Talk about OJT!

I generally like to think that I'm a bright fellow.  Part of my job is solving - even anticipating - problems and preparing for them.

Fatherhood makes me feel like an idiot.  Oh, well: I suppose it's all a learning experience.  For example:

--- We let Caroline go without a nap at the deepest peril.  She's like a VERY mean drunk without her afternoon snooze.  This is somewhat a blessing in disguise as we find that she will sleep in her stroller, which gives a certain chubby Baba another good reason to take long, regular walks

--- There are certain items that one MUST have in-hand when leaving the house.  I feel especially stupid about this one as friends explicitly warned me about The Diaper Bag

--- She has surprisingly long arms and quick hands

--- Chocolate milk and white leggings do not belong in the same place at the same time (VERY quick hands...)



Chocolate milk + white leggings = OH NO!
At least we remembered a bib...

--- Dirt apparently is delicious (who knew???)

--- Puppy pads work quite well as an accessory for diaper changes

Some of the problems we anticipated, such as terror of a car seat, have not manifested themselves.  Caroline is generally a calm, easy-going child and got into her car seat for the first time with complete equanimity (the same may not be said for ol' Baba trying to install the thing!).  But one problem has showed up big time: sleeping.  Despite (or, perhaps, due to) the fact that she slept in a crib with her foster parents, the crib apparently is NOT her favorite vacation spot.  We are trying to work out sleeping arrangements such that all of us get a reasonable amount of rest.  It's definitely a priority project.  Oh, if only she could be like me and LONG for a nice afternoon nap and nine solid hours at night!

I anticipate that we'll be dealing with walking very soon.  We think that she can probably walk now, but she doesn't quite realize it.  The Chocolate Milk Incident should serve as a serious wake-up call to us both: if we don't want something to end up in the floor, in her hands, or in her mouth, we'd better keep it locked away or, at least, well above Caroline level.