Mother Child Reunion

I left him. I actually left him for three full days. I had a training for a new part-time endeavor of mine and had to leave Wyatt at home on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:30-4:30. When first asked to participate in the training, I jumped at the new opportunity with pre-Wyatt spontaneity but failed to realize the logistics and emotional complications. The training was in NJ and I wanted to be with him at night to nurse, so the solution was to bring Wyatt to Rebecca's in Astoria.

It took me all day Thursday to get myself ready. There were bottles, breast pumps, and leakage pads. Boobs still produce regardless of where the baby is. Boxes with diapers, wipes, creams, and waterproof pads. It took my Mom all day Friday to get Wyatt ready for the trip. She packed literally three weeks worth of clothing (he tends to go through an average of four outfits a day), bibs, burp clothes, receiving blankets, and socks. Then there was the Pack n' Play, car seat, vibrating chair, and stroller. He is quite a little man but definitely doesn't pack light. Rebecca's apartment was converted into a temporary daycare with baby paraphernalia in every corner. The time, effort, and sheer man-power that went into this excursion is mind blowing.

On Friday, I was a mess. I woke up at 4:30 in the morning just to gaze into his sleepy little face for a good half hour. Was slightly teary eyed while I nursed him and had to run out of the house to force myself to go. I made it to the car and was in the town over before I was bawling uncontrollably. I was that crazy person talking to myself in the car, crying, convincing myself to keep on driving. I have NO IDEA how Terry said goodbye to him for 6 months, my sympathy is unending. I missed Wyatt every second I was gone and it never got easier to leave in the morning. I feel that this is somewhat of a right of passage for new mothers. It had to happen eventually and it was marginally easier leaving him with Mom and Rebecca, people that I trust implicitly.

Overall, the training was a success and I had a great time. Wyatt was a champ, was well behaved for his other mothers, and dutifully gave me huge toothless grins upon my arrival home. I was surprisingly articulate, composed full sentences, contained my over flowing breasts, and did not cry in front of anyone. I am coming to realize that my days of jump up and go are far behind me and yet I am surprisingly OK with that. Thank God it is Monday tomorrow and I get 6 hours of uninterrupted Wyatt. I need to make up for lost time and continue working on getting him to say 'Mama'.