Reality set in within a day or two. My family, which can be best described as Type A all the way, was in wedding overdrive. There were errands to run, last minute fittings, final head counts to be made and more wedding related activities, which left Lauren, Will and I home to fend for ourselves.
My parents’ house is far from being baby proofed and I felt as though we were navigating an obstacle course of potential hazards. Lauren seized the opportunity to explore while I nursed Will. She’d scale the magazine rack to reach the picture window ledge or walk into the kitchen and start pulling wine bottles off a low shelf. I’d carry Will on the Boppy pillow in one arm, asking Lauren to please be careful, warning her that grandma’s things are not for babies. She’d smile and continue rattling bottles until I’d have to drag her away with my free arm.
Then there was the steady stream of visitors coming in and out of the house. I was touched that so many of my parents’ friends wanted to meet our newest addition. And many of them came armed with gifts for Will and Lauren. However, the guests came everyday, which left little time to escape. I missed fresh air, quiet and the ability to take a shower before noon.
Then the worst happened: both children became sick at the same time — Lauren with a fever and Will with a terrible cold. My mother helped me during the night so we could tag-team whenever the kids woke up, which seemed like every other hour. Mornings left me feeling sleep-deprived and downtrodden. I started to wonder if I should have stayed in Maine while Ted was away and worried if my little troop was causing my parents additional stress during such a busy time in their lives.
“They’re family and they want to help,” Ted would assure me when I called to voice my concerns. Still I was thrilled when his plane landed in Newark. There was now a chance we could make it through the last half and most crucial part of our visit: my sister’s wedding day.
Surprisingly, we did. Will and Lauren started to feel better. And the wedding was as close to perfect as possible thanks to my Type A family. The visit to New Jersey was tough on all of us, but we survived.
Jennifer Hazard lives and writes in Yarmouth.