Long Walks On Leafy Streets

9/20/2015 Beach Drive, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
I can now definitely say that Prashant likes being outside. Whether it means the outdoors or nature or just being outside is not yet clear but he definitely enjoys getting out of the house and looking at the world all around him. He sometimes kicks his legs and gives out a shout of joy as I open the door or walk him around outside. When he is really enjoying it he makes all kinds of baby sounds, almost as if he is trying to point out various things. He then looks intently at each tree and building and other objects in his view as if he wants to make sure he understood everything about all of them.
Yesterday Nicole and I took him on a little trip to Annapolis. We first drove to the Quiet Waters Park and walked on the trails to a scenic overlook with breathtaking views of the South River. It was a picture perfect day and there were yachts and boats of all kinds on the water. The park itself is quite beautiful, with shelters built like gazebos, gardens, woods and a fountain / ice-rink. While we were there a Latino family was celebrating quinceanera for their daughter.
Prashant seemed to enjoy the scenes quite a bit. We then had supper at a restaurant overlooking the marina in the downtown area. Nicole and I seem to find waterfront places romantic. We love Georgetown in DC, having had our first date and engagement there. We also enjoy Annapolis whenever we visit, and our honeymoon was in Cape May, NJ. At this location they have a memorial for Kunta Kinte the ancestor of Alex Haley, creator of the famous miniseries about slavery “Roots.” I have seen this before but this time it struck me that it is quite possible that one of Prashant’s ancestors might have come on a ship like the one that brought Kunta Kinte to this harbor. Suddenly that memorial became more than just a historical marker.
As I wrote before it is amazing how our lives are completely built around Prashant these days. During this trip we spent much of our time making sure he was fed and diapered, wiping his mouth and runny nose and comforting him in general. We still enjoyed it very much, though. Perhaps even more so because he was with us. By the way our Nissan Leaf performed very well. I was a bit nervous the whole day because we have never driven it more than 40 miles on a single trip. As it turned out we could have made the entire 70 or so miles round trip without charging but just to be safe we recharged at the NRG evgo charging station at Bowie town center mall on the way back. I had it fully charged on Friday night and even with its diminished battery capacity I have the feeling it will get close to eighty miles in ideal driving conditions.
Taking care of Prashant is really teaching me to let go of my ego and just do whatever it takes to keep him healthy and happy. It is also forcing me to let go of my need to get things done in a certain way. Hardly anything ever seems to go according to plan! I am learning to just accept whatever happens. I might be dead tired and ready to collapse in sleep but as soon as he brightens up and gives that big smile of his I forget everything else. Most mornings he wakes up before sunrise and I take him outside to greet the day. Seeing him enjoy the dawning of a new day makes me look at the world afresh, with new eyes, a new sense of wonder, and realize what a beautiful planet it is that we live in.

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