Our son was just four months old when you unexpectedly lost your job last August. As it was summer， we decided to abandon the bedtime routine， took the little one for a long walk to get him off to sleep in his 2）pram， and went to the beer garden where we sat with our heads in our hands wondering how it had happened.

We were lucky that you got a good 3）pay off. You decided to take a couple of months off and spend your days with us， making the most of that. At first you found it strange adapting to the routine at home， but you soon realised how hard it was taking care of a baby all day and trying to keep the house in order.

I know that when you went back to work after 4）paternity leave， we were both quite shocked that some days I found it impossible to take care of the baby， do the washing up and keep the laundry bin less than a third full. I had an image in my mind of you getting home after work to a fed and freshly washed baby， 5）spotless kitchen， dinner on the go and a freshly pressed shirt for the morning.

In reality， you would come home to plates piled up in the kitchen and me trying to chop an onion while soothing an unbathed baby with the 6）Foo Fighters. With two of us suddenly at home it was a lot easier to 7）keep on top of everything， but when I took a day off to get my hair cut or see friends and you stayed at home by yourself with our son， you said how mad it was that it seemed impossible to achieve anything while taking care of a creature who spent most of the day asleep.

We adapted to our new life. It was fun to go shopping or to the park， all three of us living one long weekend. Your relationship with your son grew stronger every day. When our babies were very young， one of the biggest complaints among my friends in 8）antenatal class was that sometimes we would struggle all day to get a smile or a laugh out of our children， that everything we did seemed to displease them in some way—but when our partners walked through the door from work they were rewarded with huge smiles. “Its because they dont feel the need to prove they love you，as youre with them all day every day，”someone said to me. It was hard not to feel a 9）twinge of jealousy. More than a year later， you are still here all week， and that “Whos this？ I must impress him！”relationship never stopped between you and your son.

I dont know if its because he was a certain age when you started spending so much time with him or if you have a 10）sinister magic trick up your sleeve， but whenever he sees you he breaks into the biggest smile Ive seen. He adores you； he cannot get enough of you. Since I went back to work part-time in March you take him alone for the days Im away. Whenever he and I go out for the day by ourselves， the look on his face as we leave says， “Cant Dad come too？” When we get back， his face lights up immediately like it used to when you came in from work. While things have not been perfect， Im so glad we have been able to spend over a year bringing him up together as a team.

Its likely that you will be working again before Christmas. This will be a blessing， but Im already missing your 11）day-to-day 12）company and the look on our sons face as you open the front door to take him into your arms.

去年八月你意外丢掉工作时，我们的儿子才刚刚四个月大。当时时值正夏，我们决定放弃原有的作息时间，带上小家伙去散步走上好一段距离，让他在婴儿车中睡着。然后我们走到啤酒花园，在那里，我们两手托腮苦苦反思这一切的缘由。

我们很幸运，你得到了一笔还不赖的资遣费。你决定休假几个月，并且充分利用这些时间和我们呆在一起。起初你觉得难以适应家中的常规杂务，但很快你就意识到全天候照顾小宝贝和尽量维持家中井井有条是多么困难的事儿。

我知道陪产假结束、你回去工作之后，我俩都很讶异有段日子我难以兼顾照看小宝贝、清洗餐具、让脏衣服不至堆过篮子的三分之一。在我脑海里曾有过这样一幅画面，你下班后回到这样的家：家里有一个喂饱的、洗得白白净净的小宝贝，一尘不染的厨房，晚餐准备就绪，隔天早上要穿的衬衫刚刚熨好。

事实上，你回家会发现，厨房里堆满盘子，而我则在喷火战机乐队的摇滚乐声中哄着还未洗澡的小宝贝，还要兼顾切洋葱。现在，突然我俩都呆家里了，一切事情都变得没那么棘手了。但有时候我会空出一天去剪发或者见见朋友，而你则和儿子呆在家里。你会说照看一个大半天都在睡觉的生物，自己竟然做不了任何事，让人抓狂不已。

我们适应了新生活。去购物或者逛公园都趣味多多，我们三个就像在度过一个长周末。你与儿子间的关系日渐密切。当我们的小宝贝还非常小的时候，我产前班的朋友们中最大的抱怨之一是：有时我们整天努力想逗取孩子们的一个微笑或大笑却不果，好像我们做的每件事都在一定程度上惹他们不高兴——而丈夫下班进门时，小孩却会奖励他们一个大大的微笑。“这是因为小孩觉得没有必要去证明自己爱你，你们天天都和他们呆在一起，”有人这么跟我说道。这让人很难压抑内心的嫉妒。一年多以后，你仍整周呆在家里，那种“这是谁？我必须讨好他！”的关系在你和儿子之间从未停止。

我不知道是否因为在你开始长时间陪伴小宝贝时，他已经到了某个特定的年龄段，还是说你暗中使了什么魔法手段，总之，每每他看到你就绽放出我曾见过的最灿烂的笑脸。他崇拜你，像是永远都和你玩不够似的。自三月我做起兼职工作开始，我出门的那些日子里你一个人带着他。每当就我带着小孩出门的时候，小家伙脸上的神情就像在说“爸爸不能一起去吗？”带着他回到家时，他的神情立马就亮了，和你过去下班进门的时候一样。虽然世事并无完美，但我还是很开心我们能作为一个团队花费一年多的时间一起养育他。

圣诞节前你很有可能将重新投入工作。这是我们的福气，但我已经开始想念你每日的陪伴，以及当你推开前门拥着儿子入怀时，我们儿子脸上的模样了。