Times, they are a-changin’

Tomorrow, for the first time ever, someone other than a family member will have you in their care. Only ONCE have I left you with your sister and frankly, I’m not sure I was even ready for that and THAT was only maybe 5 or so hours. Something like that. Other than that, you have gone with me pretty much all over – the grocery, Target, various errands. Sometimes you would hang here with Grandma, especially if I left midnap, but normally? Nope, you were with mama and I liked that. I mean, let’s face it, you are pretty darn good and I am lucky as shit to have you be that way.

But mama made a decision to go back out there, into the big world, and make a living. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to work from here all through my pregnancy and through almost your first year of life. Most women do not get that honor. I am well aware of just how lucky I am.

But you are ready. You are a hair shy of one year old (we shall not discuss that or I’ll cry) and you need to be around other kids. I’m notsomuch into the whole playgroup thing, so you have been really denied that sort of interaction and I see now, particularly in church, just how fascinated you are with other kids. You just stare like “hmmmm, well he’s loud” or “hmmmmm, I think I might want that toy she has.” You will be with a nice lady who takes care of allllll boys. God love her. There will be a special place in heaven for that chick. Lord. No wonder she is so little. I doubt she has time to eat with all the activity and I’m sure she is on the move from dawn until dusk.

Anyway, buddy, there is part of me that is excited for you, excited for me to, ya know, be able to pee without company for a period of time every day and knows that both of us are ready for this. Right now, I don’t feel particularly ready because I am just going to miss that face so much. I was packing up your supplies to take over in the morning and I just got so sad. 9ish hours without my buddy? WHAT? Sigh. It’s going to be good, Poot. This opportunity was waaaaaay too fantastic to pass up. And by fantastic, I mean, more money to buy you crap. Lots and lots of crap. Gots to love that.

So be good for Miss Emily okay buddy? Show her your wonderful, hilarious, darling, loving ways. Show her just how funny you can be. Show her Peek-a-boo. Show her how fast you are on not just your knees, but your feet – provided you have support. Show her how much you LOVE Ritz crackers. Show her the staggering capacity your little mouth has to hold so much food – so much so that your cheeks take on a really funny chipmunk quality.

And of course, you must must must show her…….the TOES. However, they are my toes so I shall inspect them nightly to make sure she did not eat one as they as just that scrumptious. I completely understand the temptation will be there and really, she is only human, but damn it, those are my toes.