Good-bye, swing. Good-bye, papasan chair. Good-bye, TV.

This past weekend we dismantled the baby swing some friends had loaned us. I don't know what we would've done without that swing. There were many times Eamon wouldn't sleep anywhere else, and it was also where he would happily stay for a few minutes if I needed to use the bathroom or take some laundry downstairs or whatever. And sometimes, when he used to stay up really late at night, we would put him in the swing, which was facing away from the TV, and watch at least part of a movie. He was chilled out in the swing. So, this feels a little like a rite of passage. (Yet another to add to the ever-growing list.)

Along the same lines, we recently returned the papasan chair we'd borrowed from another friend, who needed it back for her second baby that's due next month. We used the papasan even more than the swing. It was where Eamon hung out in the kitchen, and when he started eating solids, it was where we fed him. We kept it on top of the dining table, which I'm sure isn't safe, but we were always right there. So now we've transitioned to the high chair. He sort of leans to the side, but he's getting it.

And finally, TV. This isn't a bad thing, in fact, it's good, but it's still a change. I used to watch TV when I nursed E during the day. We spent so much time nursing, it was the only way for me to feel connected to the world, and I enjoyed it for the most part. (I didn't seem to have the brain capacity or attention span to read books while I nursed.) It was a big deal leaving the house then because Eamon hated the car seat so much. I've never heard him cry as hysterically anywhere else. Luckily, he outgrew that when he hit five months, and suddenly going places was easy. But my point is that now I hardly watch any TV during the day. I used to DVR a ton of shows and blow through three or four in a day (fast-forwarding through commercials, etc.); now I'm lucky to make it through The View. (I know, it's embarrassing to admit that I watch The View. What can I say.) These days he just doesn't nurse as often, or for as long. When he does hunker down, it's usually first thing in the morning or at the end of the day when he's ready to fall asleep. Those are quiet, snuggly times. The best.