How to Reclaim a Little of Your Pre-Burrito Life

As anyone and everyone will tell you when you are pregnant with your first child, life after you have a baby will never be the same. This last week, however, I have found two ways in which to reclaim just a little of the freedom that I once took for granted.

On Friday, my new friend, Andrea, and I took our kiddos to the splash park near here. While we were watching them play everywhere but in the water, she asked me if Hugh and I wanted to come over that night and watch fireworks at her house. We could, she said, simply put Asher down at his normal bedtime at her house, and then, when we were done with our revels, we could pick him up and transplant him into his own bed at home. This idea was appealing, but also made me a little nervous. After all, Asher's sleep schedule is basically what holds me together. I don't know how to function without it, and if something messes it up Asher and I can both become rather cantankerous. After a few hours of thinking it over, however, I decided to risk it.

That evening at Andrea's house, Asher went down without a peep. We talked, ate, watched a firework show from the balcony and played an entire game of Phase 10. Then, at 12:30 AM, we decided that it was time for the moment of truth. I picked Asher up, and, after a few minutes of staring around at us bleary-eyed, he was quite jolly all the way home. He happily looked out the car windows at the night sky that he normally doesn't get to see, pointing at things and smiling at me.

When we got home, we sang him a verse of a very short song, and put him in his bed. He grabbed ahold of his gigantic teddy bear, rolled over, and closed his eyes. I walked out, closed the door and waited for the wailing to commence. But it didn't. That little burrito just went right back to sleep without a single squeak. We went out at night with no babysitter, and Asher just went right along with it all. It was just like pre-baby times... well, except that we didn't get to sleep in on Saturday morning, but one day, like in 15 years or something, I figure that all of my kids will be old enough to make themselves a bowl of cereal, and then maybe I can sleep in on Saturdays. And in the meantime, we've discovered a way to party like kidless people into the wee hours of the morning.

Every morning, Asher gets up at 7:00 AM. This means that 7:00 AM is also when I generally get up. I hear him start making noise, look groggily at the clock, and drag my weary self out of bed to pick him up. From then until 1:00 PM when he goes down for a nap, I play mommy. Sometimes I can get a few things done while he is awake, and sometimes I can't. Sometimes I don't get much in the way of breakfast until it's about time for lunch. (No matter how much I have just fed Asher, if he sees me start to eat something, he immediately decides that if he doesn't get to eat it too, he will without doubt shrivel up and die on the spot.)

So, today, I forced myself to get up 20 minutes early. I schlumped into the kitchen for some breakfast and then got dressed. Then, because Asher decided to sleep in for 15 minutes, I also made sure that house was cleaned up and checked my e-mail. I have to say, that when I heard that first morning squeak today, it was significantly less distressing, with the added bonus that when Asher was fed, bathed, dressed, and dying to go outside, I was ready. Which means I didn't have to let him destroy the house for ten minutes while I threw some clothes on and put my hair in a ponytail.

So, if you have a burrito and fear that you will never get your carefree, babyfree life back, well, you're right. But you can catch little glimpses of it if you try.... and if you're willing to lose a little sleep.