"He's Coming"

So I just left our bed, where my son and husband are sleeping next to one another. As I kissed Luke's head before I cam downstairs I got a little whiff of heaven. I know people talk about how babies smell all the time, but until you actually know the scent of your own child you have no idea what they are really talking about.

Last night I woke up around 2 am, hearing some different sort of noises from Luke's room. We don't use a monitor as he is right next door, and even though I sleep soundly, I must always be half listening in on him, even in my sleep. I went into his room and promptly found out the cause, he had flipped over onto his tummy and was laying there proudly looking all around and singing a victory song. He has been rolling from front to back since 7 weeks, and just started with back to front rolling about a week ago. This was the first time that he had done it in his crib though. I nursed him and we both went back to bed, he to his, me to mine. This morning when I told Nate what had happened, the first thing he said was "HE'S COMING". I asked what he meant and he said that the next thing we knew he would be halfway down the hall on his own. I love the image that created in my head....Luke flailing around until he figured out how to get his rotund little body from back to front, in preparation of crawling, and pulling up, and one day climbing over the rails of his crib or bed and running into our bed. I have to say, that I simply don't know how single Mom's do it, this parenting thing. I mean, I can figure it out from a logistical perspective, and, as Nate travels a lot I understand how they can physically take care of a baby solo ~ but what I don't understand is how they miss out on the funny, crazy perspective that a father offers ~ the little goofy things that the Dad's do along the way (Like Nate referring to the bulb syringe as the Plunger, or being happy when Luke cried when we took his temp because, "at least we know he's not gay" or, for taking the picture above), and the way that it makes me love my baby AND my husband even more when I see them laughing together or Nate changing Luke's diaper. Nothing makes me happier than to see my boy's hanging out together. Luke follows Nate around with his eyes whenever he is in the room, and its the coolest thing I have ever seen. The 40 weeks that I carried around Luke in my belly gave me a head start on the bonding thing. Even though Nate was enthralled with the first little kicks, and later the giant rolling freakish alien~esque morphing of my belly ~ I think that the whole concept of "that's our baby doing that" truly can't set in until the little critter is actually physically here for most Dad's.
In other news, I dragged poor Luke to the Lilly Pulitzer sale in Valley Forge yesterday. Dear Lord. Thousands of hot pink and lime green clad women DESCEND upon the Valley Forge Convention Center for this once a year event. It was my first time going, when I was working it always just seemed like too much of a hassle to get there and stand in line simply to shop. Mom and I headed over there yesterday afternoon with Luke safely ensconced in the Bjorn on my chest. I am currently wading through the murky waters of wardrobe adjustment. Both in terms of size and lifestyle. I no longer have a career and have not yet determined what genre of stay at home Mom I am. Am I sporty Mom? The one you see at the grocery store in her cute little perfectly coordinated workout garb, fresh from a Pilate's class? Or maybe I am a "ladies who lunch Mom" who should be in my sweater set and little pleated skirt while I drag my child with a page boy haircut from store to store along the main line? (ugh). There is always "tornado Mom" ~ the disheveled wreck, but I just cant go there until I have 3 kids in tow. "Hippy Mom" is just an era gone by for me. "Sexy Mom" is out ~ I simply just have no interest at the moment of trotting around in the high heels that litter my closet. It just does not make sense when I have 16 lbs strapped to my chest. Podiatrists DREAM right there. Anyway, as I navigate the waters of a changing persona I thought that maybe some cute little Lilly skirts might come in handy. We did well at the sale,and I got a lot of stuff......and at one point had to sit on the floor pretty much baring all to nurse my hungry son. This indignity was quickly forgotten when we saw the line to the makeshift "fitting room"..... rather than stand in a 40 person line simply to try on clothes we instead opted to get nekkid with about 50 other women and all dropped trou right there in a corner of the convention center. Mom became my mirror as I decided what to buy. Lesson learned ~ when going to the Lilly sale, wear your Grannie undies. This will make the public humiliation of sharing semi nudity with strangers slightly more bearable. Oh Luke. Be glad that you are a boy. AND, be glad that Lilly does not make little boy clothes, your college fund is fatter for it.