The Great Escape

Where does the time go?  Oh yes, in counting hours to nap time and eating time. 

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here.  I see pictures of everyone back home sledding and having snow days and buying Christmas trees....and here I have to keep reminding myself that it is almost Christmas.  How did I get to December?  The last month I can remember is August.

James' mother came to visit us for a couple of weeks and just left this past Sunday.  It was nice to have her and to have extra hands and company.  Not that Cora isn't great company, but you know, just when I get tired of sticking my tongue out and making consonant sounds and stuff, it's nice to have someone to use my words on.

Teresa helped us in many ways, but perhaps the most important and treasured one occurred last Friday.  She agreed to spend the night alone with Cora.  Terrifying.  For her, because Cora had been waking up about 100 times a night and never with a smile.  For me, because I had never left my precious child all night long.

But.

This was our only chance to do a night away from baby for perhaps a year or more.  Since there really is no one here to leave her with.  This was my only chance to sleep one full and complete night without hearing any crying from any part of the house.  Sleep without interruption.  Oh blessed thought. 

And ultimately my fear was overcome by the too-good-to-resist-ness of this offer.

We had big plans to go to a nice dinner and have a night on the town before going to the hotel, but after checking in at 7:30 pm we realized all we wanted to do was go to bed.  So we walked across the street to Wendys, got burgers, chili cheese fries, and frostys and laughed and laughed and laughed with glee.  Complete and utter freedom has no price my friends.

We finished our meal (oh and I have to throw in this little side story, so bear with me.  We saw about 10 little urchins outside before eating who were begging for money and SMOKING.  Oh Georgia, why the smoke?  They were maybe 7 or 8 yrs old.  James in his infinite generosity, insisted we buy them a couple bags of nuggets and fries.  So we stood in line again and waited for about 15 minutes to get 30 nuggets and a few large fries.  We exit with food in hand and what do we find?  No ragamuffin children.  Gone-zo.  And now we have two large bags of nuggets and fries.  Luckily we ran in to a teenager selling cards and James gave him the bag 'o nuggets, and the lucky front desk lady scored 3 large fries.  The best intentions...) and walked back to the hotel.  Yes, I did just finish a sentence after a huge paranthetical story.  And I'll do it again.

We took hot showers and hopped in to the most luscious, soft, warm, QUIET bed by about 9pm.  And slept approximately 11 hours.  Oh sweet heaven.

And I found that I did not think of my sweet little cherub until 8am the next morning when I realized my cell phone battery had died and I panicked that Teresa might have tried to reach us all night to no avail.

But still, I did it.  I left her and we both survived.  Even thrived.  Now we just have to hold on to that blessed memory for another year or so until we get another visitor we can con into giving us a night away.  Want to come?