The Calm

It’s now six weeks since Finley arrived on our little planet and it’s been a pretty good ride, so far. She’s loved, fed, changed and bathed on a more than regular basis. The world around her is beginning to come into a little more focus. And those darn cute chubby cheeks just keep getting chubbier. Things, for the most part, have been smooth on our end as well. This is largely due to Heather and her aforementioned ability to wage control. But now, things are about to change.

Heather started her maternity leave the Friday before Finley was born (as planned, of course). But she has to go back into work for two weeks while her assistant, who was filling in, goes on her honeymoon. That means I start two of my six weeks of paternity leave, today. That’s right, I’m flying solo. And not just one of those Horizon Air, Seattle to Spokane flights. We’re talking full-on Seattle to Miami, direct connection.

Now, before you start envisioning me running around the house with wild hair and a mess on every surface (which oddly enough, is what life was like for me BEFORE marriage), you have to understand that I have a great coach. And although it may not seem like I am paying attention all the time or it may seem that I forget what she says or even hear it, I’m watching and learning.
You see, one of the reasons I knew I wanted to marry Heather (apart from the whole, “I am absolutely crazy in love with her” part) was because of the way she is around her niece and nephew. We go up to Whidbey Island whenever we can to visit her family. And almost every visit is centered around the kids, as it probably should be. And when Auntie Heather shows up, it’s better than a visit from Santa. Not because of the load of gifts she always seems to bring, but because she commands the kids with an even mixture of love and discipline. It’s not always a perfect day when we go to the Island, but the kids are always sad to see Auntie go.

So I watch and I learn. I watch her hold our baby with a gentle firmness. It’s loving yet strong enough to hold that little head or keep her still when she’s crying. I listen to her talk to Finley as if she could answer. They’re talking about clothes and growing up and even about daddy. And I watch her rock her to sleep. Heather is the safe, warm part of the crazy sea that is Finley’s life.

Sure there are the little things, like changing a diaper and giving a bath. But the important things all have to do with human contact. And Heather is a great example. Finley is a lucky little girl to have Heather for a mommy. And if I can be half as good for these two weeks, then I have nothing to worry about.