Baby Logistics

Becoming parents has made Mr. and Mrs. O more logistically oriented - particularly for Mr.

In beer commercials, a guy might receive a cellphone text that reads something like, "MASSIVE SECRET PARTY. IT'S HAPPENING. COME NOW." The guy correspondingly hops off the couch, grabs his keys and rushes out the door. Unforgettable night ensues.

Getting out the door with children is a bit more complicated.

First there's the timing: is this before or after naptime, mealtime or bedtime? You don't want to take the kiddie out for an adventure if they're going to be cranky. Little Miss tends to fall asleep in the car, so that can add to our flexibility. But she tends to drop off after the sun goes down, so outings are either out early, or not until she is down - if a babysitter is engaged, great! If not, someone has to stay behind and only one person gets to go out. This doesn't take into account Accra's ridiculous traffic, which crawls at rush hour.

What about supplies? In fragile states, expats maintain a "go bag", which in the event of an immediate emergency, one can pick up and go in no time at all. The diaper bag is the parental go bag: it needs to have diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, baggie for disposal, a handful of key toys/books and no-fail snacks. And that's just for the little one. When Mr. and Mrs. O receive that fateful text message, getting out the door in the next fifteen minutes would approach a personal best. In reality, unless there is at least a 1/2 hour's notice, the offer may need to be politely declined.

Weekends and longer vacations are a whole other matter. Figuring out driving times, meal plans and having a general idea of what the child will do. Toddlers have short attention spans and as exciting as the local chieftain's museum might be, it'll be a quick walkthrough at best (and would likely be scratched entirely.

This is another example of how Mr. O's life in Ghana is fundamentally different from before. Random weekend tro-tro jaunts to far-off eco-tourism sites have been replaced by carefully researched trips with realistic itineraries and sensible packing.

This may sound depressing to people without kids, but what Mr. O says frequently about being a parent is comparing it to running a marathon. To the runner, they are exerting lots of energy over a long period of time, but after a while, one hits a steady state where everything is in equilibrium and the running becomes manageable (and pleasurable). Meanwhile, to the observer, they see an exhausted guy who has run further than they ever would and have to continue for a lot longer, so they think, "That is crazy - how does that guy do it?" It is all a matter of perspective.