Lately, we have been taking long walks in the evening before we put Wiggle to bed. I started doing it because I could use the exercise, and all of my parenting books say I should get Wiggle outside more, and well, because I want to be the kind of parent who takes my kid on long walks in the evening. But I didn't know what a difference they would make in my life in general.
Truthfully, I had been feeling kind of down lately. Not depressed really, but a little harried. The library of parenting books on our shelves kept telling me how this (6 months) is the best time, and that I should have things under control now. Not only that, but the sense of calm that I am supposedly feeling would disappear slowly, but surely as Wiggle becomes even more mobile, willful, and articulate, only to return around the age of three (not so coincidentally, this is also the age at which most kids enter pre-school). Needless to say, I had not been overcome as of late with either a sense of inner peace or an outwardly tidy home.
To top it off, Wiggle had started to develop sleep issues - most notably, he had stopped sleeping on his own easily. So I started the walks in order to give myself time when Wiggle was engaged in an activity other than using me as a jungle gym or trying to take my shirt off, but they quickly became more than that. They gave some structure to my day and to Wiggle's day, and from that a daily schedule seemed to fall seamlessly into place. They have also given C and me some time each day to talk without trying to get some dishes done, check email, or sort laundry at the same time. The walks, plus the daily schedule, have also given us a normal sleep schedule for Wiggle. Some sound advice on sleep issues (Thanks, Aunt K and Uncle B for the books!) seems to have nipped the latest sleep problems in the bud, and I can proudly say that last night Wiggle slept from 8:30 pm until 8:00 am, and he took two decent naps yesterday. C and I have had dinner by ourselves three nights in a row and even managed to watch a couple of our long forgotten Netflix.
I feel like a new person. I remember that I have a husband, not just a baby-daddy, and more than that I love him. We had become "Mom" and "Dad." No, worse than that, we had become "mom" and "dad." And while I love, repeat, love, being a mom, in order to continue being a good mom, I needed to remember that I am more than that too, that C's and my relationship is more than just being parents to Wiggle. Not bad for such a mundane activity.
Some pictures from the 'hood.
His future's so bright, he's gotta wear shades.
I love sweet potatoes!
What are you looking at?
You mean there are more kinds of food?
More applesauce please.
What do you mean there's no more?
Note the awesome outfit Grandpa A brought Wiggle back from South America. He is also wearing slippers that Grandmother J gave him. We have been having unseasonably cool weather (it was in the 50's last night), so the fleece penguin slippers were perfect for being out in the evening. When I received the slippers earlier this summer, they looked huge, and I thought they would be perfect for him come November or December. Well, bigfoot's toes are right where they should be now. The kid's got monster feet.
Here's the reaction I got when Wiggle caught me taking pictures of the overt snuggling.
In other news, our little boy is growing up so fast. Here is a picture of him all dressed up to go out shopping. Do you see the super cute Vans that his Aunt K and Uncle B got him? He got the shoes three weeks ago and they were way too big - now, they fit perfectly.
After the concert, we decided to walk around for a few minutes to kill time before we got back on the bus. There were tons of people out enjoying the uncharacteristically cool weather. Kids seemed to be having the most fun - running, screaming, laughing. Sounds permanently associated with summer, but ones that I don't get to hear very often living in a dicey neighborhood in the city.
Fun in the new Burnham Pavilion
Splashing in Crown Fountain.