Simple

I was thinking this morning what raising a baby would be like without all of the wonderful, modern conveniences. What was life like for my Mom 32 years ago?

I'd wake up in the morning and have no video monitor next to my bed to see whether or not Livi was awake. I'd have to physically go into her room to check on her, and when I found her in her crib, she wouldn't be in a fancy Halo SleepSack. She'd most likely be sleeping without a blanket at all, and certainly in pajamas that weren't made with harmful fire retardant chemicals.


I'd bring her to the changing table where I'd deal with her diaper; but, not the disposable sort. It would look like a big dishtowel with safety pins (and no magical wipes to clean her butt, just cotton balls with water!) There would be no Diaper Genie, and no Aquafor to rub on her dry legs (maybe just some good old fashioned Vaseline).


We'd sit down to a glass bottle with a latex nipple (no Playtex Drop-In Systems to prevent gas), and if I wanted to warm that bottle, I would have to go down to the kitchen and boil a pot of water while my little Livi squirmed with impatience for her food to come.


We wouldn't spend the morning in a vibrating bouncey seat with moving fish and Mozart playing in a techno dance club variation. If we wanted vibrations we might have to settle for the washing machine, and if I wanted Mozart, I'd have to put a record on the record player. I couldn't just plop her into her Jumperoo with flashing lights - I would have to walk her around the house bouncing her tiny body in my arms, hoping the sunshine beaming through the windows would be enough to capture the attention of those little brown eyes.


If we left the house to go shopping, there would be no infant carrier to make life easier. There would be no drive-thrus on the way so I could grab a quick coffee. There would be no antibacterial spray to put on my hands to protect her from all of the harmful germs of the world. There would be no remote control play thing perched in the backseat to entertain my little one (and a few years from now, no DVD player lodged in the back of my headrest to play endless Disney videos on).

Worst of all there would be no Babies R' Us or Target. No clearing house of all-things-baby that I could do one stop shopping at. I would shop at small specialty stores, sprinkled all over the Greater Boston area, and hope that her Grandmother would sew her a Christmas outfit or a new pair of booties (not Robeez).

Perhaps most challenging is that I would have no Internet to do research, to comparison shop, or to escape to when I had reached my limit of "Trot Trot to Boston."

Life certainly would not be as convenient, and I would have to be much more resourceful and creative to keep Livi entertained and learning. I would probably benefit from holding her more often in my arms, and she would enjoy that I rocked her to sleep instead of turning to her swing in a pinch.

I give my Mom a lot of credit for surviving without all of the "stuff" - I'm not sure that I could manage without it. It's a good reminder though, especially in a time where more of us are having to do without, that sometimes all of the stuff gets in the way of experiencing the really simple things in life. Tonight I think I'll try putting Livi to bed with a lullaby rather than her crib-side, Ocean Wonders Aquarium.