Going on Outings

Little R and I have done a lot of visiting lately: on Thursday (5/26) we visited my old workplace to introduce her to all my ex-co-workers; on Friday (5/27) we visited my aunt and uncle (my mother's oldest sister) at their house in El Cerrito; and today we visited my parents in Walnut Creek. On Saturday we went out to brunch with B at the delicious St. Francis Fountain, home of vegan pancakes and the perfect bacon but did not visit anyone.

I try to go on an outing of some kind almost every day, because it's important for my mood to get out of the house. I think that R likes the change and getting out, but it's also tiring and not as comfortable for her, so to her I think it doesn't matter that much one way or the other. I know that some parents do not leave their house much, and I am not sure how they can handle that: I am pretty introverted and fond of hanging out at home, but I think it would make even me depressed. I do have to schedule the outings carefully though: mostly I only go places in the afternoon, after R has had her first two naps, so that if she doesn't sleep, she won't get extremely tired (since bedtime is not that far off).

I like visiting my parents best, because they love love love little R and will take her care largely off my hands while I am there. Visiting other people, especially those who aren't used to children (like my aunt), means actually more work for me, because I have to both tend for little R's usual needs (feeding, diapering, napping, etc) and also keep her from obnoxious/non-social behavior (ie crying, whining, fussing), which can require an intensive time investment, depending on her mood. Also, because it is somewhat stressful for little R to meet strangers and go to strange places, she is harder to deal with than she would be while hanging out at home. But I think it's worth it.