As Camper gets older I’m finding that he sleeps less during the day. This is a good thing, and I’ve finally figured out that if I let him nap as he wants to and wake as he wants to he sleeps better at night. However, I’ve had to adjust. When he was a newborn, if he wasn’t sleeping (and a lot of time that he was) I was holding him. Or John was holding him. Someone was holding him. The thing is, now that he’s awake more often, keeping the same standard is impossible. I’d never get anything done. Also, he’s heavy! Plus, it’s fun to do things with him. He loves to watch the steam come out of the dishwasher and pretends to eat when I’m cooking. A little independence is good for him, I think.
So…this is what I’ve found. Keep a safe, fun seat in every single room.
In the kitchen and the dining room I have the highchair. If there is one thing I’ve learned this past month that I’d like to hand on to other Moms, don’t delay buying the highchair. Although you might not introduce solid foods until your baby is older, you can sit him in a high chair as soon as he has head control. Camper loves to sit in his high chair and watch me cook, or do dishes, and even play the piano, which is VERY helpful when I’m on my own. This is our highchair, that we LOVE.
In the living room with have the jumperoo and his play yard. The jumperoo is not something we leave him alone in, but if I have to run to the bathroom the play yard is a great place where I know he can’t get into anything bad, and also where we change diapers while downstairs. (I couldn’t find a new picture of the jumperoo that works, so check that link out, instead. It’s his more “fun” toy.)
In the bedroom we have a his swing, which is great for putting him to sleep if he’s really fussy or wired.
In the bathroom I keep his bouncy chair. Now…he is outgrowing his bouncy chair, in a serious way. So I can only set him in the bouncy if I’m…err…sitting right there. I’ve seen him scootch out the bottom, and grab the side and try to flip it over. Gone are the days when I can strap him in the bouncy and take a shower. But it works when I just need to set him down for a sec and don’t want to put him on the floor.
In his bedroom we have, of course, the crib, made more interesting by a mobile that he likes to watch, and some toys I throw in there if I have to run up and down the stairs for a bit. I also have the monitor in that room, so if I need him somewhere that I can hear him while I do something, that’s where he goes.
I would love something in the laundry room…but I think that’s asking a bit much, no? All these chairs and bouncies and play yards around. I guess if I were desperate I could set his carseat down there, that would actually work pretty well. Of course I think of it now, after balancing him on my hip all day whilst trying to change loads.
