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March 01, 2009

Single Parenthood

Since Robbi departed early Thursday morning for Philadelphia, it has just been Alden and me. All told, it has been a smooth and uneventful span of days.

Fortunately, Alden seems to be her mother's child when it comes to sleeping. She has not been waking up until almost 10:00 each morning, so I've managed to get a few hours of work in before she wakes. When she wakes, the eating ritual begins. Hot cereal with frozen cherries. Cheerios. Baby yogurt. The kid can chow. She makes me proud. After breakfast we play with plastic objects in the living room until she's ready for a nap. While she naps, I work. When she wakes, we go for a walk and complete some minor chore (post office, bank, grocery store). When we come back, we play some more, eat some things from jars, and then go down for another nap. I work. She wakes. We eat. We play some more. She goes to sleep again, this time for the night. I try to do a bit more work, but eventually submit to the day and turn in myself. And so on. It has been nice, really, to spend so much time together.

We have been having our share of fun.

Alden has lately been very interested in getting to know her animal friends. To our shock, Lily, who is always surly, has uncommon patience with the baby.

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Even when her tail is pulled with glee.

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Iggy is far less certain that she has any interest in getting to know the child.

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Alden, however, is incredibly motivated to learn about Iggy, especially her ears.

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Iggy, because she is good and patient, quietly suffers the indignity. But it is clear to me, from the look in her eye, that all she wants is to be left alone.

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I don't know how to break it to her that there are years of this to come. That this menace is only going to get bigger, and quicker, and ever higher on the food chain.

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As I mentioned, we've been doing a lot of eating.

Alden has been exploring frozen peaches.

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And I have been exploring heaping pans of nachos.

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It must be hard to be a baby, not yet eligible for nachos. Consigned to suck on empty spoons.

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Yet make no mistake about it, Alden takes great pleasure in repast.

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Just now we had a bit of a breakthrough, Iggy initiating a bit of contat, I thought. Moments later, I discovered that what I had mistaken for affection was mere gastronomical impulse. Alden had a bit of food in her ear, which Iggy gladly helped remove.

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Baby steps, I say.

Thanks to those of you who have written with words of support (or was it concern?). The child and I are doing very well. Only one more week of this to go. If the current pace holds up, we both will be very fat and very well rested when Robbi comes home.

Posted by bogenamp at March 1, 2009 07:14 PM