DINKS no more

I love this photo, which I snapped in late May while Brian and I were in the early days of our maternity/paternity leave and just getting to know our little guy. We groggily shuffled through our mornings, trading diaper duty, nap time and turns eating breakfast. Brian brewed his fully leaded coffee in our drip maker, and I made my decaf version in our French press. We'd often do the crossword puzzle together and talk about how our various baby shifts the previous night had gone. I think I'll look back on those early days fondly, not just because our precious little bundle was so beautiful and new, but because our parenthood was as well. A few of my favorite memories:

• Westley woke me up in the wee hours one morning, and Brian watched TV with me while I nursed. At 5 a.m., it was clear Westley wasn't in any hurry to return to sleepytown. So we loaded him up in his car seat and headed downtown to our favorite donut shop. (It was fun for me because it was the place I celebrated my 31st birthday while pregnant.) We had so much fun on our impromptu outing and love how we turned the sleepless night into something fun.
  

• In June, Brian & I went on our first date as parents. While Mom watched Westley. we saw Michael Buble, our first concert in the new Intrust Bank Arena (like Westley, a 2010 addition to Wichita). As expected, the crooner was smooth and entertaining -- and surprisingly funny. He sang "Haven't Met You Yet", a song that was meaningful to me during my pregnancy. Brian and I had planned to eat sushi for the first time since Westley had been born, but we didn't have time before the concert. Westley had been fussy that day, and I had not even cleaned up. Exercising our new flexibility, we grabbed a quick dinner at Spangles instead. Brian teased me at the concert when I was especially enjoying my first adult beverage -- a rum and Coke -- since becoming a mommy. The evening was the perfect mix of "the way things used to be" and the way things have become. I enjoyed the romantic night out but couldn't stop wondering what my little baby was doing.

• We had Brian's parents watch Westley one night so we could run errands. We spent most of our time at Sam's Club, where we checked out their bulk diapers and other baby items. Over a late dinner at Chipotle, I joked and mused about how our "nights out" will change so very much and that this is our new version of romance. Brian looked at me, completely serious with a glimmer of playfulness in his eyes, and said that it really is romantic. I couldn't have agreed more.
  

• Monday night, Brian and I decided to take Dakota and Lilly and Westley in his stroller for a two-mile round trip walk to Starbucks for some iced drinks. We didn't bring the diaper bag (rookie mistake) and had to stop at Walgreens while we were out and buy some diapers and wipes. Brian tried to change Westley in the store's bathroom, but there was no changing station. We continued on to Starbucks, where there also was no changing station. So I took Westley to the nearby Chipotle, where there ALSO was no changing station. (C'mon, people, work with me here!) Out of options and time, we did something I never would have predicted: We changed him in his stroller in front of Starbucks. Yep. We were so THOSE parents.

I'm loving how Westley has changed our lifestyle. It's meant less sleep, more messes, more give and take and more surprises. But, like any great team, Brian and I are learning from our errors, refining our playbook and are determined to keep doing our very best.