Feeling Kinda Blue...

My parents just left this morning after a week-long visit. It's the first time my dad has been back since Christmas, and Nathan won't see him again until we go to their house in October. He will see my mom again before then, but not until September (up until now she's been back every 4-6 weeks). It really kind of kills me that my parents live so far away. I grew up with both sets of grandparents in a 15-mile radius, and I just never envisioned my own kid(s) not having the same set-up. I haven't lived in the same state as my parents since I was 18, but I've always been super independent so it never really bothered me. Now that I have a son though... it does.

Don't get me wrong - we're still very lucky to have the other set of grandparents 5 minutes down the road from us. Even though they sometimes get on my nerves, they're crazy about Nathan and help us out a lot with him. But it also makes me sad to see him go running to my FIL, arms outstretched, yelling "Ga-ga" when he's around, and knowing he doesn't react the same way to my own dad who he sees in person maybe 4 times a year. And yes, there's Skype, which is great and all. But at this age, he's too young to really have a long-distance "relationship" with my dad (his Papa) like his nearby relationship with my FIL.

I am glad that my mom has been able to come back as much as she has (she doesn't work outside the home currently), but I know it kills her too that she's several states away and can't just drop everything to run over and help when we're in need of it. September isn't THAT far away, but at the rate Nathan is growing and changing, he's going to be so different by the time she's back. I know that makes her sad to know she's missing things.

I don't mean for this to be a depressing post. It's just that we had a house-full of guests yesterday (my in-laws, my parents, my grandfather and a cousin from my dad's side of the family, plus my friend B, her family and boyfriend/his kids) and now there's no one. The house is quiet. Nathan is at daycare (I should be working...), Paul is at work, and my parents left about an hour ago. I usually love these days when I'm home alone for a few hours (I work from home a couple of times a week), but today it just feels lonely. Today I'm just feeling a little blue...