Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Hoping the Future Will Consist of More Than Diapers

So, world. I am glad you have kept turning! Life is going well, Miss Thang gets cooler and more engaged in her world every day, and I am slowly returning to parts of my own life that are not directly related to Miss Thang’s survival. I went on my first work trip, and while I missed Miss Thang desperately, I did a) drink wine b) sleep several consecutive hours in a row for TWO WHOLE NIGHTS, OMG, and I felt like I had chugged an entire pot of coffee I was so AWAKE the next morning, but without the jitters. It was awesome. Also reassuring to discover that being a mother has not, in fact, made me completely idiotic so much as exhaustion has. It’s cure-able! Hypothetically speaking. My kid’s now teething. That’s a barrel full of insomnia.

I also went to book club last night and stayed the whole time, and wow, it’s nice to have friends who exist outside of the internets. (Not that you aren’t all lovely. You are.) There was a lot of talk about living and growing up and whatnot, and the things you dream about doing and the things you actually do, and it’s nice to see that in our small group of 30-something white women, we’re fairly diverse, at least in regards to where we are in life. Some are starting families. Some are staring months-long treks into Alaska. Some just got back from Operation Smiles tours in India. Some are starting new jobs, enjoying new haircuts, and raw diets. Personally, I was enjoying the leftover Easter candy while listening to all of this.

I fluctuated between feeling nostalgic for a time when I traveled like that, and feeling exhausted thinking about going anywhere farther than the grocery store. I have hibernated all winter with my baby, protecting her from scary viruses named for barnyard animals and The Wind, which is basically Miss Thang’s nemesis. She does not like a breezy day. At all. But at some point I feel as though we will need to face the world again. I’m going to have to trust her immune system a little bit if I want to go rent a house on the French countryside some summer, and she’s going to have to deal with The Wind if she wants to come with me.

3 comments:

Heather said...

I can see her not liking yesterday's howling winds, but she can learn to love the tickle of a breezy day - I promise!

You sound like you're doing great - sans the teething thing - OMG, isn't it like the worst thing ever? Tried Hyland's teething tablets? They work, they really do. Only thing that Christopher got any relief with.

Michele said...

What a sweet post. Looks like you and Miss Thang are each testing new boundaries, you with your whole new life fitting together with what your life used to be and her with her new teeth. Bravo to you both!

Miss Thang and I have in common our loathing for The Wind. While I do enjoy a slight breeze, anything that messes my hair is The Enemy. Keep her hair short if you want her to be happy in France. ;-)

Mels Place in Big Bear said...

I get it completely. If you want to rent a house in France, you can check out Numbmum.com - a friend of mine from BabyCenter, Betsy Shaw, did just that. Love hearing about her adventures. And yes, good for you for hanging out with real friends! I just wrote to you, before reading this post, about how I love my little monthly art salon. It's for similar reasons to why you like the book club.

You are in such a wonderful time of your life. Enjoy to the fullest!