, give me a few minutes to sit down.
I’ve always respected and appreciated stay-at-home-moms and this brings it to a new level. Could I do it? Sure. Do I love the situation I have now, where i can work and be a mom? Yes. But these are nice little moments that pop up from time to time and I’m thankful for them as well.
