Peyton is a lucky boy.
I am a lucky girl.
Valentine's Day was a good day for us.
Several months back, when my head was still in a fog and Steve was still shell shocked, both of us from "life with new baby", we saw an advertisement that tickets were on sale for The Lion King at the Paramount. Being the musical lover that I am, I couldn't resist. Thankfully I reacted with my heart and not my mind because if I would have hesitated for even 1 second to try to think the idea through, I would have coughed up an amazing number of reasons why, "It just won't work, Steve." Seizing the opportunity, Steve got online and purchased 2 tickets for the matinee showing last Saturday. We felt like February 14, 2009 was a long ways away. In the moment this Seattle adventure didn't seem possible, but vowing that life must go on, I quickly sent an email to my brother, complete with adorable pictures of his nephew, which pretty much sealed the deal. Uncle Gavin and Auntie Hazel would enjoy some long overdue quality bonding time with Peyton, while Steve and I did the same with eachother.
Immediately following the email my foggy brain cleared just enough to form several questions before returning to it's sleep deprived functionality. What will life be like for us in February? Will Peyton be mobile? Will he be eating solid foods? Will he have teeth? How big will he be? It was actually kind of fun to think about - for 5 seconds - before the whole thing began to overwhelm me again. Oh, crap! What have I just committed to? Then just as suddenly as the whole idea got started, I forgot! Welcome to my reality these days.
Several months and many holidays later, here we are. Surprisingly, when February came a knockin' at my door, I felt like embracing it with both arms and eyes wide open. I've come a long way since September. For a couple of weeks in a row Peyton has slept like a champ. Thank you very much! My sleep tank is (was)* slowly being refilled and is (was)* no longer in the red "danger" zone. Life is (was)* looking pretty good on this other side.
*(Side note: (was) has been thrown in so as not to imply that we are by any means in the free and clear of any and all sleep issues. This week, well, not so good in the sleep department. End side note.)
So, last Saturday, we headed north and everything went according to plan. Well, sort of. To quote my brother when he called a few days prior, "there has been a slight hiccup in the plan." Peyton would not be bonding with Auntie Hazel after all. Auntie Hazel had a semi-unexpected business trip come up. Bummer! Other than one shy request, "for a diaper changing refresher" however, Uncle Gavin was still looking forward to the opportunity and so were we.
Rather than drop Peyton off in North Seattle at Gavin's house and then drive back downtown for the show, we amended the plan further and dropped Peyton off in West Seattle, which proved to be a better plan all around and more fun for everyone. Gavin and Peyton enjoyed a play date with good friends and seasoned parents, Rob and Jenny, and their 2 girls. Steve and I didn't have to back track and therefore saved ourselves nearly an hour, which we ended up needing to make it to the show on time.
The Lion King was terrific by the way. The opening number alone was worth the ticket. For those of you familiar with the show, it begins and ends with the song "Circle of Life." When the lights went out and the curtain closed on the new baby lion cub, I turned to Steve and declared that I was more than ready to return to my own, baby that is. He rolled his eyes at me. I had to remind him that HE was the one who just HAD to scroll through his Baby Peyton photo album on his iPhone at intermission, not me!
On the drive back to West Seattle, I couldn't help but wonder if Peyton would be the kind of kid to sit through a show like this (like the kid next to us), or to get antsy and irritable (like the kid in front of us...and so many others)? I like that I am finally starting to enjoy thinking about and imagining what life will be like someday...on the other side of the "danger" zone of sleep. I thrive on the fact that I am starting to get out and enjoy some of what life has to offer beyond my front door. I love that Peyton is starting to meet and play with new people, especially babies.
The night ended with a fabulous dinner and dessert before our drive home. Thanks, Jenny & Rob, for letting us crash your romantic Valentine's dinner. Thanks, Uncle Gavin, for willingly spending your Valentine's day with Peyton and for taking such good care of your nephew. He had a great time and told us all about it over breakfast the next morning.
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