Surprise!
This week, mom and dad were super busy trying to catch up on work; in preparation for the holidays next week. Elise has been gradually doing better at keeping herself entertained. When we work we always have her in the office with us, either in her bouncer chair or on her play mat. While her pink bouncer chair has done well in the past, I think it may be nearing its retirement. Elise’s legs hang off the end of the chair, and when she gets fidgety she starts squirming and writhing in attempt to escape from it. I keep the bouncer on top of my desk, next to the computer, so I can play with her while I work. Now when she fidgets, she is able to almost lift the chair base with each squirm. It surprises me every time, and I end up having to take her out of the chair and either hold her or put her on her play mat.
The play mat keeps her attention a bit longer, but she is now semi-mobile so she ends up squirming off the play mat and moves across the floor on her back. Clint call this her, “crab crawl”. She usually squirms and “crab crawls” her way over to Clint or I and looks up at us, with a little mischievous smiling face, ready to be picked up. I would love to say I don’t give in, but let’s be honest, she usually gets her way. I give in more for my own selfish reasons, as I love holding her in my arms and want to take advantage of every presented opportunity.
Elise working her charms, ready to be picked up
I’m starting to find ways to work around Elise’s schedule. She wakes up and eats at 7am. After I feed her I usually have about an hour where she moves at a slower pace due to digestion. I then put her down for a two hour nap at 9am. Her next feeding is at 11am, giving her downtime until almost 12:30pm. She then has her afternoon nap around 1:30 – 2:30pm. Her next feeding is at 3pm, and then she has a wake period until bedtime with two additional feedings. So clearly, I get much more work done in the morning than any other time of day.
While I am getting more efficient at utilizing the time I have available, there are still days where it is just plain difficult to get things done. Elise gets cuter and more interactive by the day, so I find it harder to set her aside now. She still isn’t fully mobile, so I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like once she is crawling and walking and I have to chase after her. We will probably end up putting her in day care a couple days a week sometime next year. I am championing the idea of day care, more for the social exposure than anything else. Elise has already been showing signs of “stranger danger” and I want her to grow accustomed to being around other children early on. I’m sure she will do very well once she gets adapted to the new routine.
"My thoughts on daycare...ehhh no thanks"
