Creature of Habit

So as we steadily approach the anniversary of the little monster's munchkin's arrival, I've begun to think back on life and how it's changed. Not necessarily to before his debut, but in the changes since. When he was just a little bug, unable to do much but gurgle, we had no idea what we were doing. There was this little, completely helpless being relying on us for everything. Disaster was assured. Except, thankfully, the options of what could be the matter were generally fairly limited: feed him, change him, or put him down to sleep. Throw in some burping and that covered most eventualities. It got us through most days and nights (with only a few panicked phone calls to the doctor).

Over time we've added bonks and bruises, teething, and constipation to the list of complaints. I didn't really notice, but to cope with the new wants and needs, we evolved a fairly predictable routine. No longer a menu of three possible solutions meant shifting to a more predictive method. Our days became fairly ordered, not out of some master plan, but simply to help us all keep on keepin' on.

Then there came "little demando" or, put another way, "He wants what he wants when he wants it". The routine slid a bit and we seem to back in a world of trial and error. This time around, though, the errors seem more numerous. When we're tired we seem fall back on the learned routine. So much so that we forget the basics. This morning was a case in point. Awoken by a howling wolf, we tried to soothe and comfort. He had his soother, his lamby and he was the right temperature. We tried cuddles and stories and favourite games. In our minds it wasn't time for a bottle. It couldn't be time for a bottle. He'd had a full one before bed and he never needs another until he wakes at six or seven. Good one, parents.  That's all he needed. One of the three basic needs that we could nail at our most sleep-deprived 11 months ago, escaped both parents with a year's experience for the better part of an hour. Now when is your naptime again???