How to feel like a bad parent while on a family walk
- Dress your baby in a short-sleeved onesie and shorts, even though it is a brisk September day, because you are so used to it being HOT HOT HOT all the time
- Don’t remember to bring him a jacket
- … or socks or shoes
- … or a blanket
- Drive to a special walking trail next to a river
- Unload and set up heavy-duty jogging stroller
- Fasten baby into stroller
- Feel the cool blast of air, and realize that you, the parent, are wearing long pants and a hoodie … and, yeah, the baby is dressed for a heat wave
- Use your hoodie as a makeshift baby blanket to keep your little tyke warm, while you freeze in your tank top — and feel like an idiot
- Vow to never again forget to (A) dress your child appropriately, and (B) keep a blanket in the diaper bag
Mommy confession …
Of course I change Baby Boy’s soother every time I change his outfit — so that the green one matches a green outfit, the blue one matches a blue outfit, etc.
It’s an ACCESSORY, people, and Lord knows boys don’t get many of those. I have to work with what I’ve got!
The beauty of the nap
Since the week before Baby Boy was born, our condo complex has been a construction zone.
They’ve spent the last two summers replacing the siding and decks on the other six buildings, and oddly enough, our building was the final one, and it coincided with us having a newborn. Funny how life bites you in the ass like that, isn’t it?
So for the first two-and-a-half months of his life, there have been construction workers and their (LOUD) tools and (LOUD) yakking right outside our windows, from 7 a.m. sharp to 4:30 p.m.
Some days they have literally been IN OUR WINDOWS, which — for breastfeeding girls like me, with their boobs perpetually hanging out — meant we had to live like mushrooms with the curtains shut tightly and the A/C blasting.
It also meant that the noise was DEAFENING some days, depending on which side of the building they were attacking that day. Baby Boy would fall asleep for a nap in his crib or his Playard bassinet, only to be woken up 30 second later by a piercing saw or nailgun. Suffice it to say, he didn’t wake up calmly to that kind of racket — and who could blame him? The only way he could nap during the noise was in my arms — and even then, sometimes he couldn’t sleep because the noise scared him too much.
But now, the construction is finally OVER, which means Baby Boy is able to — say it with me — have regular naps! Hallelujah!
It’s totally and completely amazing. On days that we go out, it’s not as noticeable — because he’s sleeping in the car, in the mall, etc. But on the days that we stay home, I can count on two or three good naps in his crib.
At first, I had no idea that I really needed to put him down for a nap, because … well … we hadn’t gotten the chance, because of the construction! But in the last two weeks or so, if he’s fed and changed and still fussing — and usually rubbing his eyes — I’ll pop him into his crib and he instantly relaxes and drifts off. I can’t believe he actually likes it — at least so far.
And the best part? Naptime = Mommy’s free time!
At a playgroup I attended a month or so ago, one of the moms commented that she did all her cleaning up while her baby was awake, because when he went down for a nap, that was her time. Best advice ever!
All I can do is respect and encourage his naps, and CROSS MY FINGERS that he doesn’t give them up until kindergarten …
Clothes by the numbers
Baby Boy outgrew his 0-3 month clothes when he was three weeks old.
He outgrew his 3-6 month clothes when he was 10 weeks old.
He’s currently wearing 6-12 month clothes, and he turns three months old tomorrow. They fit him perfectly.
Tell me … tell me, seriously … that he is not going to be wearing 12-18 month clothing by the time he is five or six months old?
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that he is a big, strapping, delicious boy. I am just a little sad that he outgrows my favourite outfits so quickly …
The happiest baby on the block
In the first few sleep-deprieved weeks of parenthood, I was surfing parenting blogs (probably looking desperately for advice!) and came across this phrase:
“Don’t try to make a happy baby happier.”
At first, I was like, “Pfffft. That’s dumb. Of course you should always try to make your baby even happier than they are! People can always be happier!”
It was only in the last week or so that I clued in.
It’s so simple! And it really is true. Do NOT try to make a happy baby happier. Because you know what? There are enough times when they are UNHAPPY and you need to pull out every trick in the book.
Not to mention the fact that if you go really bonkers at them, you’re probably just going to overstimulate them and LOSE their happy.
So what if you’re holding your baby on your lap and they’re smiling at the lamp on the end table? The old me probably would have tried to seize his happy state of mind and interest Baby Boy in a toy or a book, or starting singing some nonsensical song.
Now I’m like, you want to look at the lamp? Cool. And I will hold him in place on my lap, letting him happily ogle the lamp, for as long as he wants (while I watch Teen Mom on my laptop, haha). When he loses interest in the lamp, then I’ll start up again with a book or a song.
Talk about making us both happy!
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Heather's Handmade Life 