6 Hours

Last week, I took my first overnight trip away from Isabel. Joe was on his own to bathe, feed, and keep Isabel alive & happy for 3 days. You'd think, as mental & controlling as I am, that being away would result in one constant panic attack after another, yet just the opposite happened. I was thrilled to be away for many reasons, including:

1. I needed me time. I've truly come to understand what this whole "me time" thing is all about. My "me" meter was at zero, and I needed a few days of "All About Karyn" time or I was either going to lose my mind or stab someone, so it was best that I left town when I did & as quickly as possible.

2. Joe and Isabel needed quality father/daughter time. Joe is an amazing dad; very hands on, 100% capable of doing everything I do (minus breastfeeding, though he'd do it for the extra calorie burn if he could), and totally in love with Isabel. That being said, I typically am the one home at bedtime, and Joe also leaves very early in the morning, so I think it was good for both him & Isabel to see that they can survive without mom. She went to sleep without me, he did the AM prep without me, and we all lived to talk about. High five.

3. Most importantly, I needed 6 straight hours where NO ONE could talk to me, ask me a question, spit up on me or need a diaper changed (besides myself), and I got just that with my San Fran flight. Now, for those of you who really know me, you all are aware of how much I HATTTTEEEEEE to fly. I dislike planes so much that I'd eat something weird, give up Facebook, maybe I'd even become a Republican if it meant I could get to somewhere tropical or international in a limited # of hours without having to fly. So are you know fulling understanding how badly I needed quiet time?  Me, an US Weekly, peanut M&M's, Adele's latest album, my iPad with (2) lame chick flicks that Joe would totally have ruined if we watched them together, and a handful of Klonopin. Crazy-drugs & my two-winged metal death trap, take me away!!! 

I was so happy & relaxed by the time I got home to Jersey, you would have thought I'd just spent a week at the spa. Instead, I was flying & working but you could have fooled me. Oh, and I got to apply makeup AND blow dry my hair without worrying about waking a baby or changing a diaper with one hand, lining my eyelids with the other. I also discovered that Joe is an even more awesome dad than I thought and makes going away very easy. I realized that our house does survive without me, a truly great feeling. Most importantly, I can manage on my own for a few days without Isabel by my side. I can so see a girls weekend in my near future. Who's in?