Project 52: SIXTEEN

I was introduced to the Total Baby app a little later than what would have been good for me. I was keeping track of Garrett's eating/sleeping times on scratch pieces of paper, a rudimentary Excel file, and in my brain. It's not real easy to find patterns that way. 


Then, Megan gave me her old iPod Touch (thank you!!!) and introduced me to the Total Baby app. Everything was so much easier to keep track of, and I could see color-coded charts of what G was doing each day! Ahh, bliss, for a micro-managing mommy (how's that for alliteration?). 


Because I was introduced to this late in the game (after G turned 4 months), G was almost being consistent with his schedule. 


You see, I'm a huge fan of routines...but it's hard to put a baby on a "schedule." So, I stuck with our Eat-Wake-Sleep routine until he managed to fall into an appropriate schedule. I love the E-W-S routine because I knew why he cried, most of the time. I also knew that if he slept for longer than an hour or so, and woke up, he was probably hungry (I had a really hungry baby).


Once I started G on solid food (well, pureed food), he was (shockingly) able to stretch his routine (praise the Lord!). 


But the Total Baby app (as helpful as it is) was causing a bit of anxiety. If he was off his "schedule," I became nervous. I would try the rest of the day to get him back to what he was the day before so the color coded bar graph could show a pattern.

Ridiculous, I know.


I came to the conclusion that the Total Baby app had served its purpose and it was no longer needed.

My micro-managing side still likes it, but I don't need it.


I need to chill. 


Which I have.

photo by Chad Brackeen photography

Do you see the wind-blown hair, swept to the side? That's me, chilled.

Seriously, though, not feeding my need for control has been such a good thing for us (me and Garrett). It will be a constant struggle - a thorn-in-my-flesh, if you will. But, for now, we're good.