Lump n Bump

What a weekend in contrast to 7 days ago.

Saturday morning we snacked on breakfast and George spent the morning with Grandma and Grandpa. Nick could go to work and Mom could have time to recharge. Nick and I went on a brunch date with some friends while we were child-free and it felt incredible. We caught up and talked about nothing and everything. I ate two breakfasts.

We drove to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to see our baby George. He was napping well when we arrived. Then we played and laughed and giggled and cried a tiny bit because he ran into my tooth with his forehead. After a couple of diaper changes and snacks we drove home singing and car dancing to dad’s excellent playlists. For dinner we snacked on all kinds of leftovers and snacks. We had bath and bottle and pajamas and bedtime all while smiling.

I had some trouble winding down to actually sleep because I didn’t feel hungry, but I wasn’t properly full after having snacks for dinner. So I waited until 11:00 PM to have chicken cutlets. I fell asleep quickly thereafter.

Sunday began early at 7:00 and we had a nice big diner breakfast by chef Nick: eggs and bacon and hash browns. Nick cooked, I tended laundry, George was bouncing between rooms with laundry and cooking utensils and wild enthusiasm. As the food was plated up, George became reacquainted with the definition of hot.

He had touched the clothing steamer that I didn’t realize was still hot. Now the burn wasn’t bad at all because I had touched it when I set it down, and it was hot, but not burning hot. George’s finger was barely even red so we didn’t understand why he was crying and shaking his hand and wailing in discomfort for a minute. Finally he cried the word hot and I thought he meant that he was warm in the room so I went to move him to the front door and look outside and cool off. I almost tripped over the steamer and asked Nick to move it somewhere safe and that’s when Nick noticed that it was hot still and that he was crying from a touching hot metal. Thankfully his hand was not badly hurt it wasn’t even red, but it was certainly enough to scare him, and that mom and dad didn’t know immediately know what happened must have been upsetting. I gave him a cool dish towel to hold and a ice bottle to hang on to. Suddenly George became a snugly baby who needed closeness to be reassured, content to eat bacon upon dad’s lap. Breakfast food, milk, water, and deep breaths cured his pain. Bacon will significantly help alleviate any pain. After that he seemed tired but by this time it was barely 9:15 so it was far too early to be nap time.

We close the curtains, turned off lights, and put on Disney’s earth moods to create a calm in the house. I relaxed on the couch and George quietly played with his cars on the window seat. Nick was reading articles on his phone. My baby was kicking up a storm. We folded some laundry to as podcast about gout. Our bellies were full and happy, the coffee was warm and you couldn’t wish for a more perfect, cozy Sunday morning.

By 11:00 I was feeling cabin fever so we got out of the house and ran errands. George got a nice car nap, and I felt better with some fresh air and snow falling on the car.

I texted with my mom. She was sad about the death of a friend who died in a coma after brain aneurysm surgery. It was a new kind of connection with my mom. She reached out to me because she was grieving and I was able to be there for her.

We returned home to have lunch and watch the Bills play on TV. George was invigorated, and quite literally bouncing off my belly between bites of lunch and helping dad with health insurance paperwork. We called auntie Jamie. George got a hold of Nick’s phone and randomly swiped to call a contact from text messages. We left her a babbling voice message of giggles and George shouts. I excused myself for a warm Epsom salt bath when I had had enough rough play. Auntie called back while I soaked and chatted with Nick and George.

By the fourth quarter of the game, George could take no more of sitting in the same room. He asked to play in the car while the good guys played poorly in the 4th quarter and lost in overtime. I used this time to tidy up both vehicles, discard junk, wipe the dashboard, erase some grime. The nesting is hitting me in surprise waves.

By dinner time we were all tired. And it been a long day with snuggles and play and chase and naps and music and dancing and snacks and so many chores done. So much laundry folded and put away.

For dinner Nick prepared homemade potato and broccoli pizza while George and I played a game of race. We own a Cape cod style house so the staircase in the center of the house creates an excellent indoor racetrack. Before pizza was ready and cool, George’s appetite and thirst was insatiable. He chugged a protein shake that he found in the fridge. He wasn’t very interested in pizza by the time it was cool. Oh damn. that means more pizza for me, and a balanced meal replacement happily guzzled by a toddler.

On of the last post-dinner lap before bath, George was racing against the clock and through my legs. Nick stood in front of me and had George race through both sets of our legs. An intrusive thought occurred to me while George stood between us and slipped out of my mouth; “and now we pee on him!” It sent Nick and I into a fit of laughter. What a ridiculous thing to say. Of course we don’t pee on children, we don’t pee outside of the bathroom! Although, I almost peed my pants then and there laughing so hard.

I realized I did more laughing today than I have collectively since June. I felt a moment of regret for missed opportunity to feel joy. But I didn’t want to feel sad at the end of a perfect weekend. Instead I noticed how good laughter made me feel.

I did so many things today that make my self feel good. Music and laughing and family time and snow. Dancing and cleaning and checking off a to-do list. Kisses and snuggles. Enthusiastic play and managing moderate pain before I got cranky. I’m proud of my family. I’m so glad I got a weekend like this with my little family of three.