As most people do with any major milestone, lately I've been reflecting on the past year. The past year has been smoother then I expected in many ways. I've always said that Adelaide has been a pretty easy baby, so caring for her has been relatively straightforward (to this point, ha!) Her birth went as well as we could have hoped, she was a champion nurser from the get-go, and we never had challenges like reflux or a dairy allergy. We ABSOLUTELY had our share of parenting "whoopsies" and there were plenty of times when I asked Adelaide to "give mommy the grace" because I didn't immediately pick up what she was putting down...but overall, our transition to being parents was smoother then either Chris or I expected.
With one exception. The logistical mastery and planning required in caring for a brand. new. baby.
The non-stop planning and logistics of parenthood took me completely by surprise. The constant timing of feedings, diaper changes, naps, etc...completely blew me away. Which was surprising because I am a planner by nature. From the minute Adelaide was born, life began to be driven by when she needed to eat next, whether she had wet a diaper, and how long her last nap was. All of a sudden life was measured in 2-3 hour increments because that was the window I had between nursing sessions. Instead of waltzing out the door to Target with only my purse and car keys in hand, all of a sudden I felt like I was trying to pull off a military operation with a carry-on suitcase (aka diaper bag) hanging off my shoulder JUST TO GET OUT THE DOOR.
Every time I wanted to get out of the house, this is what my mental checklist sounded like...
Do I have a pacifier in case she has a meltdown?
Do I have a blanket so she'll be comfortable in her car seat on the way there?
Do I have socks on her feet so she's fully clothed?
SHE'S FUSSING, WHY IS SHE FUSSING?! DOESN'T SHE WANT TO GO TO TARGET TOO!!??
Do I have enough diapers in the diaper bag in case she has a blowout in the middle of the produce section?
Do I have a change of clothes, in preparation for said theoretical blowout?
What about wipes, did I run out the last time she had a blowout?
Where are the extra wipes?!!
ARE WE OUT OF WIPES?!!
Add wipes to the list!
WHERE IS MY FREAKIN' LIST?!!
And that is how life felt everyday for the first few months. As a new parent you're constantly evaluating EVERY situation, trying to avert disaster. I was like the newest boy scout - their motto "BE PREPARED" on repeat in my head. Every activity is always preceded by a very long mental checklist and then I'm running around LIKE A CRAZY PERSON trying to pull off whatever task we need to accomplish.
Even after a year of adjusting to this new lifestyle full of logistics, we still have our share of parenting fails. Take last weekend, when we were headed to Hutchinson for a couple's shower to celebrate my brother Bud and his fiance Anna. Chris's famous last words as we walked out the door, "If we forgot it, we can buy it!" Little did we know we'd be buying a $100 pack n'play BECAUSE WE FORGOT TO BRING A PLACE FOR OUR BABY TO SLEEP. Along with forgetting the pack n'play, we also forgot the shower gift. #parentingfail
As a result of this constant planning, I can tell you that over the past year I've felt as though I'm in a fast moving river current, being pulled along, from one day to the next. For the most part I'm keeping my head above water, but sometimes the current speeds up and I'm pulled under. I always resurface, but the river never stops moving. The days always go by too fast (but at the same time there are days it feels like the afternoon will never end). Perhaps the constant planning and logistical execution is part of the reason time feels like it flies at exponential speeds as a parent. This hilarious video paints a pretty decent picture of life with the babes.
With one exception. The logistical mastery and planning required in caring for a brand. new. baby.
The non-stop planning and logistics of parenthood took me completely by surprise. The constant timing of feedings, diaper changes, naps, etc...completely blew me away. Which was surprising because I am a planner by nature. From the minute Adelaide was born, life began to be driven by when she needed to eat next, whether she had wet a diaper, and how long her last nap was. All of a sudden life was measured in 2-3 hour increments because that was the window I had between nursing sessions. Instead of waltzing out the door to Target with only my purse and car keys in hand, all of a sudden I felt like I was trying to pull off a military operation with a carry-on suitcase (aka diaper bag) hanging off my shoulder JUST TO GET OUT THE DOOR.
Every time I wanted to get out of the house, this is what my mental checklist sounded like...
Do I have a pacifier in case she has a meltdown?
Do I have a blanket so she'll be comfortable in her car seat on the way there?
Do I have socks on her feet so she's fully clothed?
SHE'S FUSSING, WHY IS SHE FUSSING?! DOESN'T SHE WANT TO GO TO TARGET TOO!!??
Do I have enough diapers in the diaper bag in case she has a blowout in the middle of the produce section?
Do I have a change of clothes, in preparation for said theoretical blowout?
What about wipes, did I run out the last time she had a blowout?
Where are the extra wipes?!!
ARE WE OUT OF WIPES?!!
Add wipes to the list!
WHERE IS MY FREAKIN' LIST?!!
And that is how life felt everyday for the first few months. As a new parent you're constantly evaluating EVERY situation, trying to avert disaster. I was like the newest boy scout - their motto "BE PREPARED" on repeat in my head. Every activity is always preceded by a very long mental checklist and then I'm running around LIKE A CRAZY PERSON trying to pull off whatever task we need to accomplish.
Even after a year of adjusting to this new lifestyle full of logistics, we still have our share of parenting fails. Take last weekend, when we were headed to Hutchinson for a couple's shower to celebrate my brother Bud and his fiance Anna. Chris's famous last words as we walked out the door, "If we forgot it, we can buy it!" Little did we know we'd be buying a $100 pack n'play BECAUSE WE FORGOT TO BRING A PLACE FOR OUR BABY TO SLEEP. Along with forgetting the pack n'play, we also forgot the shower gift. #parentingfail
As a result of this constant planning, I can tell you that over the past year I've felt as though I'm in a fast moving river current, being pulled along, from one day to the next. For the most part I'm keeping my head above water, but sometimes the current speeds up and I'm pulled under. I always resurface, but the river never stops moving. The days always go by too fast (but at the same time there are days it feels like the afternoon will never end). Perhaps the constant planning and logistical execution is part of the reason time feels like it flies at exponential speeds as a parent. This hilarious video paints a pretty decent picture of life with the babes.
All this planning...it's to make sure that from the moment they are born, they can sense how loved, how cared for, and how wanted they are. I know there will be maaaaaany times we need Adelaide to "give us the grace" because we've missed something, regardless of our best efforts. Despite all our mistakes (those made and those yet to be made), I hope Adelaide never doubts how much we love her.
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