A Little Mischief: Talkin' about Practice

Baby-free margarita

Dear Q,
Today I spoke to the HR lady at work. I am due back on January 21st and even though I still have a month left I am already sick at the thought of leaving you.

I asked her about the possibility of extending my leave for an extra couple of weeks. Whether or not it will happen remains to be seen, but she assured me that no amount of extra time is going to make it any easier.

Until then I'm trying to enjoy every moment we get to spend together. I do, however, have to practice being away from you. On Tuesday your Aunt Lauren came to visit and your father practically pushed us out the door. We went to get a drink at one of my favorite margarita places a couple of blocks away. It was the first time in your whole little life that we were apart. I missed you terribly, but it helped to know that your daddy was taking good care of you.

Speaking of your dad, have I ever told you how awesome he is? I just crept to the top of the stairs so I could hear him softy singing a lullaby to you. He doesn't know the words so he makes up his own - you don't seem to mind. Yesterday he came home from work and handed me these:

"For being a good mommy"

He's the best! As for you, now that you're in your seventh week, you are becoming very good at expressing yourself. You let us know you're happy with your coos and smiles. And when you're unhappy-you let the whole neighborhood know about it. Thankfully those occasions are rare. You're a very pleasant baby, just very impatient when it comes to getting your meals on time.

Also, we are really starting to get around now! After a bit of practicing we had our first successful walk in the baby sling. You were asleep by the time we reached the end of the block, but I kept walking along South Street and ducking into whatever store I pleased. It was wonderful to be able to take you out without the hassle of the stroller. Last week the guard at the bank saw me struggling to get it through the door. "You must be new at this," she said, "you gotta go backwards!"

But we are getting the hang of it, like so many other things. Practice makes perfect, baby girl! It's amazing to watch you learn new things every day.

I can't wait to share the pictures from the special Christmas project we've been working on, but in the meantime, some photos: