Date Night

In college, when Bean and I got together for real, we decided that we would have a weekly date night. It started off very grand: he planned an evening with tickets to see the Mavs vs. Rockets and dinner beforehand. He was always very good about planning date nights that were fun and thoughtful.

I even got comments from friends: 'You're doing date night AGAIN?' We might go on a date night Friday, and then again the next Wednesday. So it seemed like we were always going on a date!

Now with a kid date night takes on a whole new meaning. We've had a grand total of 2 since she was born almost 6 months ago. Let me preface that by saying that she's been going to sleep at 7pm, so from 7pm on, we feel like we are having an at-home date night almost every night. Except when I'm too tired to move and head to sleep at 8! Also another disclaimer: we don't have family nearby to ask anytime we want. And we are happy with the nightly routine of getting her to bed.

The first one was when Abigail was about a month old. I think? Anyway, my parents were in town and we planned to go to our favorite pre-baby activity, dinner at the dine-in movie. The fancy one with leather seats, adult beverages, and really good food. Plus The Great Gatsby came out that week and I'd written a research paper on that book in college so I was itching to see it in the theatre.

She was so young that I fed her, she was asleep, and we left. She slept for the 3 hours we were gone and I pumped when we got back and went to sleep. It was a very nice arrangement although I was so exhausted I think I was falling asleep most of the movie. It was so dark and comfortable in there! Plus it was on a weeknight so Bean was tired too.

And finally our most recent date night, which happened to coincide with my birthday weekend. My friend Bonnie and I have the same birthdate, which means we both turned 30 on the same day this year. She had a gathering at a local winery that happened to start at 7:30. Perfect!! We did our usual dinner- bath- nursing- bed routine, then changed clothes and drove down there. It was the weirdest feeling to be just Bean and I in the car, no baby, and nothing to worry about.

We had a great time hanging out with our friends without a care in the world! I knew Abby was safe, relaxing, and happy at home, and we were having a blast.

It's nice to know that after feeling so weird being pregnant, and then postpartum, you really can feel like yourself again sometimes. It just takes a little bit of time and patience with the process of raising that child. I look forward to the process another few times. Especially since I know the end goal is attainable- to be yourself and be happy.

Uh, did I mention my baby number changed?