jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

We have snuck back into our apartment.

It’s been almost six weeks since we moved out due to the mold incursion. We’ve been placed in perfectly acceptable temporary housing. But it was becoming less acceptable every day. Finally the Want To Go Home urge became too big to ignore.

A few weeks ago we passed the environmental inspection. So we are no longer the proud owners of a Superfund site. But now that everything has been cleared the insurance companies have gone back to fighting over who will pay for what on the rebuild. And our apartment has been sitting untouched for two weeks tomorrow.

Yesterday we came up to our neighborhood for Halloween, and I simply let myself into our place and refused to leave. We’re still here. There’s no shower or sink in the bathroom. Everything is covered in plastic. Five rooms’ worth of stuff is crammed into three. But I slept in my own bed last night. Not only is my plan now to continue to refuse to leave until the workers actually show up, but Damon went to the temporary place this morning and got Zoe and brought her home to me.

So now we know how long I can tolerate being shut out of my home — six weeks.

More news will be coming soon. Damon’s mom is on the bus right now, she’ll be visiting us from Kentucky for one week. And yesterday I bought us Amtrak tickets for three weeks in Florida. It’s a 24-hour train trip. I got us a “roomette.” It’s pretty heavy on the “ette” factor, but I think we’ll have fun. I hope.

It didn’t take long.

I have a nursing pillow with a twee name, but it works very well. It’s nice and firm and keeps Alden up where I need him.

About a week ago he spit up or peed or had some other sort of biohazard accident (who can keep track?) on his pillow, so I had to pull off the cover and throw it in the wash. In the meantime, I was making do with a fluffy bed pillow. I swear I saw his little baby eyes light up when I laid him on such a soft and feathery spot.

Now when I nurse him I do what I always did, which is sit him up to burp him when he’s finished. But now, when I sit him up, he does this little grunt-and-back-arch combo. That leads me to recline him back about an inch, as I fear I’m folding him over uncomfortably far. He’ll take that for a moment, and then he’ll archarcharch again. So I give him another inch. After a few rounds his head and shoulders will touch the bed pillow, at which point he will fall instantly and bonelessly asleep. He looks so blissful that I’ll usually give in and spend 15 minutes holding him like that before I pop him back on the mattress.

He’s still nursing frequently, so I make sure to use lanolin after each feeding. Sometimes shortly after he’ll decide he wasn’t really finished and would like more milk. So I pop him back on and let him keep eating. Then when he’s done the bottom half of his face will be shiny with lanolin and he looks like a tiny fat man who just ate an entire pizza.

Kid cracks me up.

We’re trying to get out to the pumpkin patch, but it’s raining. We can take a little of that because it’s warm-ish. But not a lot. I’ve made the terrible mistake of letting Damon go out to get discs for the video camera. Which means we may not get a chance to go anyway because he might not come back until after it’s over. Damon, bless his heart, has a poor sense of time.

Tomorrow we will make our first attempt to go out (all three of us) for a non-essential trip. We’ve been to the pediatrician and to run a few close errands, but that’s it. But our building is sponsoring a pumpkin patch at a nearby park and we’re going to wrap Alden up like an Eskimo and walk down. Damon even hiked it all the way up to Inwood this afternoon to get the stroller. We had counted on getting by with our slings, but baby has decided he hates the newborn slings because he prefers to stretch wide and long. Unfortunately (for him and for us) we can’t use the other slings or holds yet because he can’t hold his big bowling-ball head up yet. So, we’ll dress warm and wheel on over. It may sound like more hassle than it’s worth but a) I haven’t been out in days except to run down the block for a new camera battery b) I’m inspired by everyone else’s fall festivities and c) FREE CUPCAKES!

Tonight is the first time Damon has left us other than to do unavoidable errands. His Ellis boss asked him and their stage manager to dinner to thank them and to brainstorm ways to improve the next season. I assured him that we would be just fine and sent him out to enjoy himself. I wonder if he will enjoy. I would find it very hard to be away right now.

But Alden and I are doing great, provided I am willing to sit lotus-style on the couch and alternate between nursing and holding him while he sleeps. I guess it’s good that I get a little variety. The sleeping part is pretty entertaining. He makes a noise like a far-away rusty gate when he’s sleeping deeply and he treats me to at least a few Moro flails each nap. That never gets old.

Right now little monsieur prefers to nurse for about 10 minutes at about 90 minute intervals — around the clock. There’s some variation, but that’s the general drill. My back is sore and I won’t even get started on my more tender bits. But I’ll get to weigh him on Thursday and if he’s gaining well then I’m going to count my blessings and wait him out. He will start spacing out these feedings. Right? Right?

[Warning to my Friends with kids: That’s the first of a million questions.]

I’m watching Running With Scissors while I type. It’s not brilliant, but I’m enjoying. Didn’t this movie get awful reviews? I don’t see myself hassling friends to rent it, but I don’t see what’s so bad either.