The elusive date night

You know, it's funny the things you remember. For instance, at my baby shower we did advice cards where some of the experienced parents (I won't dare say older!) offered their sage advice to us greenhorns. One of the ones that stuck out the most was, "Remember you have a husband as well as a baby, don't neglect him." Well, that and the one that my best friend's mom wrote said something like, "Don't hold Cooper all of the time or he will grow up to be spoiled rotten just like TLJ (aforementioned best friend)." Anyway, I remember chuckling when I read the husband advice. I mean, how could I forget I had a husband? Who else was going to help with dirty diapers? I kid, but really, how could I forget the love of my life? Well friends, one year in and I get it. I've been so incredibly busy being a momma that I've very often forgotten to be a wife over the last year.

Wise words, indeed

This funny thing happens when you meet your baby. This intense, overwhelming love rushes in and all of a sudden you couldn't care less if there were bombs going off all around you. You just can't get enough of this amazing little person. It is a love like you've never known, and everything you've felt up to that point sort of pales in comparison. Of course, this is all augmented by postpartum hormones, and in my case by the pain of leaving the hospital without your baby in your arms. I didn't understand before and in fairness, you really can't until it happens. Anyway, in the time since, that crazy, consuming love has only grown. I often feel so guilty about leaving Cooper for 13-14 hours a day when I work (only 3 days per week, but still!), that I don't want to leave him when I don't absolutely have to. The thing is, it is crucial that you spend time with your other half! I'm the queen of excuses as to why not to leave my baby and last night was no different. B suggested a short impromptu road trip to exchange a gift we'd bought for someone.
"I don't know...he had a bit of a fever yesterday, and I think his tummy is still bothering him from the switch to whole milk..."
"He's been fine today, let's go," said husband. He's so matter of fact about it. Mommy guilt really is limited to mommies.
So, we dropped Cooper off with a relative and headed up the interstate. On the way up we talked, mostly about  Coop, but still. We talked about things we were scared of, about the future, about having more kids...we just talked, and it felt so good. We did some shopping and walked hand in hand. We went to Olive Garden and ate. I tried some free wine samples. On the way home we listened to music that we used to listen to when we first started dating 8 years ago. We sang along (in some instances, rapped along) and laughed at stuff that no one else would find funny. And on that drive home, I felt light and peaceful and in contrast to the usual, I felt younger than my 27 years. I felt like a wife, and a happy one at that. It was so nice that I thought about really making a date of it and giving him a goodnight kiss in the car and saying, "We should do this again sometime!" Because we really should. Even the best of relationships need to be nurtured.

Early Christmas present

The cherry on top was picking up our little guy on the way home and getting to snuggle him as I put him to bed. I feel so blessed to be a mommy and a wife, and I feel so in love with the wonderful man that I'm spending this life with. As Aerosmith once said, "We're partners in crime, yeah, you've got that certain something."

The most perfect ending to a most perfect evening