Homecoming

We've been home for almost a week now and I haven't had to make the transition back to loneliness because Greg was on leave and his dad was here visiting. But, Monday is almost here and I'm dreading Greg's return to work and the quiet that will fall over this house as Andrew and I go about our day.
My trip home to visit my family in North Carolina could have only been better if Greg had been there with us. I was worried, so very worried, before we left. I worried Andrew would cry his eyeballs out on the plane, I worried that he wouldn't sleep well at my parents' house, I worried that after seeing only two faces that all the new ones he'd be bombarded with would upset him.
But, Andrew never ceases to amaze me. He was an angel on the flights and after a couple of stutters the first few nights and then again just before we left when he had a stomach bug, he slept well in my old crib. All those faces seemed to make him happy, not upset. The picture here is of some of Andrew's cousins checking him out for the first time.
He settled into his routine (sleeping til 7 their time, because of the hour time difference and it was wonderful!) and our days were made so much easier by the constant flow of people in and out the door at my mom's. My sisters would come by in the morning, sometimes giving him his bottle or changing his diaper or getting him dressed for the day. Wyatt, who is almost a year old now, would arrive around 8 and Andrew enjoyed watching him crawl around. My parents were a great source of entertainment -- Andrew though my mama was hilarious, giving her his first loud cackles of laughter. My dad gave him lessons each day on how to say "Hey, Papa." There were different toys and lots of them and a swing outside that if we propped him up with blankets and pillows he could sit up and seemed to really enjoy it. In the afternoons, my niece Emily and my nephews would come in and provide more entertainment. My niece Kelli was in and out most everyday and Andrew really loved flirting with her.
I got several much needed breaks -- leaving Andrew with my parents to go get a pedicure, go to the movies, go shopping and out to eat. I even got my hair cut and colored. I was nervous at first about leaving him, not because I was concerned about how he'd be cared for -- my parents know far more about taking care of babies than I do. I was nervous to be away from him. I even let my mom put him down for the night a few times and that first time was so hard because I have always put him to bed. When I got back to my parents' house he was sleeping soundly and my mother proclaimed him to be a "perfect angel."
Our time there felt short, even though it was 19 days. I missed Greg and he missed Andrew so much I thought he was going to catch a flight out to NC. So, I was glad to come home. Now that I'm here, I'm missing my family and dreading the long days ahead.
Sometimes, when I think about Greg deploying to Afghanistan later this year, I almost feel a sense of relief because Andrew and I will be moving back home. But, then I think about how much I'll miss my husband and how much he is going to miss in Andrew's life and I wish we could just stay together, even if it means living here where we are so isolated.
At any rate, I'm looking forward to the day when we see my family again. They love Andrew so much and they lovingly care for him the same way Greg or I would and that is priceless.