baby steps

I know the term is in reference to an infant's first attempts at walking, but lately I have been thinking that the term is even more applicable to describe the slow, methodical pace of life that takes over once you have a baby. Everything must be approached in progressive steps, meaning in order to do something big, such as leave the house, you must do the small things, like the feeding, changing of diaper and dressing of clothes, in steps. And the steps can often take hours, especially since the feeding can cause the diaper to be dirtied which means then the clothes need to be changed...a vicious cycle. Then you have to attend to yourself - go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, do your hair, shower (if you are lucky and baby is sleeping soundly) and get dressed. Again, these things sound easy and like minor tasks, but with a newborn sometimes you can only accomplish one thing, let's say, the brushing of the teeth, before you have to reply to their cries and attend to their needs (which in Eddie's case usually means he wants to eat) and then wait until the next moment of calmness before you can finish the other tasks. Right now I am typing one-handed, which has become pretty standard for me, because Eddie is sleeping like an angel on my lap and on my left arm. If I make an attempt to move him and put him down in his bassinet, he will awaken and start fussing, rooting and making all the signs indicating "hunger." I know this because I have already tried it four times just now before giving in to his need for me to be his pillow and his bed for the next 30 minutes or so. I suppose this is the luxury of a stay-home mom - being able to just give in to the moment and watch your child sleep in your arms and not worry too much about what else you should be doing - thank god for machines like dishwashers and washing machines that help with cleaning and are hands free...maybe we need to buy one of those hands free vacuums too...