recharging my sanity.

Today was a day where you just felt the tiredness all over. It was a day of chaos and rain and teething and downright insanity.

Ethan has decided, at random, that he despises being in the car. He will not tolerate it and isn't afraid to scream his throat raw if he is forced to sit in the car for more than five seconds. This is something that can only be remedied by someone sitting in the backseat with him, something that I obviously cannot do while driving the car. What this is means is that I must stop repeatedly, pulling into Starbucks parking lots and entertaining him until he falls back asleep. What this means is that it takes us quadruple the length of time than anticipated to get anywhere. And what that means is I probably shouldn't have accepted my husband's offer for us to come have lunch with him at his new office this afternoon. Before I knew it, a twenty minute drive had become three hours and it was nearly dinnertime by the time my exhausted and screamed-out child and I stepped foot back into our home.

I laid him down on the couch and began to unroll a swaddle blanket on the loveseat in preparation for his afternoon nap. Within seconds, he had fallen asleep. My nightmarish car passenger had morphed into a slumbering, sweet, angelic baby in just two minutes time. I decided that his swaddle could wait and, instead, held him in my arms for just a few minutes. I felt the stress of the day begin to melt away with each breath he took and with each kiss that I sneaked upon his forehead.

As was the trend today, a few minutes turned into a couple of hours. I woke up first, noting that we had fallen asleep for nearly two hours and then felt his breath on my cheek. His left fist was holding a lock of my hair and his right arm was flung over my chest. It was probably the most refreshing sleep I've had in some time.

I'm aware that this immense hatred of the car is just one of many phases that I will have the opportunity to experience alongside Ethan as he figures out life. I'm fairly confident it's one of those things that one day I will look back on and smile about when he's graduating college or walking down the aisle on his wedding day. For now? I'm willing to sacrifice car rides anywhere for cuddled up quiet time on the couch. My sanity needs to be recharged.