Back Again, Panic Sets In

June2010 036, originally uploaded by sammy461.

I didn’t have time to write an entry for our last day in Jamaica. That evening was spent packing bags, so that we were ready for an early flight out of Montego Bay. For that last day, we decided to do what we enjoyed most, and hired a couple of guys to take us back to the reefs. This time, without Lou, we were able to take a longer and more relaxed swim. We were followed by a school of Tiger fish – a species of yellow and black striped fish that are either very friendly or very curious. There were moments when I considered that so many fish could devour us completely in small bites.

We also hired Sonia to come back and babysit for the kids. When we returned, we all shared a lunch of coco bread, beef patties, and fruit. Because it began raining hard in the afternoon, Sonia stayed and we shared tea and chocolate. She seemed sad to go after the rain, and becoming choked up, said that she was going to miss us. She asked for pictures of Johanna, at the least, if we couldn’t return again next year. I felt strangely sorry to say goodbye as well. Jamaicans are such beautiful people.

Since we’ve been back, Johanna has come precipitously close to crawling. She is constantly on her belly, pushing herself up on her arms. I do mean constantly – she flips herself over during diaper changes and even when nursing (it was comical at first, but is wearing thin). Unfortunately, she seems to know she’s on to something. Our house is far, far from baby-safe, and so I feel a nagging, ever-present panic. The baby proofing is very much complicated by the older brother, who is known to leave small plastic bits, marbles, and change lying around everywhere. No joke, I do not feel good about this.