Social restrictions

This evening we were invited to go to the pub with my Dad and stepmother for dinner. I didn't really think much of it until last night, when I started to question why I'd accepted this kind invitation - Emsy fusses from about 6pm onwards because it's the end of the day and she's tired, and we wanted to take this fussing four month old out for an evening? Madness! I could suddenly envisage Husbandio and I eating as fast as we could in shifts while trying to keep Emily happy, and then rushing home to get her into bed. Where's the fun in that?

I thought I'd been quite good this time round about accepting the social limitations of having a small baby but clearly my a small part of my brain still wishes for the freedom of a long ago life. When Isabel was small I felt for ages like I'd been imprisoned, and it took a long while to accept that we couldn't just pop out to a movie or for dinner as and when we felt like it. This time I knew what I was letting myself in for, so I haven't felt that at all. Rather than going out, we've had lots of people round for meals, or been to houses of friends with kids, usually for lunch. Doing anything after dark has been a no-no (other than one venture out to a friend's book group, which was a five minute walk up the road!).

Yet all this slipped my mind earlier this week, and I blithely accepted the invitation, only to then realise that I really didn't want to struggle through that situation. I don't like being ruled by baby schedules, but I accept that if you keep a small baby in a reasonably strict routine you end up with a baby who sleeps well and is fairly predictable. So, for the next few months (realistically, at least a year I'd say) we will be mostly staying in in the evening - but hopefully this will be interspersed with visitors, and nights of silly card games and vodka. Because that is currently my idea of a great night!