Daddy Daycare

Being parents to a newborn is both exhilarating and exhausting. My glimpse into the world of a stay-at-home mom was incredibly more effortful than I could have imagined.  Besides the normal newborn responsibilities, I had two dogs that needed attention, food and to be let out. Breakfast, lunch and dinner had to be prepared at some point. The list of household duties was multiplying. Now from my husband’s perspective (which is very similar to most working dads), he couldn’t understand how laying on the couch with a baby led to such weariness by the time he walked in from a full day of work. Besides, had I really watched four hours of Grey’s Anatomy reruns? I told him he was lucky I even showered. Fast-forward four months later to my return to work and Kevin’s day off. He was excited for his first full day of being the primary caregiver to the baby. He had it all planned out: Breakfast and playtime, trip to Home Depot, going on a hike with the dogs and Chase in the “baby backpack”, and preparing a full dinner for his working wife.  On the inside, I was on the floor laughing at his fantasy plan of the day’s events. But I smiled, kissed them both and said “Have fun!” I returned home at 5:30 to one dog loose in the front yard, while the other was still inside. There was a trail of baby clothes around the kitchen counter as if Chase, himself, decided to gradually strip himself naked. At least four bottles with various amounts of residual milk had collected on the living room table. I followed the sounds of baby giggles upstairs where my son was wearing an unbuttoned onesie and no pants to be found. The look of joyous relief on Kevin’s face when I walked in was one that I had greatly anticipated. He immediately handed off the happy little human and within minutes, was down for the count on the bed. There was no need for words, no “I told you so”…I knew he got it now.