Friday, December 30, 2011

Escaping Responsibilities..

It's amazing, how in the half year that we've had Charlotte, how we've barely escaped the responsibilities that come along with the new title as "Mama" or "Dada"... usually, one of us gives the other a break, or we leave Charlie with a friend for an hour here or an hour there... but last night, our sweet friend Lauren took our little one off of our hands for us, so we could have a date night. Not only that, but she kept the little bug ALL night, so we could SLEEP IN! I usually let the hubby sleep in as much as he can on the weekends, so this was RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! Being overseas, without family support around, it's difficult to "get away"... but my sweet friend so willingly gave herself... her time, and I couldn't say "no"... with the hubby's departure for 6 months coming soon, I took her up on the offer. We packed C's basket full of all of her things, and some yummy dinner for the two of them to enjoy, dropped her off (she was SO excited to get rid of "Mama" and "Dada"), and then made our way "downtown".


As we sat in the car, driving over, we were trying to decide where to eat? hmm... you see, Charlotte isn't difficult to take out to eat... she eats everything, and most of the time, sits still, like a lady... so it was tough figuring out where to eat, that we normally wouldn't eat with her... As we made our way out of the car, took out a little cash at the ATM, I looked over to my left, and realized, "SUSHI"... so that's where we made our way... It felt so strange walking and holding hands, without a little one between us. It felt so strange to not have to worry about cutting up someone's meal before enjoying my own. You know, those little responsibilities you get so "used" to...



halfway through the meal, I looked at my fingers and realized I wasn't wearing my wedding/engagement ring...and then I looked at my hubby's fingers, and the same went for him! Yes, it really did feel like we were "dating"... totally not done on purpose.


It's amazing how much you miss being able to sit in the quiet, and enjoy a cup of coffee... so we did that as well...


Such a super sweet night, filled with reminiscing, sharing Charlotte stories (it's inevitable that you will talk about your child ), and cuddling... It was hard not to find myself thinking about my love leaving for 6 months... and there may or may not have been a crying meltdown on my part while snuggling together. But I savored as much as I could, including sleeping in until 9:30 this morning! I enjoyed a cup of coffee, catching up on some of my favorite blogs, edited a few photos, and then started this post, before picking Charlie up from her sleepover. It's amazing how much we missed the "noise" that comes along with Charlie, and as soon as we picked her up, we felt complete again. All those little responsibilities came flooding back in, and it just felt as it's supposed to now.
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4 comments:

  1. Hi Karen,

    I told Jason and I'll tell you....I'll be praying for all of you while he's gone. Hang tight and shoot me an email if you want to talk.

    Tracy

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  2. Yay, for date night, reconnecting, and just having time for each other while cherishing the fact that your little adds so much to your lives; not to forget sleeping in :)

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  3. Can't help but go back (a hundred years ago, now) and remember the sweet folks who took care of ours once in a while, so we could have a date night. THESE are good friends . . . THESE are moments to remember. THANK YOU for taking pictures and sharing even this tender time. You are a treasure to us!!!
    When you return to the US, we'll make sure you get more than one day to sleep in (I'm already planning for "Papa D camp" -- adventures with Charlie!!!!!!)

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  4. You described our date nights perfectly :) and with much more grace than I do.
    As a parent you don't really ever get a break so the chance to have someone else watch your children is a huge blessing. I am so happy you have a friend you can trust to watch Charlie. And from the looks of Papa D's comments he can't wait to help out :) Love that.

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