I get my fair share of alone time (whether it be at my full-time job or my freelance writing/photography job). But, Nina doesn’t because she is a stay at home mom and is the main source of food right now for Niko.
When I come home from work and on the weekends, I like to do as much as I possibly can with Niko so she can get a little breather. Also, when I don’t have to get up in the morning, I will take Niko out of the bedroom and change him and bring him downstairs to play…that way, Nina can sleep in for an extra hour. A few days ago, Niko wanted to get up at 6:22 am and I wanted no part of that (dude, it was still dark outside) so I cuddled him to sleep next to me (which took a few minutes), but he finally woke up around 8 am which was much better than 6:22. Let me tell that sometimes cuddling works with Niko and sometimes it doesn’t. The day after we moved the clocks back for Daylight Savings Time, he was awake and at 5 am and nothing was going to change that…he got 4 naps that day (with his 1st one just a few minutes shy of 7 am).
Last Wednesday, I had a doctors appointment in the morning and in the late afternoon. Nina and Niko would’ve joined me, but had they done so, the 3 of us would’ve been out all day and been absolutely exhausted. When I arrived home around 4pm, Nina asked me if she could have about 3 hours of alone time in the next few days? I was like of course. I could do it (I mean, he is my son and I love him so much; plus he would take a bottle if needed). I was even thinking of all the bad things we could do and Nina would never know (until now). Like, run around the house naked or get cookie dough all over our faces — none of that actually happened.
Here is a run down of what really happened while she was shopping at the San Marcos Outlet Malls:
Niko bounced in his bouncer while I ate lunch.
I opened a new toy for Niko (what, you think I get new toys…NEVER) and we played for an hour in his baby jail. It’s just an enclosed area on the rug and is a cat free zone where he can’t injure himself.
We took a 1 hour and 45 minute nap together. I tried to put him in the crib 20 minutes in, but he wanted no crib (hey, if I had a choice between sleeping in a crib or on somebody, I would always choose on somebody). I think that is the longest nap I have had since before he was born.
After we woke up, I fed him apple sauce and string cheese. While he was eating, I was able to clean the kitchen and by that, I mean, I emptied the dishwasher, put the dirty dishes from the sink into the dishwasher, cleaned the stove top (it gets pretty yucky because it gets a lot of action from Nina and I; especially a frying pan), and took the trash out. Just your typical manly daddy chores!!! Yes, I cook and clean and sorry ladies and men, but I am very happily married with an awesome son.
I had to clean him up after he ate because he got food all over himself!!! I then took Niko upstairs and put clothes (mostly his) in the dryer. For being the smallest person, he goes thru several wardrobe changes throughout the day. Well, he slobbers on his clothes, gets food on his clothes, and sometimes he has pee or poo explosions. Anything that happens to him also happens to our clothes!!!
At that point, he was starting to get cranky (probably hunger and where the hell is mom), so I carried him around downstairs where I sang to music and we danced together. I was going to start preparing a bottle, but I wanted to give Nina about 15 minutes before I did that. He calmed down a little bit and I showed him some deer in the backyard. One of the deer moved their ear a little bit like it heard something, so I went to look in the frontyard and saw more deer and less than a minute later, I saw Nina pulling in the driveway. THANK GOD!!!!
I have never seen Nina run faster!!! She really wanted Niko…hey, what about me!!! I had to unload my car for her (I do this a lot and I never complain because she takes care of me and Niko). Yes, I let her take my car because it is newer and fancier than hers. We are going to trade her 2007 Ford Escape in either January or February of next year and get a Honda CRV or a Honda Pilot.
So, Nina went shopping and came back with baby clothes, baby toys, some indoor shoes for us, and some clothes for her. Oh, she even got me something from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory…a chocolate covered marshmallow on a stick. My wife knows what I like!!!
Next time, I will take Niko out somewhere without her!!!
