Domestic goddess?

Alas. This morning, MDad went back to work (the semester started today). We've been spoiled the past month, able to be side by side taking care of Andrew's needs, round the clock. Now we're facing a new reality: Dad goes to work on weekdays, Mom stays home and takes care of the baby and the house. How 1955! Let's see how it goes...this morning, at least, it went relatively well: Andrew woke up at about 7:00. I fed him and changed him, and then cuddled with him for a little while. By 8:30 he was ready for a nap, so I took Bob outside to do his business. I then was able to shower AND blow-dry my hair (!!!), get dressed, put in a load of laundry, start the dishwasher, and make myself some breakfast. Wow! And it's 9:45 a.m. and Andrew's still sleeping. I love you, buddy, but I could have used that extra hour or so of sleep earlier this morning, before I was up and at 'em! Oh well.

Later, we plan on going to the grocery store. Wish us luck! It'll be our first grocery store outing alone, I believe. I know I'll be able to put the car seat in the basket of the shopping cart (MDad and I agree that those people who prop the car seat on top of the cart's built-in child seat are crazy folks just asking for disaster), but where, then, will I put the groceries??? Such are the mysteries of life.

Later this week, we need to go to Costco. Plus (ugh) I need to drive back down to pick up my car at the repair place. It was hit in the hospital parking lot while I was giving birth! Totally driveable, but extremely annoying, since I just bought it in September. Anyway, they gave me a rental: a Jeep Patriot. Lemme tell ya, I'm all for encouraging people to buy American whenever possible, but there's absolutely no comparison between the Patriot and my Honda CR-V. I mean, yeah, there's about a $4000 price difference (Patriot is cheaper), but the Patriot is consistently listed as a competitor of the CR-V in reviews. I can't see how it possibly competes!

News on the Mom front: after an ugly confrontation/argument about a week before Christmas, she stopped speaking to us (way to ruin Andrew's first Christmas!). We were in Pennsylvania from 12/24-1/3, and when we came back there was a nasty crazy note on the door (which my neighbors, who were cat-sitting, saw of course). So, the night we got home, I insisted we drive to Home Depot and buy new locks, which MDad installed for me. So now, my home is a sanctuary that cannot be violated by Mom. It's very, very sad. I look at Andrew sometimes and I really can't believe she wants to miss out on the precious smiles, milestones, snuggles, etc. I'm tearing up even as I write this. But the best thing I can do for Mom right now is not to tolerate or reinforce her inappropriate behavior. If there's ever going to be any hope of us having anything close to a normal relationship, she's going to have to get help. And maybe the only way she'll be able to see that is if I refuse to have a relationship with her until then.

But still, it's very, very hard.