Daddy on parental leave

Jean-Louis is home this month. Yahoo!  This is the first week of his parental leave.  This is a time for Jean-Louis to spend more time with Tristan and hopefully bond with him more. That gives me a break and since my "clients" are in no rush to pass along urgent work for me, this month also gives me time to work on other things such as revamping our website, working on our iPhone app, organizing our photos and videos, blogging, and doing our taxes. I would also love to cook more and get out more. I know that's a lot but hey it's good to aim high, yes?  I already feel so much more relaxed just knowing that he will be here more.  If I'm a bit tired, I can go nap for a bit and that is so nice!

What is Daddy responsible for?  Well, diapers (as usual), play time, consoling Tristan when he is cranky, and some house chores.  Tristan is crying less these days and is smarter.  It's rewarding to see him smile and coo when he's happy.  This all makes it easier and more pleasurable for Jean-Louis to care for him.  The deal is that he has to allow for me to have at least 3 hours of work time each day.  In fact, I have the clock running right now!  I'm here for feeding, support, and emergencies.  Any spare time Jean-Louis has, he can work on his own stuff.

It's great to see my 2 guys together having a good time.  I always knew that Jean-Louis would be a hands-on father.  I expect it from him.  His father was not at all.  Jean-Louis is actually doing a good job :)  I have to admit though that I have high expectations and although I appreciate all of his efforts and involvement, I still would like for him to do more.  To be fair, he has lots of expectations from me too.  Being parents is new to both of us but sometimes I think he forgets that I'm a newbie and expects me to be a super-mom overnight.  He keeps mentioning that it's my maternal instinct but that doesn't mean I know everything.  Maybe it means I'm a faster learner.

We're establishing a routine for Tristan as well.  We sort of know when he has his poops and when and how long he naps for during the day.  I think that is great progress!  This will really help when I have to contract again.