Field Ops & Formula
👨👧 Dad Log
I pulled into the driveway with Luca in the passenger seat.
She was already there. Nina sat in her car seat by the front door waiting for pickup.
No wave.
No conversation.
Just handoff protocol.
I carried Nina inside and set her down on the play mat. She immediately started roaming between toys while Luca dropped onto the couch and watched the operation come online.
After a while she started getting fussy.
I handed her off to Luca and went to prep a bottle.
One thing I noticed immediately: she grabbed the bottle herself and held it with one hand while drinking.
New capability unlocked.
Small win.
My aunt wanted to see her, so I fired up FaceTime. Nina gave her a few smiles and sounds before losing interest and moving on to more important business.
Right around then I encountered my own operational problem.
Nature called.
I briefly considered the logistics of solo parenting during bathroom emergencies.
Still refining that protocol.
Once that situation was resolved, it was time for lunch.
I washed Nina’s hands, strapped on the bib, secured her in the high chair, and reheated some leftover Instant Pot fajita chicken bowl. I mashed everything down with a fork and fed her slowly.
Then I remembered reading that around this age it’s good to let them interact with their food directly.
So I handed over the bowl.
Immediate destruction.
Chicken everywhere.
Rice everywhere.
Tiny hands conducting texture research at full speed.
Bowl cleared.
Success.
Not long after, she started fading.
I dropped the shutters, darkened the room, and got her settled into the travel crib. Closed the door carefully and waited.
System shutdown achieved.
While she slept, Luca and I heated up the same meal and ate out on the balcony. Mostly quiet conversation. Sun. Breeze. A brief reset before the next shift started.
Around 2 p.m. I heard crying from the bedroom.
System reboot.
I picked her up, rubbed her back, and let her recalibrate on the play mat while I prepared her afternoon snack.
Banana-blueberry yogurt.
This time in a bowl.
Apparently direct pouch consumption had been deemed uncivilized by higher authorities.
After snack time, I loaded her into the stroller and we headed out.
The three of us made our usual loop toward the waterfront. Nina watched everything. Dogs. Bikes. People. Construction equipment. Nothing escaped observation.
We stopped for coffee along the way and spent some time outside enjoying the weather.
Mostly it was an uneventful afternoon.
Which, with a baby, is usually a sign things are working.
We eventually made our way back home, wrapped up the evening routine, and called it a day.
System held.