What A Difference A Year Makes






Last week my wife had a work-related conference to attend in our nation’s capitol, so she brought Dipity and me along for the ride. While she was working, Dipity and I hit the mall and the museums. We did the same thing last year ... but being that last year Dipity was 9 months old and now she's 21 months old, it really wasn't the same thing.

Last year she went everywhere in either her stroller or her baby bjorn, and I went in and out of museums, and bag check and metal detector lines, with a large and theoretically moveable pile of stuff. This year I had less stuff, and carried every bit of it ... including Dipity, for the vast majority of the time. Dipity's favorite phrase was "dada up."

Last year there was less Dipity.

Last year I had three or so hours of pushing a sleeping infant in a stroller, a wonderful time in which I was able to view museum exhibits at my own pace. This year I had forty five minutes of carrying a sleeping toddler, during which I did indeed move slowly through the exhibits.

Last year it was clear that her favorites were the planes at the air and space museum and the animals at the natural history museum. This year she had the exact same favorites, but was much more vocal about it. My favorite moment was when she shouted "Panda."

Last year all the time when Dipity was asleep and we weren't had to be spent in the bathroom or in the dark. This year ... it was the same. I am still sore from the two hours of typing, and thirty minutes of unplanned napping, I did on the bathroom floor.

Last year we went to dinner at a restaurant that was close and loud, this year we did the same.

Last year we forgot all of Dipity's food, bowls, bottles, etc. This year we didn't forget anything.

Last year we ended the trip by spending the night with my wife's aunt and uncle in Maryland. This year we did the same thing, and again had a great time and great food. We also had the chance to meet someone my wife met through her blog. Technology is a strange and wonderful thing.

Some stuff remained the same, but so much changed. Next year should be interesting, maybe in more ways than one.