Call Me Mom

Well... we are now almost to the halfway point with the Great Single-Parent Experiment (aka Scott's trip to New York) and I got a little cranky last night. Darling Milo was overtired -- poor little guy coughed half of the previous night's sleep away and took a very short nap, so he was whinier than usual. And Miss Violet was completely interested in everything that I was doing. So I was running around the house in a vain attempt to clean up and her little hands were coming long after me undoing everything I'd done. Not inappropriate for a 14 month old, but frustrating nonetheless. So when Scott called to ask if his brother Matt had called me to let me know that they are expecting this summer, I was a little miffed. Not about the baby -- that's great news.

You see, I've been doing the single mom thing now for a week and no one has called to check up on us. Maybe it's because everyone believes that my parenting skills are outstanding and that I couldn't possibly, you know, want to talk to another adult or anything. But my mom hasn't checked in, I called my dad to thank him for the kids' Halloween box, and my sister didn't call this weekend, though she said she would. She has been keeping up with email, but with her little boy due next month, most of her conversations are about baby, birth, and familial boundaries. As they should be -- I remember the fog of being an almost-parent where nothing was as important as what my body was doing (and I apologize if I was overbearing in the least -- it never seems that way while you're in it). My mother-in-law called the day Scott left to see if he made it safely. But no one has called specifically to ask about us. Maybe I'm just being whiny... I can't tell.

In the mean time, my children have been keeping me busy and entertained. Here are a few instance of said entertainment:

Me: Milo! I don't want you to climb on the table.
Milo: I'm not climbing, Mom, I'm practicing not falling.

Violet, as she points to parts of my face: Eyessss, erssss, air, ose...
Me: Did you just say, "eyes, ears, hair, nose?"
Violet: Yeah
Me: what's this? (pointing at my hair)
Violet says nothing, but smiles and dances her little head in a pleasant rebuff of my attempts to goad her into performing.

Violet has begun saying "Mwah, mwah, mwah" when she's ready for bed -- as in kisses goodnight. She leans into Milo's bed to give him a "mwah".

The other day, while I was breastfeeding Violet, I was pretty much topless as Violet has begun this thing where she sucks for a moment on one breast, then switches to the other, back and forth the entire feeding. Milo snuggled up in my armpit and asked, "Is she nursing milk from that breast?" as he indicated the breast she was suckling.

"Yes, honey, she's drinking milk from this breast."

"OK," he says, burrowing even deeper into my side. His little square hand slid under my arm and onto my exposed breast, where he rested it gentle and cool against my skin.

"Ummm... what are you doing, buddy?" I ask hesitantly.

"Well, Violet does it. I think it makes her calm so I can do it, too."

I never really expected any other male than Scott to be feeling me up on the couch...

Oh, and if you want to know how we're doing, give me a call: 319-895-6349. But not tonight. Tonight I'm skating and the sitter won't answer the phone if you do try to call. I'm available tomorrow, though.