220...221... Whatever it takes

I'm Mr. Mom this week.  Tara's at work to tie up some ends and work out some details, before she takes on the task of being stay-at-home-mom and also trying to find income sources that she can do while being home with Thomas.  One of those things they forgot to tell us ... Just how much having a baby changes your priorities.  Certainly, we expected it to happen and be big, but I don't think we were prepared for the degree to which we would feel the need to put all other things after his well-being.  We both feel pretty great about the fact that we think we've been able to work out a way to make this happen, at least for the short term.  Having spent today at home with him, I am even more glad that it'll be one of us with him.  He's really amazing, and having just that one day, I feel somehow a little more connected than before.

I put him to sleep for a nap and when he started to stir, I stood for over a half an hour at the door watching through the crack so he wouldn't see me.  Later, after he rolled over (twice), and stood with a look that I swear was pride, because he was standing with only the help of one of daddy's hands, we went for a walk around the block.  We stood on the roots of a large Oak tree and I put his hand against the massive trunk, knowing that I was with him the first time he ever touched a tree.  We watched the carpool parade for the school next door, and he looked at me with a wonder that I couldn't quite interpret exactly.  Then he napped for two hours late in the afternoon and woke to Mommy back home to lift him lovingly out of the crib.  He ate, he slept, his clothes were relatively clean, the house didn't burn down, and we all get to go to bed and try it again tomorrow.  Tomorrow ... Caroline comes for a longer than usual day.  Two babies, four and a half months old, and me ... taking care of them.  I'm sure it'll all be fine.