Fed is best.

For the anxiety, there might be local baby groups that deal with that. It may be worth checking with a lactation specialist to see if they know of the resources.

As for the kiddo, right now they are in what I call hungry potato mode. Eventually they will start to smile at things and then mobilize. Once they start smiling, then you can start feeling out their personality, which will change shortly after you figure them out. Once mobile, more time with more babies to socialize is good.

Edit on the baby groups: it’s also a good place to talk to other moms in similar but different boats.

Watch the bluey episode baby race.

You just need to be faster than whoever you’re with.

Unfortunately in this scenario, I was not the faster runner, and now wake up earliest

Do you have any smart home stuff going on? If you had Home Assistant set up, I could imagine a trigger that turns off a smart outlet after 5 minutes of no use. (I use such a trigger to let me know when laundry is done)

Years ago now I used “feed baby”, it worked between us both, and let us know when things happened. Also tracked weight and height if you entered it in. No idea how secure though.

Edit: I’d like to add that because of how it syncs, I could see when the baby was sleeping while I was at work. It let me feel connected.

We had a family tablet that met an unfortunate end, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier it died. Over time, my kid got surly about tablet time (age 5-7) and it made life less pleasant. I’ve been pondering an e-reader recently, but only barely.

These days (8yo) they have an old phone for some simple things, mostly Habitica, and it does not go to the bedroom.

How young? Potty training is a great thing to get down, and is required by many places.

Spend some time at splash pads and other playground-like places over the summer, that should get some good kid to kid time. (And assuming you have a grown up going as well, you have your own play time)

You have family in ma, consider a storyland trip for the kid (new Hampshire), and you can do some nature photography around Mount Washington. (Assuming that’s your thing ). If you prefer not nature, there are a few neat trains up there also, both in the Conway scenic rail and the Mt Washington cog.

Plan to run off for some you time ( or you and partner time if you can swing it)

Yes it does get easier, but it gets easiest when they like the same hobbies (or complementary hobbies, like bird watching ).

Some parks have special toddler hours. I know sky zone does, but i couldn’t find info if urban air does.

Sky zone even had special toddler pricing. I have some very fond memories of skipping work and playing with my kid.

Do you have space in the house for a trampoline? They may just need an outlet for energy.

Or a local trampoline park? Go often?

See if your library has any spidey graphic novels? https://books.disney.com/book/team-spidey-does-it-all/

Quite excited, though I am, too. This is the first year in quite a while where I don’t feel behind in my wrapping.

It really helps that there’s snow on the ground.

Tis the season, polar express?

How to train your dragon? (Watched at 6 or 7)

Pokemon movies?

We bought an mbot last year https://www.makeblock.com/products/buy-mbot

Excitement was there, but it has had limited play. It’s a neat product, but fussy to program, so it’s not fun.

We have a little door-hanging tooth pocket. (Example Link below) This lets us avoid the pillow entirely.

As for inflation, our tooth fairy gives funny denominations. Gold $1 coins, $2 bills, etc. sometimes with tooth fairy related stickers on them, to mark their specialness.

Edit: link https://www.target.com/p/kids-39-tooth-fairy-pillow-blue-pillowfort-8482/-/A-80774594

Yeah, that’s a really steep price for what amounts to a special checking account. (And we’re currently at like 20/mo for my kid, until it gets negotiated up, so that’s a large chunk of that budget)

And if you don’t think air smells, fart

Things will improve. She’s got 20% of her life to figure it out (6 months before three) it’s tough because your timescale is way different than hers.

My kid just added ‘ugh’ to their vocabulary, as teenagers do. It’s amusing coming from an 8 year old.

Get off the couch with that naked butt