You long for it, yet dread it at the same time. You think of how relaxing it will be, but also how scary. No, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day (although those descriptions still sort of apply), but I’m talking about having your first full day and night away from your baby.
Eek.
Of course, we’re not hermits, and we know the importance of staying in touch with friends, having the occasional night out or meal together. And when the budget allows, we do that every so often, even if it is just to the cinema. (Devastated I didn’t get to see “The Hobbit”, though.)
However, we recently decided to test our mettle and go away for one night to a hotel for a Valentine’s Day break (cheesy, or what, but the ‘discount dealie’ was the only way we could afford it!) and we left Nana in charge of Amelia.
How did it go, I hear you ask?
Well, here is my 12 point plan of how (not) to manage your first night away;
1. Arrive at hotel.
2. Text Mum to check all okay with Amelia.
3. Go to hotel pool and have soothing jacuzzi and spend the whole time talking about Amelia.
4. Go back to the room to read (or in the G man’s case, play his PS Vita).
5. Crack after 20 minutes of reading and call Mum to check Amelia is okay, only to be informed sarcastically; ‘No, Emma, the fairies kidnapped her…’
6. Go out for meal in the hotel.
7. Spend the meal planning Amelia’s birthday celebrations.
8. Have one too many glasses of wine (or pints of Guinness, in the G man’s case) and stumble back to the room at nine thirty, yes NINE THIRTY, to watch ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and fall asleep even before it is over.
9. Wake up repeatedly at 2 hour intervals throughout the night thinking you have to check the cot/baby and realising you don’t have to.
10. Get up for lovely cooked breakfast and call Nana to check on Amelia. Again.
11. Go for facial and back massage in hotel spa and fall asleep and snore loudly because of broken sleep the night before.
12. Pack. Race home. Hug baby.
And that my friends, is how to have your first night away. I think we managed it with a drop of doubt, a smidgen of worry, and a just a little bit of mania thrown in for good measure.
Just how it should be.