Animal Medicine

I took this picture on my day off, Wednesday, at a friend's house. We ran into her and her daughter when we went to Safeway to buy toothpaste. A fortuitous encounter, if you ask me. I had been feeling a little down. I realized that Avi is different, and I no longer know him him the way I used to when I stayed home with him full-time. This realization made me sad. I had also marvelled at him, the way he babbles, sits independently, nurses less often, eats "real" food. I took a nap with him. It was a simple day but incredibly satisfying. I was glad to run into another mom friend and enjoy the babies together because I felt like she could really understand how I felt.


Earlier that day, Avi and I took a walk to our old haunt, Glen Canyon. It was a drippy, misty morning, not that cold, but super foggy. The canyon seemed somewhat ethereal as we walked along. I couldn't see much beyond the greenery and (did I mention) the fog. I was talking to Nicole on my cell phone. We said goodbye and I kept walking, Avi asleep in the ergo. Then I saw him. I've seen plenty of signs in Glen Canyon about what to do in the event that one sees a coyote. All that I'd read previously went out the window as I spied this sprightly dog sniffing around the grass just ahead of me on the trail. I admit, I freaked out a little. I looked around. I saw someone on the hill above and called out, "There's a coyote on the trail!" I don't know if this person (I really can't be sure whether it was a man or a woman) heard me. I tried to remember what one is supposed to do when happening upon a coyote. The coyote looked at me. I waved my arms. I seemed to remember something about "being big." Or was that something one does when one encounters another kind of wild animal? City girl that I am, I decided to turn around and head back the other way, which, I found out when I came upon a sign about coyotes, is NOT what one is supposed to do. I kept looking over my shoulder but saw nothing.


As my fear subsided and I reached the tennis courts (ah, civilization!), I realized how amazing it had been to come into contact with this wild resident of the canyon. Really, he is much more native to the place (at least, according to the signs). Coyotes are supposed to be nocturnal, but for whatever reason, this guy was out and about before 10 AM. What a treat for me. And it really felt like a treat, in retrospect. There I was, sort of mourning the loss of my old days at home with Avi, and then this coyote appeared quite unexpectedly as if to say, hey, it's not so bad, lighten up! And it caught me off guard in a good way.





In a couple weeks I will resume my old work schedule of 4 days a week. Working 3 days a week has been really wonderful. It's allowed me to ease back into work and also to realize that Avi is okay without me. He continues to grow and develop and thrive. Still, it's hard to be away from him. As I realized the other day, he is very different from the infant I spent all my days with. And yet, he's still my little bear. Just tonight in fact, while Leeor is working late at the office, Avi and I revisited an old experience; he fell asleep in the tub just like he used to. He is so precious. He awoke while I helped him into his pajamas and nursed him to sleep. He is such a gift and a blessing. I feel like a broken record, but I continue to feel so very grateful.