Week 41 - Dad and me

Week 41 Picture

Holy cow. Sorry for the late post. Over the last ten months I've gotten about a full week behind on this thing. I suppose in the coming weeks I'll have to do something to get caught up.

It was kind of a silly week to get behind on considering that this last weekend was the first time that I have ever been exclusively in charge of Jay's well being. Sure, I spent a lot of time with Jay during his first few months when Kimbre was at work, but never for more than 24 hours. Let me tell you, this weekend gave me a renewed respect for single parents, particularly single parents of infants. Watching after a child is truly a full-time job. Especially now that he has learned to crawl, he has much more freedom and latitude to express to us his needs, wants, and desires. As a stay-at-home mom, Kimbre certainly does not have it easy and this weekend only made me appreciate her and all she does around here. He's worth it, but the warm fuzzies come at the cost of the majority of your time and energy when watching him alone.

Nevertheless, the time I got to spend with him over this weekend will be something that I will always treasure. He such a special little boy, full of so much personality and pure, unadulterated, curiosity in exploring his surroundings. He loves us so much too, something he is getting better at expressing explicitly. For example, before this weekend, he would never crawl across the floor to me just to sit in my lap. He would never actively seek out cuddles, but rather simply tolerate them. These changes may be a product of him getting older rather than some grand development from a weekend alone with me, but it was a special moment nonetheless. This time with him made me miss getting to spend my days with him as I finished up grad school before Kimbre got home from work. My little boy won't always be little, and it makes me choke up a little bit just thinking about how one day I will look back on this stage in his life and truly miss it. I know it sometimes comes across as a cliché when parents say their children are the best things that has ever happened to them. I used to roll my eyes along with the rest of them, but now I get it. I've lived a full, blessed, privileged life thus far, but none of it compares to the happiness my little man brings to me just by existing.