I Lost Him For A Day


I lost my husband for a day. It all started out innocently enough, he planned to upgrade the email servers at work. Wisely planned it for Saturday Evening when few people would need it. Hoped it would be just a few hours of upgrading. Of course, things rarely go so smoothly, and this was no exception. Around 9 pm things started to go badly and he emailed to say it would be a few more hours. We played Scrabble, over the internet via email (thanks, Dawn, didn't you give us the link?!) while I looked up Star Trek Names. I 'finished' my database, with the exception of the letters E, G, I, and T, which would be redundant initials. (Although I should go ahead and add them, since some of our favorite names suggest we might, eventually, double up on initials, so why exclude good names now based on that theory?) We discussed some boy names without coming to any closure. Sometime around midnight I decided to fold the 4 baskets of laundry I'd been ignoring. Around 12:30 am he suggested I go to bed, but I said I'd stay up and keep folding. Around 1:30 I finished the laundry and checked in. Things were not going well and he reiterated that I should go to bed, that he would still be several hours. I left some lights on and went to bed around 2 am ... and woke this morning at 6:30 to find the same lights still on, still waiting in vain for him. I treated myself to some not-caffeinated coffee, which I will regret severely later this week, I am sure, and checked in with him. Still working, still not going well. I showered, dressed, woke and fed the children, and took everyone and a neighbor to church. I hoped, as church ended at noon, that we'd see Minnow (our 'little' van) in the driveway when returning the neighbor home, but Minnow was not here. Maybe he finished and was waiting at mom & dad's for dinner? But no, no Minnow there, either. Checking my email, there was good news - still there, still working, but making progress. Planning to do what he could and a bit more. Next email, change of plans - put things back to working and go home and sleep. I assume he got home about 2 pm. We got home a little after 3 and I took an hour nap, next to him, but I don't know that he ever knew I was there. I got up again at 4:20 to shush and feed the children so he can continue to sleep ... maybe until tomorrow morning? I don't know what to expect, but I don't plan to wake him. I miss him because I enjoy spending time with him, but I am willing to feed, shush, and stupify the children with videos as necessary to let him recuperate. He'll need to be well rested that mysterious someday when the baby arrives, but I'd let him sleep even if there wasn't a baby coming soon. He's earned a 17 hour nap. So even though I'll have lost him for almost 40 hours and then he'll return to work, I'm glad I've still got him. I couldn't ask for a better friend and husband.

Posted: Sun - April 24, 2005 at 05:48 PM          

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