Four-Hour Nap

Last night, Puck helped me prepare Yali’s bottle before bed. He was wearing my old rollerblades as he carefully poured the jug of milk.

“So he doesn’t use formula anymore?”

“Nope, he graduated to cow’s milk.”

“Oh. So he’s kind of like a ninja? One step further in training. I’m like a master.” Puck continued explaining as he rolled away, bottle in hand, Yali hurrying after him. “I made the bottle. I poured this; I’m a master at it.”

 

Wednesday morning, Yali received a scolding from Puck before headed out for surgery. He was chasing the cat again, and Puck had to stand up for his furry baby.

“Yali! Don’t cause another bad deed before you leave!”

Although when Puck thought a little deeper about that, he was reminded of Crackers’ own “bad deeds” the previous evening.

“She attacked my book report!” he exclaimed.

Hugs and kisses as Yali went out the door, waving happily to our “hasta luegos” and “goodbyes”. What did he have to be concerned about, after all? He got an early morning ride with his favorite man in a beard.

 

So while Puck and I hit school – Puck to an Art Museum field trip and myself to odd jobs around the school office – Yali got suited up for the operation, looking like a little stud in his hospital jams with a big “thumbs up” for the camera. Later as updates came in, Oxbear explained that he’d been so relaxed that he’d waved goodbye to Oxbear as he was taken to the room for the procedure.

 

It must have been about four o’clock when Hans, Heidi, Puck, and myself entered Yali’s room to see the little guy snoring soundly in his bed. A little puffier than usual, and a little less crazy. I wasn’t sure he’d be coherent for the visit until suddenly, his eyes popped open and he wanted to sit up. It didn’t take long and he handed the new stuffed tiger from the English family to Heidi, and the stuffed Fredbird to Puck. He gave a few “thumbs up”, a few “I love you”s/“te amo”s in sign language. And I just tried to keep my coughing at least a yard away from him.

However, Puck had apparently had enough by the time he fully witnessed the IV in Yali’s foot.

“How does he drink through that?” Heidi asked.

I was hoping Puck wouldn’t inherit my tendency towards tunnel vision in the wake of needles and blood, but according to Puck, we might have a fainter on our hands. Either way, Puck survived without fainting, Yali was a trooper, and we left about half an hour later in a swarm of traffic while Oxbear and Yali bunked down at the hospital for the night.

Subscribe to Book of Collette

Sign up now to get access to the library of members-only issues.
Jamie Larson
Subscribe