7:45 p.m. - Aug. 08, 2007
Peach Cobbler
Ian had to go to Greenville, for work. he left on Monday afternoon @ 2pm and should be home around 11pm tonight. So, for the better part of three days, I've been taking care of Henry, solo. My father-in-law is here. Been here for a week, to help with lots of house projects, to get this house ready to sell. While I certainly appreciate his help with the house, I am getting to the point where i need a break from him. It is a lot to do, to walk behind him and constantly pick up items he's left on the ground or within Henry's reach ~ like open paint canisters, paint brushes, heavy tools, rusted nails and such. Not to mention, he constantly tracks in all sorts of muck on his shoes and is forever in losing every item he has. He will spend the better part of an hour or more each day, searching for things.
So...
Today I woke up at 6:30am, when I heard Henry stirring. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, brushes my teeth, splashed water on my face, threw on my clothes and ran downstairs to make coffee. I was able to sit outside by the pool and enjoy a cup of stale, leftover coffee from the day before, with my cigarette, before collecting Henry from his bed. Then a wrestling match, to get his VERY poopie diaper changed, before heading downstairs, to nurse him. We played for a bit and I read him some books. Then made his breakfast and ate some yogurt myself. Then cleaned up from breakfast and enjoyed my first cup of fresh coffee. Then more play time, an outfit change (him, not me), another diaper change, made him some more pureed baby foods...and suddenly it was morning naptime, 9:45am. I nursed him again and got him to sleep on the sofa, while I continued to clean out the pantry and pack more items for the move. He slept for an hour but, while he was napping, Jim began cleaning the windows with Windex. This was after I had already told him, the day before, that the ammonia is extremely toxic and harmful to a baby, especially one that was premature. So I had to ask him to stop and he acted surprised, as if he had no idea why I wanted him to wait. So, instead, he decided to paint the fireplace. Yes, PAINT...right next to where Henry was sleeping. Thankfully, I suppose, Henry woke up shortly after and, with the headache that I now had from all of the fumes, I decided it best to just escape the house and make a run to Wal-Mart. But not after I removed the paint, paint brushes, newspapers, tools and such from Henry's reach.
As we were walking out the door, Jim asked if he could clean the windows while we were gone. I agreed and, in my mind, decided to not rush back to the house ~ so, hopefully, the fumes would die down before we were back.
It was rush, rush, rush at Wal-Mart, in order to make it back in time to give Henry his lunch, before he throws a fit. I made it just in time, I guess, because he just started to throw a git as we walked back in the door. So then it was rsuh, rush, rush, to get his lunch ready, feed him and try to calm him down, all the while, I had to pee for the last hour. Still holding it in, I got through lunch, cleaned up and finally peed. More playtime, more books, a few little projects in between, more laundry, nurse him again...and then, afternoon naptime at 3:45pm. This time, I was exhausted so I laid down with him and we both slept for an hour and a half.
Woke up at 5pm and he was grumpy and groggy from the Benadryl I had to give him, for the allergic reaction he was having to some unknown bug bite which made his ear swell, turn red and feel hot to the touch. I got him calmed down, read him some more books and went to make him his dinner. Got him fed, cleaned up the mess and, all the while, Jim is taking random things out of the refrigerator, placing them in the sink. One of these items was an enormous bag of frozen peaches. He asked if he could puree some of them for Henry but I declined the offer as I already had plenty. I told him that those peaches were actually ones that Ian bought because he wanted a cobbler ~ but I just hadn't gotten around to making it.
It was 5:45pm and all I could think of was ~ bathtime and bedtime for Henry is in one hour. And then I can relax.
"Oh! Let's make him a cobbler and it will be ready when he gets home tonight!" (Note: the word "let's" should imply that we are making this cobbler together). I had enough going on for the past several weeks and, certainly, over the last few days, taking care of Henry on my own. The last thing I wanted to do was make a damn cobbler. So I responded, "Knock yourself out."
It was so rude, but I just couldn't hold back.
So he then told me that he had never made a cobbler before but he was sure that he could figure it out. (Yeah...in other words, the "US" making this cobbler would've actually have been me.)
He asked if i had all the stuff to make the cobbler and I responded, "Yes, packed in that box over there."
I can't wait for Ian to get home.
