The Benefits of Being a Night Owl
Jude has had a tough time adjusting to the move. Translated from motherese, the previous sentence reads: My child has been super fucking cranky for days and I don’t know how to MAKE. IT. STOP.
The past few days have been so frustrating. Jude is nursing like a newborn, only more frequently, if you can imagine. No amount of distractions will, well, distract him from whatever it is he’s focused on. He’s been whining and crying nearly non-stop, and honestly, up until last night I had no clue what I was going to do to keep my sanity.
Last night it hit me. For days I had been saying that Jude was being super clingy and needy and that it was really making life tough because I had (still have) so much to do around the house. I kept getting frustrated by the fact that Jude just would not play by himself in his playroom off the kitchen while I unpacked boxes. I was angry that he couldn’t understand that no, he could not put his hands in the hot dishwasher. So last night, the observation I had been making for days finally sunk in. Jude needs me. His tiny world has been turned upside down, and on top of having to deal with a huge move and unfamiliar surroundings, he’s cutting new teeth and adjusting to a time change. Plus, his mother (that would be me) was doing her best to give him as little of herself as possible all for the sake of unpacking a few boxes. Lame, lame, lame.
After I put Jude to bed last night, I got up and worked on getting the kitchen and playroom unpacked and set up. I did dishes and ran the dishwasher. I threw out the super icky rug that was on the floor in the playroom, swept the floor, and put down one of our (clean!) area rugs. I organized the kitchen and Jude’s toys. I filled two shelves with books for Jude and I to read together. Heck, I even did a load of laundry.
I was up late. I worked hard. When Jude woke me up at around 6 this morning, I was tired. But even through my bleary eyes, one thing was crystal clear: Today belongs to us. Today my son won’t have to fight for my attention. Today we’ll go to the park, have lunch with Papa, and check out the play group that meets at COS. Today, if the kid wants to be permanently attached to my boob, I’ll be happy to oblige him because it’s obviously what he needs.
Today I understand the benefits of being a night owl.