Freedom! Or, Mom Hangs Out in the Valley

After seven days of being shut in, I took myself out for some gallivanting last night. After dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen, put Stewart in charge of Kyle, and drove myself down to Barnes and Noble where I purchased a delectable coffee beverage and browsed the aisles for about an hour. I only stopped then because the pile of books I wanted to buy had become too heavy and because I had to pee. The drive is only about 10 minutes long, so I figured I could hold it and pee in the comfort of my own bathroom vs. the unknown sanitary level of B&N.

I laughed to myself as I drove down to the bookstore because I really felt so good getting out of the house, driving, and being alone for a little while. What was once a completely mundane experience compared to other recreational adventures I have had has become a crazy night out for Mom! I also relished in the un-traffic. I didn’t a red light for a long time.

In other news, have I told you that Kyle is doing more new, cool stuff? I have to get pictures of this: he is sort of pulling up to standing. I say sort of because he doesn’t really do it himself – he makes a few fruitless efforts at the actual pulling of himself, and then he turns to look for mom or dad to help him up. Once up, he will stand there until something comes along to take him down. It’s a good way to keep him immobile, actually. And the things he’s pulling up on are short – like a little step stool and a set of bongo drums. So he’s not really standing, it’s more like he’s up on two legs and hunched over as if to say “oh, my aching back!” That’ll come soon enough, if his back is anything like his mother’s. God forbid.

We’ve also moved away from all baby food, all the time. I’ve been feeding him tiny pieces of the food that Stewart and I eat for dinner. Last night Kyle had roasted chicken, sweet potato, and honeydew melon, which was new for him. He clamped the little pieces of melon between his upper gums and his little bottom teeth and squeezed the juice out of them so it dribbled down his chin, then he mashed the melon around and swallowed it. The concentration on his face during this process is a fine thing to see.

I think we might get out of the house again today. I’ve been meaning to go to the post office for a while now, and we need some groceries. Kyle is taking an extended morning nap right now, so I might even get a shower! Hooray!