Spinning Down Darkly

The last couple of days definitely were taking their toll on Parie and me. It started a couple of nights ago with Sofian waking up about every hour during the night, and then subsequently screaming through most of the day. And I gotta tell you, the mouse adventure didn't help (still looking for it, but I think we've got a good trap strategy set). This morning, I started to lose it. It was a combination of me feeling exasperated because I couldn't seem to help my son get through his discomfort, of me feeling angry about it not stopping, and of me feeling sorry for myself.

But just at that darkest moment, we got a phone call from Anne Gienapp, who immediately came over. She and Parie took off to do errands and have a bite to eat with the little guy, and I stayed home to chill out. I ended up doing some work that I agreed to do a few days ago before the bottom dropped out, and it was actually a relief to do something within my normal routine. I felt refreshed and so did Parie, who reported that Sofian seemed to enjoy the changes in scenery (i.e., he slept through a lot of it).

It's good to remember that we need to shake things up a little from time to time to make sure that we don't feel stuck and to remind ourselves that we're adults who love one another. Tonight, we shared an adult meal of salmon, polenta, and spinach with a little wine while watching some episodes of The Wire -- and Sofian was feeling more at ease (i.e., not screaming). And it felt really good to be one as a family again and not frayed at the edges.

Here's a photo that Parie caught this evening.