Last night, my husband and I went on our first date (alone) since the birth of our son.
Don't get me wrong-we have gone on lots and lots of dates since Greyson was born... They just included Greyson, too!
But last night, we dropped him off at a trusted babysitters home for the very first time. It all started on a whim actually.
Earlier than day, my husband and I were sitting on the couch, discussing the need for more "us" time. I love "us" time. Do we really ever get "us" time? Not even. But it's been totally okay.
As he texted the babysitter to ask if she could watch Greyson, I realized a calmness within myself. For the last 14 months, I hadn't trusted anyone to watch our son nor had I trusted myself to be away from him. But this time, I felt as if I had hit a milestone as a parent and mother.
So I got dressed in a beautiful Shabby Apple dress that I had bought nearly one year prior-never worn-and did my makeup. I dug out the dusty leopard print pumps that had been long retired. I felt like a new woman.
I then got Greyson's diaper bag ready with snacks and things he might need.. And then the anxiety hit. I pushed it all to the side as we made our way to the babysitters home where there were other kids for him to play with. We put him down for a minute to make sure he would be okay and he went straight to playing with their toy collection.
As we turned to leave, I saw my son crawling towards me-smiling. Ouch. I felt a huge wave of guilt come over me. But I pushed through, smiled, and said goodbye. I took a deep breath and we headed out the door and towards our dinner reservation.
We made our way into the Italian Restaurant and was seated at our own little private table labled "Cooper." My husband pulled my chair our for me-something he has never failed to do in the 3 years we have been together. We sat down and just really enjoyed each other.
No having to tend to a baby.
No having to feed a baby while attempting to get a bite in, ourselves.
No having to keep the baby from pulling at the table linen.
No having to keep utensils and sharp objects away while anxiously gobbling down our food in one breath.
It was nice, long overdue, and much needed.
In case you are wondering what I ate- for the night, I had no rules. We ate bread with a yummy homemade olive oil dip. Then, for my entree, I ordered the Shrimp Pasta Alfredo. I ate about half of it and boxed the other half to take home for later.
After dinner, my husband and I walked along the strip and stopped at a local pub where we had a beer and enjoyed ourdoor music.
After our fun was over, we excitedly headed back to our friends' home to pickup our sweet son. We were so happy to see him, but were assured throughout our date that he was happy and well, thanks to those picture messages we received.
When we saw our son, it made us appreciate him a lot more. The whole date made my husband and I appreciate each other more.
From this point on, we vow to ask for more "alone" dates.
No baby. No distractions. Just us.
If you are a new parent and are considering going out on your first date without the kids, here are some huge tips that helped us:
- Start small. Don't plan to be out all night. Just go for a couple of hours as a test to see how well you and your child do.
- Ask a trustworthy person to babysit. I would never let a stranger babysit Greyson-that is just me. We asked one of our really close friends and her husband (who have kids) to watch our son. They have a son around Grey's age and that made things even better.
- Ask for picture messages every 30 minutes or so for reassurance. Don't be afraid to ask-its your kid!
- Don't forget to pack the essentials for your baby or child: diapers, wipes, toys, drink, food, snacks, and an extra set of clothes. Just in case!
- Dress up! This is a rare occasion so enjoy it. Do your hair, paint your nails, break out the pumps.