Thou shalt not kill
This morning Autumn woke at 4:30 am crying. I went in to check on her and found her with one leg sticking through the slats of her crib. I picked her up, soothed her and decided to nurse her as long as we were both up.
While we were in the rocking chair, Molly entered the room, sat in front of us and stared. I sighed. “Do you have to go potty?” I asked.
She shook as though a jolt of electricity had just passed through her, which is her way of saying, “Yes, Mom, I have to pee.”
I sighed again. “Go tell Daddy.”
Molly left the room only to return a couple of minutes later in the same state she was before.
“Go tell Daddy,” I said, this time a little louder so that Nathan might hear me through the nursery monitor and get his sorry ass out of bed to let his dog out.
Again she left and again she returned. By that time Autumn was done eating and I had her on the changing table. I was through playing this game. Why should Nathan be the only one in house getting some sleep?
“Nathan! Molly needs to go out!”
Let me explain that Nathan’s way of taking care of Molly is to invite her into bed with him so that she gets comfortable and forgets how much she has to pee. Of course I was wise to this and told Nathan I was coming right back to bed and that Molly was going to have to move out of my spot.
“I’ll let her out when you get back in bed,” he said.
So what happens when I return to bed? I kick Molly out of my spot and Nathan invites her back into the bed on his side.
Ok. I was getting a little steamed. “Aren’t you going to let her out?” I asked.
“She doesn’t need to pee,” he said. “She just wants to go out and play.”
I sat up, looked at the dog and asked, “Molly do you have to pee pee?” As soon as the words were out, she hopped back onto the floor. “See, she does have to go,” I said.
Nathan threw back the covers, and as he stormed out of the bedroom said, “You could let her out once in awhile, too, you know.”
Oh no he didn’t
“Excuse me?” I said. “Who gets up with your daughter and feeds her and gets her dressed EVERY SINGLE MORNING?” Not to mention I had just spent the last half hour nursing the girl with Molly doing the pee pee dance four feet in front of me. You know it’s pretty bad when the dog thinks the woman with the child attached to her chest is more reliable than the lump under the covers in the next room.
Nathan didn’t say a word to me when he returned. I tried to get back to sleep, but my mind couldn’t rest. I had decided to nurse Autumn knowing full well that I would be the one getting up with her at all times. I accepted that and Nathan, I thought, appreciated that as well. We’d be alternating feedings if she were getting formula and Nathan would be spending many early mornings sitting in that rocking chair instead of me. However, since I was nursing, his job was to take care of Molly in the morning. That had been our arrangement.
Later, at 5:45 am, Nathan's alarm went off. “That thing better not keep going off for the next 45 minutes,” I said. Yeah, I was still pissed.
Nathan tried to apologize when he finally got up at quarter to seven, but by that time I was full into the silent treatment. He hates that. If it were me, I’d prefer the silent treatment to me yelling because I can get loud, but not Nathan. He must think he can better gauge his chances of survival by the tone and volume of my voice.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I said that,” he said. “I was tired. I haven’t been sleeping well.” I should probably add that Nathan has been sleeping with the aid of a CPAP machine in an effort to curb his snoring and sleep apnea. He has to wear a mask that makes him look like Darth Vader and it’s been hard for him to get used to.
I broke the silence by saying, “I think what you said calls for an apology with flowers.”
“Am I that far in the dog house?” he asked.
After that we sort of made up. I told him to forget the flowers because if I have to tell him to get me flowers then the sentiment is lost.
Of course the good thing about all of this is that I have one beauty of an entry for today. He really should know better than piss of a woman who likes to write.
While we were in the rocking chair, Molly entered the room, sat in front of us and stared. I sighed. “Do you have to go potty?” I asked.
She shook as though a jolt of electricity had just passed through her, which is her way of saying, “Yes, Mom, I have to pee.”
I sighed again. “Go tell Daddy.”
Molly left the room only to return a couple of minutes later in the same state she was before.
“Go tell Daddy,” I said, this time a little louder so that Nathan might hear me through the nursery monitor and get his sorry ass out of bed to let his dog out.
Again she left and again she returned. By that time Autumn was done eating and I had her on the changing table. I was through playing this game. Why should Nathan be the only one in house getting some sleep?
“Nathan! Molly needs to go out!”
Let me explain that Nathan’s way of taking care of Molly is to invite her into bed with him so that she gets comfortable and forgets how much she has to pee. Of course I was wise to this and told Nathan I was coming right back to bed and that Molly was going to have to move out of my spot.
“I’ll let her out when you get back in bed,” he said.
So what happens when I return to bed? I kick Molly out of my spot and Nathan invites her back into the bed on his side.
Ok. I was getting a little steamed. “Aren’t you going to let her out?” I asked.
“She doesn’t need to pee,” he said. “She just wants to go out and play.”
I sat up, looked at the dog and asked, “Molly do you have to pee pee?” As soon as the words were out, she hopped back onto the floor. “See, she does have to go,” I said.
Nathan threw back the covers, and as he stormed out of the bedroom said, “You could let her out once in awhile, too, you know.”
Oh no he didn’t
“Excuse me?” I said. “Who gets up with your daughter and feeds her and gets her dressed EVERY SINGLE MORNING?” Not to mention I had just spent the last half hour nursing the girl with Molly doing the pee pee dance four feet in front of me. You know it’s pretty bad when the dog thinks the woman with the child attached to her chest is more reliable than the lump under the covers in the next room.
Nathan didn’t say a word to me when he returned. I tried to get back to sleep, but my mind couldn’t rest. I had decided to nurse Autumn knowing full well that I would be the one getting up with her at all times. I accepted that and Nathan, I thought, appreciated that as well. We’d be alternating feedings if she were getting formula and Nathan would be spending many early mornings sitting in that rocking chair instead of me. However, since I was nursing, his job was to take care of Molly in the morning. That had been our arrangement.
Later, at 5:45 am, Nathan's alarm went off. “That thing better not keep going off for the next 45 minutes,” I said. Yeah, I was still pissed.
Nathan tried to apologize when he finally got up at quarter to seven, but by that time I was full into the silent treatment. He hates that. If it were me, I’d prefer the silent treatment to me yelling because I can get loud, but not Nathan. He must think he can better gauge his chances of survival by the tone and volume of my voice.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I said that,” he said. “I was tired. I haven’t been sleeping well.” I should probably add that Nathan has been sleeping with the aid of a CPAP machine in an effort to curb his snoring and sleep apnea. He has to wear a mask that makes him look like Darth Vader and it’s been hard for him to get used to.
I broke the silence by saying, “I think what you said calls for an apology with flowers.”
“Am I that far in the dog house?” he asked.
After that we sort of made up. I told him to forget the flowers because if I have to tell him to get me flowers then the sentiment is lost.
Of course the good thing about all of this is that I have one beauty of an entry for today. He really should know better than piss of a woman who likes to write.
