Parental Leave Prep

Starting next week I'm going to be on parental leave for 2 months. I expect that this is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done.

To make things even harder I'm setting bold ambitions of writing ... regularly ... maybe?

Okay okay! I'll try to write something at least once a week (maybe even once a day) about what we get up to around these parts. The tiny human (TH) doesn't like naps, so, wait, are we sure this TH is related to me? Doesn't like naps does not sound like anyone in my family. I digress, the TH's dislike of naps means we are bound to get up to high jinks at the park and all the other places we'll go (completely open to suggestions here). Maybe I'll have to work on typing the first couple of weeks so that TH can write regular blog posts and I can take the naps!

We've got a lot of developmental milestones to work towards (before typing); TH seems like she's very close to standing unsupported and walking, so close that we sent the temporary houseguest cat back to its home (after nearly 3 years) to avoid any further tugs-of-war over tails. The cat won every war to this point, but it was getting significantly closer - which makes us sound like horrible humans for not stopping TH from holding the cat's tail, but the cat usually put her tail in TH's hands, so I don't feel bad. Moreover, the cat was the main motivation for TH to crawl in the first place, so maybe we should aim for more sounds and communicative motions. And not just the tears we'll both be shedding when Kate heads back to work.

Speaking of Kate heading back to work; as I get ready for parental leave I am reminded how lucky I am that I'm taking two months of parental leave and not a full year of parental leave plus bereavement leave: http://theresjonny.blogspot.ca/2015/03/bringing-ava-into-worldguest-post-by.html. Having just attended the funeral of the minister who performed our wedding ceremony over five years ago, it is abundantly clear to me that a) I'm barely prepared for two months of primary parenting and b) I could not have organized a funeral, let alone got TH to this point on my own (or even with the support of siblings and in-laws).

I'm not sure what form my regular writing updates will take: Facebook, Twitter, or here. Probably some combination. If you don't hear from me for over a week, send pillows, because it means I've either succeeded in teaching TH the joys of the nap or I've passed out from exhaustion while she climbs/crawls/walks all over me!