Peek In My Diaper Bag

I think what someone carries around with them says a lot about them.  I carry a lot around.  Sometimes I wish I could pare down to essentials - one diaper, my phone, and wallet in a cute little purse/satchel.  Other times I imagine upgrading to a huge diaper bag where I can fit even more crap to haul around.   Currently, I'm somewhere in between using this bag:

I'm not crazy about it, but it works fine.  The flap has velcro on it, so if I stuff a sweater or blanket in it the flap is constantly getting stuck, but that's my only major complaint.  I tend to panic about being caught out and about without "something", so I over-pack.  If I drove I could just have a bag in the car and only carry a small purse, but since Leo and I tend to walk all over West Philly I'm always afraid of being stranded thirty blocks from home without...without...something.

So I've surrendered to the fact that I'm basically a pack mule.  Baby strapped to my front, bag over the shoulder, and forget about it if we have to do some grocery shopping or return library books ;)  Generally, the bag works fine with babywearing - but sometimes the strap digs into my neck.  Now that I'm feeling more comfortable wearing him on my back, though, that should be less of a problem.

Please note how Leo insists on helping me hold the umbrella

This is how it looks when it's packed:

Well, usually there's a water bottle on top, but I took it out to better highlight my packing skills.  Seriously, prepare to be amazed.  Here is the breakdown of what I lug around each and every day.

1. An old Rock'n Green bag with a change of clothes.  Not the cutest outfit, but something that will do the trick in a pinch and I won't miss being out of rotation.  This was a lot more crucial in the newborn days, but just a couple weeks ago I was glad I hadn't taken it out when he puked while we were out at dinner.  Ah, the joys of motherhood.

2. A changing pad (that I HATE and is usually replaced with a blanket that can double as a nursing cover or picnic seat, but it was in the wash), some disposable wipes and a PlanetWise wetbag for soiled diapers and/or clothes.

2. Sippy cup with water, pack of mum-mums (crumbled to pieces since they are only an occasional treat and have been in there for months), jar of baby food (pears and pineapple, also been in there forever), baby spoon, bib (never used a bib while out, don't know why I carry it around), and two little containers with two different kinds of cereal.

4.  Three diapers in an old Moby bag.

5.  My wallet (also hate) and a sticker from the last Philadelphia Family Pride event we attended.

6.  Hand sanitizer, lip balm, two pens, two sticks of gum and a tampon.

7.  Seed bombs (these were a stocking stuffer and Leo and I have been dropping them all over West Philly this spring and hope to watch them grow over the summer) and some sticky love notes that jb hid in the diaper bag for us to discover over our trip to Mexico in February.

8.  Sun hat, California Baby sunscreen (a "one" on Skin Deep's database, but a little tricky to apply and smells a touch metallic), a wrist monkey rattle, a cherry rattle, a wooden airplane from a Melissa and Doug puzzle, and a pacifier (which is so funny, because he has never used a pacifier, but loves to play with them and tries to steal them from the other babies in his playgroup).

9.  An umbrella, which is a piece of crap that I keep saying I'm going to replace.  Still, I'm grateful for it because it has saved our butt a few times.

10.  And of course a bottle of water.  Can't let a nursing mama dry out.