A Massive Project

Bringing my kids out now has become a massive project.

For almost 2 years, I’ve kind of gotten used to just packing a simple small bag whenever I need to bring Joey out with me. It’s easy-peasy especially after she was day toilet-trained, and eats all kinds of food outside. After she started school, I don’t even bring cooked food out anymore (porridge & stuffs), and she would just eat whatever we order for her outside at restaurants.

Now with a newborn, the going-out is back to a massive project. I have to take 45 minutes just to pack the bag. Before the time to leave the house, I need at least an hour to 90 minutes to get everyone ready. I need to bathe, dress & feed both the girls and bathe, dress & makeup myself. Plus pack a full diaper bag.

I have to admit that when I only had Joey, even when she was a newborn, I was never a mum who meticulously packs the diaper bag. I was just a dump-everything-into-bag-and-go kind of mum. With Baby Jayne, it almost felt as if something inside of me changed. Now, I see packing a diaper bag well as something really important and my new found joy is to pack everything into small separate packets. Even though by the end of the day, everything just becomes one big lump of mess in the bag, the satisfaction of packing was enough to make me repeat the act willingly.

Packing a good diaper bag is actually very important. By compartmentalizing similar categories of things together, retrieval becomes easier & faster, and trust me, when you have a screaming babe in your arms, that is VERY CRUCIAL.

Here’s what goes into my diaper bag:

(A) Bag of Diapers

I bought a set of two bags from Daiso and the bigger one is used to hold Joey & Jayne’s diapers. For any average trip, I’ll pack 4 diapers for Jayne and 1 for Joey (only for emergency cases). This bag fits just fine with a pack of wet tissues. If we’re going to be out the whole day, I’ll pack 6 diapers for Jayne and it fits OK as well.

 

(B) Bag of Essentials

The smaller bag is used to hold some things I might need on my journeys such as tissue paper, drapolene cream, mosquito repellent, etc.

(C) Bag of Extra Clothes

For the extra clothes, I use zip lock bags because sometimes the soiled clothes are wet and need to be separated from the rest of the bag. For Jayne, I usually bring 2 extra sets and for Joey, 1 extra set. There is also a diaper cloth in it for just-in-cases and for over-the-shoulder burping after feed.

(D) Bag of Milk Powder & Bottle

I got this bag as a free gift from somewhere, and it is just the right size to fit Jayne’s bottle and 4-compartment milk powder case.

(E) Hot Water Flask & Cool Water Bottle

Got to bring such big containers because I have 2 kids. The only consolation is that they only get lighter as the day draws on.

My diaper bag is one huge haversack with different compartments everywhere. Nope, I never buy maternity bags or authentic diaper bags because they are just too feminine for Papa Isaiah to carry. =P

All the various items go into the main middle section of the bag, and Joey’s milk powder & bottle go into a separate side pocket. The front section of the bag holds my personal effects like wallet, mobile phone, camera, makeup pouch etc. There is a 3rd section at the back of the bag which holds a changing mat and would house my laptop too when I go back to work. Right at the top of the bag, there are 2 small side pockets – one holds Jayne’s pacifier, and other holds accessories like caps or handkerchiefs.

Even writing about what I pack into the diaper bag makes me tired. Zzzzz..

On a happier note, we’re bringing the girls to take cable car tonight! National Day special rates from 1 Aug – 15 Aug 09, cable car rides are only $8.90 per adult (Usual is $18.90!) and FOC for children below 12 years old!

AND..

We’re taking a road trip to JB’s Kota Tinggi this Saturday! Pray that we don’t lose our way while driving up and “accidentally” go all the way to KL!!! =P