I spent Thursday with L a good friend from Los Angeles cruising around the Sonoma Valley.

While we grownups downed wine at a variety of spots (if you’re visiting the area, the new cave at Deerfield Ranch is amazing), the baby imbibed what has become her favorite elixir: the 2009 vintage of Enfamil PREMIUM Lipil (for those of you with no sense of humor, this is formula).

Considering the amount of car time (lots), coupled with the amount of time spent standing around at various wineries and restaurants (even more), the baby did great—she didn’t cry once.

Of course the day was made easier by a product that has become my best friend: single-serve packets of the baby’s formula. When I’m out and about, I spend far too much time thinking about how easy these sleeves make my days. To me, at least from my current perspective as a new dad, they are one of the greatest inventions of all time.

I voiced this opinion out loud tonight at dinner—a meal that L and I shared in a nearby restaurant with Powergirl, my friend from L.A., his wife, and another couple.

The husband of the third couple laughed at my sentiment and put things into a broader context. “We don’t have kids,” he said, “but that sounds like the moment in college when you thought it was the best thing ever that you could pay for pizza with personal checks.”

The comparison was especially apt. I remember that moment in college, and it was pretty frieking awesome.

But this guy’s observation captured another sentiment: How you don’t need kids to appreciate the way perspectives change over time. Did I ever think I’d publicly extol the virtues of single-serve formula sleeves? No way in hell. Will I find something else about which to wax poetic once L has moved off formula but onto or into something else? Absolutely.

Parenthood can be daunting, but after mental exercises like this one, the whole experience of being a Dad (or Mom, I’m sure) also can be quite a hoot. I’m no expert on the subject, but after ten months, my advice is simple: Don’t fight changing perspectives, appreciate the poetry and never be afraid to have a good laugh (especially at yourself).