Aug. 25, 2008 - Our First Time Alone, Alone

Well, we're back from a 24 hour mini trip.  John and I were actually able to leave all 5 kids at my mom's house Saturday afternoon and pick them up again Sunday afternoon. 

Before I get into how much fun we had without any kid responsibilities, let me tell you how Miss Rachel shunned me when we got back home.  Ok, so  I left her, and her siblings with her beloved Grandma and Grandpa, Saturday around noon.  She probably ate lunch and then went down for a nap at 1pm.  So between drop off time and bedtime she was only awake for 6 hours.  Then she slept most of the night, sorry mom, and had to be woken up for church at 8am.  So she was completely unaware of my abandonement of her for those 12 hours as well.  Then she was cared for ar church like she usually would have been for another 2 hours.  So total she had about 10  hours where she probably wondered where in the world I was.

I say all this to preface her complete and utter rejection of me when we came home.  I know I have already mentioned her will of steel and she again made it known that she was very unhappy with me.

When we got back John and I stood side by side to see who she would run to first.  I was sure she would totally bypass daddy in favor of her beloved, mommy, her only source of momma's milk.  No, she completely ignored me and ran to snuggle in her dadddy's arms. I thought she was just overwhelemd so I dropped to my knees in an effort to see her eye to eye.  The only problem was that she made it her mission to prevent ALL eye contact with me!  I waved my hands in front of her eyes, I called her name, nothing.  she would avert her eyes to anyone but me.  I tried to pick her up from John and she screamed bloody murder until I rested her down, still maintaining no eye contact. She kept it up for 15 minutes and then John drove her home in the van and I followed in his car.  Once we were home she ran around like all was well with her world, except that she didn't remember having a mommy!  I finally was able to hold her briefly and then she screamed for her daddy. Don't you know loved it. He is usually second best and takes the loving she has to offer when she's done loving on me.

I was able to win her over last night as I put her to bed.  She isn't ready to give up that nightly nursing,and so she is looking at me again and very glad to see me.  I just can't believe she completely ignored me for such a long time and could be capable of such complete rejection.  I've got to go now, she is calling me from her crib.