The Moment I Feared

I have probably mentioned Ryan's busy travel schedule recently but, it begs to be mentioned again. This guy (Ryan) has done an extraordinary amount of traveling this year in past twelve months. We have managed to always have childcare help when he is away. My aunt was here for three months, then his mom was here. When she left we had a nanny come to help us until we found a spot at daycare. While daycare helps, it typically takes two of us to handle Hunter,  food shopping, cooking and the bedtime routine. When he is gone, which is often, we have Marina help out when she can. 

Truth be told it can get lonely here, and the pressure of temporary single parenthood in a foreign country can be intense. Marina helps out in a myriad of ways. I always give her plenty of advanced notice regarding Ryan's travel so she can prioritize being here. There have been more that a few nights that I have wondered what I would do if for some reason she could not be here to help me. The mere thought made my blood run cold. When Ryan is away the three of us have a manageable routine.

Things work until they don't. While Ryan was away, I was tasked with attending a conference in the DC area. Marina could not watch Hunter overnight, but a dear friend could. I went to the conference held at the Women's War Memorial in Arlington, and Face-timed with Hunter when I could. I was thrilled to be engaged with him, but he was quickly frustrated when he could not touch and smell me through the phone. He kept turning the phone over to find me. I missed my boy terribly those three days. 

Just to keep things interesting, Hunter got a stomach bug while I was gone, and Marina came down with the flu when I got back. It was the moment I feared. No Ryan, no Marina, a sick baby and playing catch up at the office. The only way to handle a situation with so many variables coming at me was to address them one at a time. The very best part of this was that I managed it all. I made lists, I did not rush and stayed focused. Hunter obviously missed his Dad. Ryan was gone longer than usual and his location had a poor internet connection. We had very little contact. Hunter grew tired of looking at stale Ryan pictures at the end of the first week. Hunter and I did the best we could and my best was good enough. 

To celebrate Ryan's return we headed to Paris to meet up with my former boss, Dan, his wife Alison and their son Thomas. It was Hunter's first time out of the country. Although it was freezing in Paris we had a delightful few days sightseeing and spending time with old friends. Definitely Hunter's first trip, but certainly not his last.