Retrofitting

When we moved into our home, we were a family of two adults. Four months later, we became a family of two adults and one cat. And thirteen months and a handful of days after possession, we became two adults, one cat, and one baby.

Unfortunately for us now, when we moved in, we of course set up our home for the family of two adults. Phoebe came along, and we found space for her bed, her food, her fountain, her litter, her toys, her cat tree... And we continued to accumulate books.

And then came Jakob. How is it that such a little person could require so much stuff? (That I asked myself every time we checked in for a flight.) Our family room is jammed with a playgym, a play centre, a playpen, a bumbo seat, a nursing pillow, miscellaneous toys, and a swing (which sometimes sits to the dining table instead). The car seat has taken up residence in the library. The stroller lives in either the car or the vestibule.

(Hah!! I still have china and table linens stored in Jakob's closet, though!)

Now that we're gearing up for solid foods (still not mentally prepared for this, I'm afraid), I've got to find space to keep his dishes. (That'll be a long-term problem; I'm not sure whether he'll ever be allowed to touch my discontinued Denby Boston dishes!) Jarred baby food, too. (Yes, there are 'baby food stackers' available, but I'm not sure one would be a huge lot of help, and we'd only be using it for a few months anyway.) And a high chair (yet to be procured).

In theory, our home is plenty big for all of us. In practice, I think it would fit us better if we had moved in - and set up - as a family of this size.

Perhaps that's an unexpected perk of the sabbatical year away? We'll have to clean out the closets and move ourselves out for whomever rents/cares for our place. When we come back, we'll have to sort of move back in. And I'll have to find a new place to hang my tablecloths.