Day 74: Is he an alien, or the King of England?

Nesting Diaries Part 2

Another weekend, another sprint to prep for baby. This time around, my husband built his dresser while I sorted through all the kitchen additions, set up his shelves, and started pulling together caddies and the diaper bag.

We still don’t have diapers for when he’s born, aside from the 2-pack samples they send in registry gift bags. The decision fatigue on diaper purchases, at least for a first-timer, is real. I have no idea what brand or style will work best with this kid. Yet we are expected to stockpile them like crazy.

This is just one of the many in a series of unknowns. From diapers and bottles, to swaddles and pacifiers — it’s a delicate balance of having a variety on-hand for baby’s arrival, while not going all in on any one brand or type until we discover exactly what works and what he likes best. I’m a planner — not being able to predict these things drives me nuts.

And then there are the gadgets and gizmos. The “kitchen additions” that are so uniquely specific to the infant stage of life — sterilizers and custom-shaped drying racks and pump parts and special bottles and special chairs with special specifications.

I always thought interacting with toddlers was like socializing with aliens. Over time, I’ve found this to be a helpful perspective — learning to speak their language, to assimilate to their foreign customs and sense of logic. It was the only way to productively translate between child and adult species, to communicate and achieve end-goal battles like leaving playgrounds or navigating bedtime.

Looking around the kitchen, I’m realizing newborns are a whole different type of extra terrestrial.