There is only one bad thing about my mom coming to stay with us for a week. I get used to her company, and then I have to say goodbye.
I had been pestering my mom for quite a while to come and stay with me. Many months ago, I proposed the idea for her to visit in the spring. I had thought we'd have a little repeat of last year, after Caleb was born, when she came up to help me during the throes of new mom exhaustion. Then it dawned on me that she could come up the week before Caleb's party and ta da- help me- she couldn't really refuse such begging and pleading on behalf of her youngest grandson.
My dad was gracious enough to drive her up and pick her up again a week later. He is needed elsewhere, otherwise known as "Grandpa Nanny" in my sister's household. My twin nephews can't seem to do without him.
Anyway, my parents were arriving on Saturday the 10th after a crazy morning with Brian off on a school function, and after three long days and nights by myself with Caleb. I was more than ready for some other company. Please don't misunderstand. I love my Caleb to bits and pieces, but sometimes I need adult company. I could barely get a shower that morning because Caleb was in rare form, so my parents' arrival was a breath of fresh air.
My mom and I had a great week together. We didn't do anything crazy. I would have loved to go shopping with her (we women love to shop in my family!), but the stores/malls are too far, and I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about how I need to stick to the nap schedule. (Hey, I once had a baby who never napped in the crib, and now he does, twice a day.) She joined me in my daily routine. We went grocery shopping together and we made three trips to Dunkin Donuts for coffees and lattes. I took her to the country store downtown where we oohed and awed over so many cute things. She accompanied me to Caleb's twelve month doctor appointment, and saw firsthand that I am really not a liar when I say that Caleb is a wreck at doctor's offices.
She helped me get some cleaning done around the house, whether it was a matter of watching Caleb so I could get something accomplished, or she did a few things herself. We sipped tea in the evenings and watched something like ten movies (no exaggeration) over the course of the week. (Though for me, I never fully "watch". I'm always doing something else at the same time.)
For those of you who attended the party, you can thank her for the delicious baked beans and potato salad, her specialties. She helped me get everything ready for the party, and she was cleaning up the kitchen long before I was.
I felt so emotional last week, and still do. Watching my son turn one year old and feeling how quickly time goes was enough to do that, but spending time with my mom did it, too. I don't get to see her as much as I'd like, and I when I do, I see the toll that age takes. I nearly wept at times, wishing I didn't have to live so far from her, wishing I were rich enough to build a house for her right next door so I could see her and take care of her. When she left Sunday morning, I am not too ashamed to admit that I cried. I am pathetic, I know, but for all my faults, I am full of heart and full of love. If I had to point to one thing in my life I wish I could change, it would be that I wish I could live closer to my family.
People don't understand why I am so lonely here. In many ways I still feel like a fish out of water. There were so many places to go to back home. Everything was close, unlike here. My life revolves around Caleb's routine, and I often struggle to go to stores and get shopping done while working around his naps. He comes first. His sleep and well-being is my priority. If I were back home, I'd have tons more options without having to worry about being gone too long. Here it is different, not bad, just different. There is still much of the Jersey in me, I suppose.
All this to say, it was a wonderful time with my mom, and I find myself each day thinking back to what we did on that day last week. I keep looking at the rocking chair, which quickly became "hers" over the course of the week, and thinking she should still be sitting there. In fact, I haven't even put it back to its original position, moved out of it so she could see the TV better.
I am blessed. Even though I do feel lonely, I know I have family a few hours away that is always with me in spirit, always cheering me on. I am so grateful my mom could spend a week with me, and as I watch my parents get older, I know their days on this earth are far less than I want them to be. These fleeting moments are too precious and too special to not appreciate.
I know you aren't on the internet, Mom, and therefore won't even read this, but I love you more than words can say. Thanks for spending the week with me; it meant more than you will ever know.
