[queencarr]

Not sure if I mentioned it, but months ago, when Isaac was having such a hard time attaching to Rick and I was SO worn out and overextended, our SW asked me to go away for the night and allow Rick and Isaac to find their own way together and give me an emotional break. Watching everything, it just didn't seem the right time, and dh panicked at the thought, since Isaac wasn't even taking a daytime bottle from him at that point. We tried sleeping in separate rooms, but Isaac would cry and dh would get sad/upset and I would finally "have" to step in because they were just both so miserable. Together, DH and Idecided we just couldn't do the night away, but agreed to work to do it in the future. Gradually, we have built up to a routine, and Isaac will take a bottle from dh (usually only when I am not here) and will let him put him to sleep at night. During the night, it is still hit or miss, though. Isaac is playful with him now, and seeks him out and their relationship is going really well. We have worked really hard on their relationship, and it is time to try this. Keep in mind that I leave in 71/2 weeks to be gone for 9 weeks this summer. DH and Isaac have to be able to do this comfortably.

An opportunity came up a few weeks ago when I was invited to Scarborough Faire, which is like a Renfaire. But it is about 2 1/2 hours away, and we will be staying overnight. So we leave at 3 today, and E (our babysitter) will have him for about 2 hours until dh gets home. Then, they are on their own. I did make arrangements for them to get together with friends for a massive egg hunt tomorrow, so they should have lots of fun running outside and playing and eating. So they just have to get through tonight. Wish us all luck--dh has been apprehensive all week, and I am starting to have lots of anxiety about leaving (I even packed my sleeping pills for tonight

). Isaac has been doing so well, and I know they need to cross this hurdle--it will give us all more peace about this summer, but I have knots in my stomach just thinking about it. I know they need to do this, dh knows they need to do this, I know dh is fully competent and will do a great job, just...tell me it will be okay

(I swear, I feel like a nervous, first time mom

)

 

[RedOakMomma]

Wow, that's HUGE!! Congrats on the big step!

As for it being okay...you know it will, one way or another. He's Isaac's dad and Isaac needs to adjust to this. Heck...your dh needs to adjust to this.

It's time, and YAY YOU for doing it!

 

[mamadebug]

I hope you have a wonderful, restful, relaxing night away! It is a big step to leave for the first time. They'll get through it, though - hopefully, get through it well. Enjoy your break!

 

[fenwickmama]

 

[Polliwog]

Well?????? I just read this but would love an update.

 

[queencarr]

Sorry! CRAZY busy weekend, and I am just now stealing some MDC time

Overall, I think it went really well. Before I left, I held Isaac and told him I would be gone during the night and all next day. But I promised that I would be back and that I wasn't leaving. He grabbed on and just held me; no tears, just snuggled in close. I'm not sure exactly how much he understood, but he obviously got at least part of it. And for the first time ever, he didn't cry when I left and stayed in a good mood all evening, according to E. DH said Isaac did cry more than normal during the night but settled on down when he finally sat him up, looked him in the eye and told him "Mommy isn't here right now but Daddy is and you are OK". He woke about a normal number of times, and he was already in bed when I got home last night. When he woke and saw me, he cried a little more than normal again, and just snuggled in, had a normal night, and then woke in a great mood this morning. He was not particularly clingy (well, no moreso than normal) although he did get a little more upset than normal if I left the room. But all in all, I think it went really well. I think having all three at a time by himself still overwhelms dh, though. Not quite sure what to do about that--it is hard, but he is going to be doing it all summer, at least on the weekends. E will be here during week, and will be staying the nights, but I am sure she will go out with her friends and stuff some during the evenings. The sympathetic part of me wants to find a way to make it easier and feel a little sorry for him, but the other part of me says, hey I do this all the time, and dh works a lot of evenings so I don't even get a break til after bedtime, either! And he is going to have a helper! I think he psychs himself up to make it harder than it is sometimes, and then he pings and they ping and it is downhill from there. Connor is at a particularly trying stage of three-ness right now, which doesn't help.

As for me, I had a great time! I got to see several shows, ate lots of bad for me faire food (as gross as it sounds, fried mac n cheese on a stick is really, really good!), window shopped and bought stuff for the guys and E. Despite taking a sleeping pill, I still woke at regular bottle times

: but got a pretty good night's sleep. I feel better knowing that Isaac seems to be able to handle this (Oh how far we've come!) and he wasn't even mad at me today (which he is sometimes when I have been gone a lot). I'm thinking about another night or two while I am in town between now and when I leave just to work out a few more kinks, but I think it is a great start!

Thanks for all the support and encouragement