Long before Caleb was born, Jerry and I had a number of conversations about the importance of our relationship and marriage. We decided that Caleb would of course be our biggest priority, but that our marriage also needed to remain just as big of a priority. We feel strongly about this because 1. Caleb came to be in this world BECAUSE we love each other, and 2. children benefit from their parents having a strong relationship. We know that caring for Caleb emotionally, physically, and financially will be our biggest priority for the next 18 years or more, but we also know that we cannot put our marriage on the backburner. While it’s been very difficult to find time for ourselves and to focus on our marriage with all the exhaustion that comes with having a baby and all the time we dedicate to him, we’re doing the best we can, and know that it will only get easier as he gets older. With us working opposite work schedules, we already don’t get a lot of time together, but now it’s even harder because we want to spend time together as a family too.
All that said, Jerry and I had our first date night last night since Caleb’s birth on January 22nd! Since Jerry works weeknights, when I saw that Valentine’s Day fell on a weekend this year, I was super excited – we usually can’t celebrate together since he’s at work most evenings. And then when we received a restaurant gift card after Caleb’s birth, we knew we just had to go out. We’ve been out together a number of times to run errands and things of that nature since he was born, but this was our first date, and the first time I’ve worn real clothes since he was born. I wore a dress and leggings instead of the usual sweatpants and maternity shirts I’ve been in since we came home from the hospital – yay!
Our first date night was great and I’d really like to make time for a date at least once a month. When I’m out and about and the baby is being watched by his grandma, I find myself itching to get back home to see him. Even though I missed him and thought a lot about him, we were gone for less than two hours and it was so nice to get out and feel like a real adult and human again, nice clothes and all. Time spent together as a family is the most important thing, but couple time is important too, and I’m so glad we got to spend the time together.
Caleb’s first Valentine’s Day was mostly uneventful, filled with food, diaper changes, and sleeping… ya know, just like every other day. He wore a special onesie for the occasion though, one that Jerry and I were scrambling to find on Thursday. We found ONE at Walmart (below)… slim pickings! We took a short family nap in the afternoon with him in his rock and play, and man do I have to tell you, that one hour of sleep really made all the difference in the world for me. After our nap, his grandparents came over to watch him while Jerry and I went out on our date. The night before, he had his longest stretch of sleep yet – five hours! – but decided last night that none of us would be getting any sleep; it was his worst night yet, with him refusing to sleep and shrieking on and off from 9:30-12:30, so that wasn’t the greatest. All in all though, it was a great day!
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