139 Days and Bread Crusts

- By Raquel

My Monkey Baby (#2 at my house) was born 132 days ago.  It might seem like a lot but in those short 4 months and 10 days we have been alone with him for approx 19 days.  That means we’ve had lots of help in the form a sister in law and grandparents.  To be truthful it has been incredible!  But now they are all gone and there are no visitors on the horizon any time soon, which makes us kinda sad.   While our family is eager to get back into old routines and figure out how this Monkey Baby fits into our family, I think Monkey Boy and I are going to be hardest hit.

Monkey Boy has had to learn the hard way that there no longer is an Aunt Leslie to make special snacks or play unlimited puzzles with.  No Grandpa to tease and share cookies with.  No Grandma to rock with or help bake cookies.  As a matter fact when he tries to tell me that he only eats his apple with the skin cut off or he wants the crusts cut off his bread I simply laugh and remind Monkey Boy that the good times are over.  Mommy is back in charge so he’d better remember he always ate the skin and the crusts.  He can still have his chocolate chip cookies but they will be store bought and not homemade.  His life will be hard from now on.

In retrospect maybe mine will be harder.  When Monkey Baby was born my girlfriends brought over a plethora of food.  My sister in law took care of Monkey Boy and prepared all the baby clothes and the nursery.  When she left my in laws took over and with guns blazing they (and I really mean she) cooked, washed, ironed, de-cluttered, and sewed curtains, hems, pillows and everything else we could find all of this of course was in between watching both kids while I took on part-time work.

Now I look around and the laundry hamper is full, the cookie jar is empty, we had delivery for dinner and I am tired.  So I say life is a little harder than eating a few bread crusts.