Things to memorize

We co-sleep, which works out wonderfully for me when the baby needs to nap. It gives the Lupus-wearied mommy a chance to lay down and nap, too.

So a couple days ago, we were settling in for a nap and I was stroking my hand over his head as he dozed, and I suddenly felt like that was a moment to memorize. I wanted to remember how silky his hair was beneath my fingertips, how cool to the touch it was at the top of his head where it's thickest. I wanted to remember the feel of his tiny toes pressing into my lower abdomen, and the way he huffled in his sleep.

I know there's no way to memorize these perfect, precious moments, but sometimes I wish I could take a mental video of the sounds, smells, touch, and emotions in little moments like that, so I could bring them out and enjoy them thirty years from now when he's an adult with a family of his own.

Mobility

We have started the very serious work of figuring out what is low enough for a mobile baby to get into and damage himself. I'm trying to decide which cabinets should be strictly off-limits and which cabinets I won't mind him getting into, or which cabinets are safe for him to get into.

We've also started covering light-sockets and putting cords in cord protectors.

I'm not much for limiting his movement and his exploration; at this age, exploration is all. He will learn so much about his world by being allowed to be a part of it, rather than closing him away from things in a playpen or behind a gate.

Does this mean we'll never use a baby gate? Probably not. There will be times when I simply cannot devote my attention to him safely, and will need to therefore put him somewhere safe from harm. But for the most part, he will be allowed much of the same freedom of movement that we are allowed.

I'm also looking into non-tipping dog water bowls, since our current bowl for the dogs seems to fall down quite nicely with just a little pressure on one edge.

Why all this sudden industry?

Nightmarish November

I haven't written in awhile because I've been writing so much! That sentence will make sense in a moment.

November is National Novel Writing Month. The goal for people who participate in NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It doesn't have to be well written and it doesn't even need to make perfect sense, as long as you can semi-coherantly string thoughts together. I have participated in NaNoWriMo for the last three years, and I was determined not to let a new baby stop me this year.

This means that any spare moment, I have been noveling. This leaves very little time for blogging.

November is also Thanksgiving, and we are having two this year: one with my family here in Oklahoma, and one with Chris' family in South Carolina. Planning a trip with an infant is ranking pretty high on my list of things I don't want to do, so that has been occupying my brain space not eaten up in noveling.

Needless to say, November is turning out to be fairly nightmarish, so I'm giving myself a break from worrying about blogging until December, when I can get into how little I like the commercial, needy, grabby season.

Oblivious

I love how innocently oblivious the baby is to the things that get the rest of us so worked up. Halloween, for example... as far as he's concerned, it's another night to play with his toes, splash in the bath, and get as much nursing as possible in before he falls asleep in my arms.

Thank you for reminding me to take it slow, Jacob, and to not sweat the small stuff.