Saturday, February 03, 2007

Chill

Not for the steadily dropping temperatures, but for the mood for this weekend. Left the overwhelmingly grey drab of the almost-wannabe-winter weather in the city this weekend - in intermittent rain, and by the time we got to the GWB, it was snow. The drive to the Undisclosed Location was delightful in a complicated guy-thing sort of way. It's been a long time since I've had the occasion to drive in snow, and I'd forgotten the almost hypnotic quality of the constant stream of large flakes of snow coming at you in the headlights. As trite as it seems it was also somehow moving as it was the first time I'd felt so deeply responsible for BW and Dear Alex in the back seat. Lil'screamie did not do her usual - falling asleep shortly after we get on the road, but she stayed awake through nearly the whole journey, learning and using the word "schnow - schnow!" endlessly as we drove. Fun and funny for the first twenty miles or so, but there's that (recent parental experience) voice in the back of your head that says, 'this does not bode well' . When screamie gets beyond overtired, cranky is the only outcome.
Arriving at the house offered that rare delight of making the first tire tracks on a snow-covered driveway after a long drive with the feeling of having made a real journey, that beat - the moment after you turn the car off and relax in the snowy darkness.

There was a brief furry of activity, getting Dear Alex out of the car and into her crib, then peace. Of course, the dear girl wasn't really done - all went well until I was awakened at around 4:30 in the morning by her screams - BW stayed mercifully asleep, so I got up to deal. Alex had made a stupendous mess in her diaper, the likes of which I've not seen in a while: the consistency of Gulden's spicy brown mustard, and like mustard (have you ever noticed?) it kind of got everywhere. I hustled her downstairs, and changed her in the dark as she writhed and screamed and fought me with everthing she had - I have no idea why, but of late, she doesn't seem to want to give up the diaper. After the struggle Dear Alex is freshly diapered - and it's calm again.

That calm is what this is about. Once the screaming stopped, I noticed that it was as bright as daylight outside - there was a full moon lighting up the snow that I got to see and share with Alex. (she loves the moon) - all because of this now unusual early morning awakening. It was worth it, and it put me in mind of all of the times I'd done this way back when lil'screamie was just a peanut, and how quickly you forget that aspect of daddy-ness - the midnight wakings, the relentless tiredness is constantly being displaced by the newness and wonder of watching her grow.

2 comments:

rechal said...

That was beautiful, Pookie. We spent the weekend with two sick (and cranky) girls, but a trip to Color Me Mine cheered them up.

Anonymous said...

I love reading all you write on this blog, Greg, BUT you have ruined my desire to ever use Gulden's mustard again! Keep up the great writing!