Seasons Change

Seasons are way different in California than those in the magical midwest. The humidity is less extreme (understatement...for the most part it is nonexistant and I can walk around outside without my hair looking like Monica's in Barbados), and the winter's are marked by rain. And it doesn't just rain, it RAINS. FOR DAYS. WITHOUT STOPPING. This starts around October-ish. And once December and January roll around it has been known to rain for weeks. The summers are dry, dry, dry.

So imagine my surprise when I woke up at 4am Saturday morning to thunderstorms. I knew something woke me up. I could hear water outside and didn't want to open my eyes.

"Hmmmm did the gardener reprogram the sprinklers again? What time is it? I feel Isaac next to me, so it must be after 1 am."

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM! My eyes shoot open.

"Holy moly! What was that?! Are we being bombed? Was that an earthquake? Is that what the big one sounds like? Did I put enough diapers in the earthquake kit?"

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM! CRRAAAAAAAAACCCCKKKK! I see a flash outside the window.

"Is this the apocalypse? What is going on?! Should I wake Ben?"

Slowly I came to my senses and realized it was a thunderstorm. An honest to goodness thunderstorm that made me homesick for the midwest. Isaac was sleeping peacefully and didn't even stir when I put him back in his crib. I got up to pump and listened to the rain and booms. (I also thought about whether or not the County was out sampling, just because I work in that world and all I can think about is Stormwater Pollution sometimes.)

It was a little early for rainy season. But I will take it. I love the rain. I love to stay inside all warm and snuggly.

It was still raining when Isaac woke me up at 7ish. We did our normal "At home with Mommy" morning routine and were back down for what turned out to be a lovely 3 and a half hour nap by 9. When I woke up, yep still raining.

And I was kind of at a loss as to what to do.

Before Isaac was born, my favorite thing to do in the rain was to make hot chocolate and popcorn and curl up on the couch in my big blanket and watch movies (You've Got Mail, Serendipity, The Holiday, In Her Shoes....that kind). Hmmm, Isaac was not going to stand for that.

I really didn't want to take him out in the rain. Toting a baby around that is dripping wet is no fun. I was suddenly struck by another way my life had changed. (I know I could have reverted back to my go-to rainy day behavior while Isaac was snoozing. But I wanted to nap.)

It still amazes me how much my life has changed because of one little person, who, by the way, loved watching the rain through the window from his jumperoo (which is right in front of the big windows on my house). He was so fascinated, he forgot to jump. Baby's first thunderstorms. You always know your life will change when you have a baby. You just never know exactly how much. Everyday, I am just hit with little things that are no longer the same.

I still made hot chocolate though :)