Well, we've survived our first little parenting hiccough. Yesterday at about noon, Baby Stewgler had a bit of a blow out. I'm not sure how long she was sitting in a poo diaper -- I was busy trying on clothes that no longer fit me while she was (I thought) asleep. By the time it was all said and done, we'd made a mess of her, me, and, most notably, the bouncy chair.
Now I've taken some derision of late for the amount of time that my child spends in said chair. It seems that every time I send a photo to my girls, she's sitting in it. I could try to defend myself and point out that it's tough to hold her in my lap and snap a focused photo at the same time or mention that she really likes it or insist that it makes a spectacular backdrop, but I absorbed the jab and its accompanying grains of salt. It's true, she spends some serious QT in that chair.
Never was this more clear to me than the last 24 hours when we had no chair to put her in. Because we have no washer & dryer in our fifth floor walk up, I do a fair bit of hand washing in the bathroom sink. It's really no sweat -- the bouncy chair cover was clean in a jiffy, but because my forearm wrings don't quite measure up to a spin cycle and because we're in full summer mode with 80%+ humidity, the cover took its sweet time getting dry.
I have to admit, I didn't realize how crucial the bouncy chair was to my parenting style. It seems I depend on the chair to keep her safe, content and contained while I eat, shower, wash dishes, make cappuccinos, check my email, do the crossword, etc. Lest you think I'm a terrible mother, let me point out that the best thing about the chair is its portability -- I can use one foot to keep it bouncing while I wash dishes in the kitchen and she's within arms reach while I'm in the shower should her binky become dislodged. OK, I still sound like a terrible mother. For the record, I've never left her in it while I walked the dog or gotten my eyebrows waxed. Redeemed?
My point is that having no chair threw me a curve. The last 24 hours felt a lot like the first 24 hours (minus the hemorrhoids, of course) -- I had to figure out how to do everything all over again.
And while I was trying to come up with someplace to put her while I made a smoothie ("wanna watch your swallow mobile in your crib again? Oh boy, oh boy!") I started thinking about July 20th. That's the day that I'm going to wake to my alarm clock instead of my baby, put on my scrubs and walk out the door without her, not to return until after my 12 hour shift.
I'm worried that day will be less like a curve ball and more like a curve planet -- for me, for her dad, and for her. I know we're all going to figure it out and settle into that new reality eventually, but if the lack of a chair necessitated a complete reinvention how will we handle the lack of me?
Monday, June 16, 2008
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1 comment:
I don't think your a bad momma for using a bouncy chair, regardless of the number of hours she spends in it. I do, however, think she is an amazing baby that she will sit in said chair while you make a cappucino (blessing), do the crossword (I'm drooling) and check your email (oh, to dream!) In our 1200 square feet I have a crib with musical mobile, a light-up bouncy seat, a vibrating bassinet, a singing baby matt, a portable swing, and a swing with an island beat (mind you, all hand-me-downs). My baby boy 2 won't sit in ANY of them long enough, even swaddled and plugged, for me to shower, or for that matter, poop. Both of my boys wanted to be attached at all times via sling, bjorn or tired arms. Let's just say my mother was here by 10 am today to do the pile of dishes so high it might have been hiding rats, and a chiropractor could make some cash on me if I could get myself there. I think any heat you are catching for peaceful bouncy time could very well be, you got it, JEALOUSY!!
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