We were “vacationing” (EM was working, but little EC and I were vacationing…) last week, so we were without the normal infrastructure such as a high chair. Little EC has begun to enjoy grabbing things and eating them. Bread is a particular favorite because it mashes up easily in the mouth and is easy to grab onto.

So without a high chair, I would sit her down on a towel on the floor, a plate of bread and cheese between us. Rip off a piece, set it in front of her…she leans forward, grabs, stuffs and chews. Repeat. One for you, one for me. And just like that, we had our first picnics.

The bread that we got was a multi-grain, whole-seed sort of thing. I didn’t think about it when buying the bread…but those diapers were really interesting. Black sesame seeds simply don’t digest if not crushed up in chewing, I guess.

It took about two days for her to get used to sleeping in a new place. She’d cry like crazy when being put down in a strange crib in a strange place. We let her cry it out, just like we did at home. Before the week was out, she was just as comfortable sleeping in the hotel as at home. But we got to relive those wonderful sleep training days, which was loads of fun.

Also, I got to change her diaper pretty much everywhere. Floor of the subway station? Check. Floor of the mall? Check. She only complains when it’s poop (and maybe more when it’s a particularly “seedy” poop, I don’t know…) so of course those were picturesque changes. Fortunately she has no concept of modesty. I, on the other hand, let a subway come and go just to get all the passengers off the platform before doing the dirty work.

And in one supreme moment of parental pride…we went out to dinner one night, and she was already tired and grumpy by the time we got to the restaurant. But we managed, through a combination of bread, mashed potatoes, and drinking straws to keep her entertained through a three-course meal over almost two hours.