When Daddy is away

When Daddy is away, some routines change. I learned this when I was a kid with Dad on afternoons. I live this as an adult when Ken travels (which thankfully isn’t often) or when he has to go to the Cameron’s museum on Thursdsys or back to work (which never happened until recently but will be more frequent for a while). Before Reid came, I started a wonderful habit of going to Melissa’s to watch Ben on Thursday nights while the Sarah and Stephen were at swimming lessons. The night of the lessons changed eventually and Ben got big enough to attend his own lessons but still Melissa fed and entertained me. Even since Reid came and then started eating her own share of the food, we’ve been wlecome. We stay out a bit later than usual (it used to be way later but with daycare in the morning I have to be good) and Reid nurses in the car before we head home. Ever since she has been old enough to be nosy – and that was pretty young – she hasn’t been able to focus on nursing in the house. As we head into another winter of nursing in the car, I wish she wasn’t nosy like her dad ;+). Truthfully, I wish she *was* nosy like him because he isn’t very nosy.

Since Reid got sick before Ken left but close enough to the departure date that he couldn’t stay home with her and continued after he went, our Reid-Mama bonding time started earlier and was more intense even than anticipated. We hit a new routine quickly – meals at Reid’s little table (thanks again for that, Chris) and naps, sleeping, bathroom breaks and pretty much everything else together. Talking on the phone to Daddy just before bed (which was before supper Reno-time) was an important part of our day when we managed to connect. Whenever Reid played with a phone while Ken was away, she always said “Hello, Daddy” as soon as she picked up the receiver. By the time he came home she was asking me about him quite often. “Daddy had to go away for work” is a simple enough concept but she didn’t ask or understand why. That question will come.

Since he’s been back, Daddy has been the recipient of many cuddles and smiles. Monday night, when we was dog-tired from 12 hours of travelling and a time-change, she was laying on top of him kissing him and talking (and overwhelming him probably). Seemed like a good welcome home to me.

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