This Thing Called Bliss

      Jon went back to work this week, after having one week off.  Perfect timing...he was off the weekend Katy was in labor, she had the baby early Monday morning and he had last week and then another weekend off.  And now, when he goes to work, I go over there and hold the baby so Katy can sleep or take a shower.  He sleeps SO WELL, does little Desmond Bentley Armstrong, and peacefully until he gets hungry and then he just sort of squeaks and squirms a little.  He does cry once in a while at diaper changes.  He also wakes up by just stretching a bit and opening his eyes.  

      Since I've been back in town, I've had a chance to do some things on my own...meet friends for lunch, shop a little, hold the baby, make some phone calls, help with the little family's laundry, hold the baby, watch movies and football games with grand nieces and nephews, go get some homeopathics at the clinic, and then hold the baby some more.  All this on paid vacation time.  A couple of evenings, they've come over to my sister's house for dinner and tonight they were planning on stopping for diapers on the way home.  I suggested they just run out to the store while Desmond was sleeping so perfectly in the crook of my arm and to my surprise, they did just that.

      Katy and I both said to each other, almost in unison, "Are you sure?"  

Sure, I'm sure.  Then she handed me the diaper bag.  I asked, "What do I need that for?"

I didn't even think about the eventuality of needing to change a diaper, such was the idyllic scenario in which I was encapsulated.  Time was standing still and when the dog began barking a few minutes later, I thought she was barking at another animal outside, but it was Katy and Jon coming back from the store.  Desmond and I had not even stirred.

Katy's eyes were sort of welling up.  I said, "It felt like you just left a part of your body back here, didn't it?"

    Tomorrow, they are taking him to a specialist to see about his turned-in tootsies.  I offered to drive them there in my new rental car and they said I didn't need to do that.  It was going to be so early.  I offered a couple of times and finally I asked Katy,"Do you want me to go with you?"

     She answered, "No, it's ok.  We'll just go ahead and go."

    "Do you want me NOT to go?"

    "Yeah, we'll just go take care of this."

     I'm not offended.  Even if I thought they didn't want me horning in and being bossy, which I DO NOT DO, dear younger siblings who might claim otherwise, I wouldn't be offended because I totally understand.  I think it's probably that they just want to be the grown-up parents making decisions for their own child.

     Trouble is...I'm sure I know more than the doctors and everybody is going to miss out on that exchange.

     Oh well.  Plenty of time to make a nuisance of myself before I leave to go back home.