Sorry, I can’t. It’s Nap Time

“I can meet you between 1130am-1230pm, 3pm-430pm, or after 8pm” – me from months 4 until present day of my daughter’s life

I’m well aware that I have friends who think I’m too accommodating of my daughter’s schedule. And I’m not just talking about non-kid friends who I have previously remarked might not, understandably, fully appreciate how life changes post baby. Even some mom friends have made gentle, well-meaning comments on my sometimes-inflexible nature when it comes to my daughter’s routine (and I agree! I’m a serious clock-watcher #sleepscheduleforlife).

But sometimes I do break routine. Sometimes I still do things for myself (note, things done for oneself cannot include showering, eating or the basic necessities of life). This means that my daughter is accommodating my needs instead of the other way around (it sounds shocking–even selfish–I know). It’s so rare that I can count the number of times on my fingers that this has happened since she was born eight months ago.

One of those times was last Friday when I brought her to a baseball game. I love baseball. Before I had my daughter, I would attend half a dozen games per year. My team is finally in the play-offs and my partner and I made the decision that this is something for which we could equip ourselves and manage. (With the dismal management of sports in this city, who knows if we will ever have the opportunity again.) The result? It was amazing. My daughter loved looking around, was a star among fellow fans, and was even fine missing her second nap (if you know my daughter then you understand the magnitude of that last part).  This was a similar (excellent) experience to when we brought her rugby-sevens during the Pan Am Games.

There have been recent comments from a number in my social media circle that a ballpark isn’t the place to bring an infant. Well, sure. Most places aren’t ideal for babies, but we make choices everyday to manage those less-than-ideal situations (or we stay in our houses with our bubble-wrapped furniture singing the same Rainbow songs over and over, losing a little bit of sanity each time. But hey, our babies are safe!). To be frank, there was probably a greater risk driving to the actual stadium than during the game itself.

As parents, we happily give up a lot for our children. But let’s hope we can still have a few small indulgences. After all, life can’t all be play-groups, poop, and parks*.

 

 

*I still love these, too!

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