The Number Field

Having a baby imposes a strict schedule on life, as I've realized more fully since I started to stay at home with her during the day. Writing that sentence, I just thought back to when I was single, doing long workouts and staying up late to watch ridiculous movies on cable TV. I much prefer the life I lead now. Schedule and routine don't stand as opposites of freedom. Instead, they encourage me to identify the options I have, then make choices and act decisively because I will only have limited windows of time in which to carry them out.

Before

During

After

In large part, the routine comes from Elena's schedule of eating and sleeping. Today, after her morning nap and meal I used her window of wakefulness to vacuum the apartment, then gave her a bath. Although we had been bringing her into the shower with us , that seems much easier with two parents. On my own, I decided to return to the baby bathtub. Elena enjoyed the experience, and only splashed me a little bit.

Yesterday afternoon, I scheduled afternoon errands during Elena's naptime. She enjoys sleeping in her car seat, so I read and sang to her, then put her in it and we headed out. We stopped by a nearby independent baby store and bought a new diaper cover. Sadly, they didn't have any swim diapers in Elena's size. Afterwards, we headed up the street for a rendezvous with someone who had a Pack & Play for sale. On the way home, we swung by Target to take advantage of a good diaper deal (because we still use disposables at night and on trips).

I feel good about the Pack & Play, which I found on Craigslist. We got a good price on it, and it seems to have been used only lightly. It did smell a little bit funny at first, but I think that was just the scent of someone else's house. After airing it out on the porch last night, the odor was gone. I put Elena down for her nap in it today. We're getting her used to it in preparation for summer travels, when she won't always have her crib.