Justin’s traveling a lot with his new job.  He’s always traveled a lot.  Actually, distance has played a big part in our relationship for the past nine years.  Justin moved 475 miles away two weeks after we started dating.  He traveled some with the Air Force and even more with Bose.  But it gets a little more difficult at Robbie gets older.  And, as it becomes more difficult, I become less patient.

I try to be patient with Robbie because I know that it can’t be easy on him.  After all, I’m not just stuck with him with no relief day after day after day.  He is also stuck with just me.  There’s no Daddy to run to when Mama is being mean and horrible.

Most of the time we get along pretty well, but it’s been just the two of us for six of the past eight days.  Robbie has moved beyond just saying my name or whatever word it is that he wants me to hear.  He screeches it.  Yesterday it was a particularly rousing “ping guo” (apple).  At one point, it was so high-pitched that my ears started ringing.

But, in good news, Robbie is back to sleeping twelve hours a night and going down without a fight.  It’s actually the one thing we don’t currently disagree on.  In fact, after we read a book, he hops off my lap, heads to his crib, and says, “Rest, Mama.  Ready.  Night night.”  And, Justin comes home tomorrow night.  Granted, it’s for less than 36 hours.  But still.  It’s a buffer – for both of us.