The Parental Unit

I don't understand how he does it.  Though staying home with a little rugrat is probably the most difficult thing I've ever done, at least I don't have to think about what to wear to work tomorrow.  Or what to pack for lunch.  Or about the content of the hour long meeting I'm required to attend.  My husband does.  I realize that husbands have done this for centuries.  Go to work, while the wife stays home and attends the child-rearing/laundry/cleaning the what-the-hell-is-that-green-stuff-leaking-out-of-the-fridge type duties. I think they probably enjoyed the reprieve from tears, tantrums and total momma meltdowns. I can also surmise that, perhaps, they didn't help out very much. But, times have changed.  When I am up at 2 a.m. to feed our crying girl, Rich is up with me.  Getting me a glass of water.  Rocking her to sleep once she's finished so that I can rest.  And he has to get up at 5:30, put on a button-down shirt, and catch the bus to work.  Now, don't get me wrong, we're all so very grateful for his job and his innate desire to support his family.  However, the both of us really wish there was a way for us to share all responsibilities equally so that we can raise our family as a well represented unit.  Ellie loves both of her parents, as we both love her.  Doesn't it make sense that she get an equal amount of our time?

In a perfect world, that's exactly what we would do.  Each work part time, preferably from home, so that we would be able to surround our daughter with an equal amount of love and support.  Please don't misunderstand me, this is not to say that those parents who work full time aren't able to provide those things for their children, it's just our desire to do it this way.  Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on which way you look at it), we live in Northern New Jersey.  Our entire family on both sides all live within a 15 mile radius.  This means we can't afford to live the way we would choose, nor are we moving anytime soon.  So we'll have to make due with moments like these where we get to share in her little life together.