Good times

For several months after Claire was born, we were on time or early everywhere because we allowed so much extra time to get out the door. Now we're more efficient -- we know how long it takes to warm a bottle, that a bath can be replaced by scented lotion, and that extra diapers are already in the diaper bag.

Also, we've recently discovered that if Claire wakes up at 6:30 a.m. ready to face the day, we can put her in bed with us and feed her and she'll sleep with us basically however much longer we want. That is lovely knowledge, and surely a terrible habit to encourage, but I'll take sleep at almost any cost right now.

As a result of all of this, we're back to being five minutes behind most of the time. I didn't care for punctuality anyway. I found that most other people were running late, too.

Maybe, just maybe, we've hit upon a system that works for church with Claire. We leave her in nursery during Sunday school, when she's rested, full and ready to play. She's great for that hour, and we can enjoy Sunday school -- the current series on the pragmatics of our worship, taught by our new senior pastor, is fantastic. Then we pull her out and keep her with us during worship, give her a bottle at the first sign of fussiness and let her sleep away the rest of the service.

The alternative, just leaving her in nursery until she started screaming for her nap, was much less preferable because once she's worked up it's hard for even me to calm her down -- it's always better to feed her and get her to sleep before she realizes that's what she needs. But this way Matt and I get at least some time in church without worrying about whether she's about to blow, and she gets to practice being comfortable with people who aren't me and Matt. Which is a skill we like to encourage.

Hooray for a short work week (for those with jobs) and lots of family and out-of-town friends time this week! Lauren W., Betsy, Todd and Rhonda and Ronnie and her meatballs and Sallie and Steven (I will call you tomorrow about that, Sallie) and maybe others ... can't wait!