Drew and I are fortunate to live in a very family-friendly
town. You can count on every restaurant
to have a high chair and usually outdoor seating. The parks are clean and on every corner. Usually my baby is in an accommodating
environment that makes me look like a parenting pro. Sometimes, however, you can't help but bring
a baby where they really don't belong.
We had a few experiences with this throughout Month 4. Some of which I
handled gracefully, others... well... turned out kinda poopy.
The Airplane
You don't know judgment until you step into an airport
terminal holding a baby. As I watched
countless faces turn to despair and dread, I couldn't help but feel a bit put
off. I held Baby B in the ergo carrier,
ready for a red eye flight, and he was nothing short of adorable. In fact, he stayed that way the whole ride to
Florida for our friend's wedding. We
scheduled the red eye to save time and crossed our fingers he'd sleep the whole
way. I should've crossed both hands
because while he slept in my arms peacefully the entire duration, I sat
stationary and wide-eyed, unable to move lest I wake my sleeping angel. For those of you who may not have flown in
awhile, let me warn you they are making newer planes progressively more uncomfortable.
By the time we arrived I felt like a Picasso painting. It took several hours for everything to move
back into place.
The Cathedral
The wedding venue was beautiful. Stain glass windows,
20-foot ceilings, sleek wooden pews, and the echoes- you could hear a pin drop
in that place a mile away. I bet a baby's cry would resonate for days. I carried Baby B in his suit, and sat down to
see the bride come down the aisle. It
was to be a traditional Catholic service. We watched Drew and the rest of the
groomsmen take their places along with the groom, listened to the music begin
and enjoyed the processional. Being a
former bride myself, I knew exactly what to do the second the priest started
speaking. We snuck out the back. I wasn't going to distract everyone with fidgeting
and fussiness during an hour-long service.
We played on the steps of the cathedral until just before the bride and
groom were announced. We saw the best
parts. Afterwards when guests
complimented my baby for being so remarkably well-behaved, I smiled and
nodded. Parenting win.
The Store
My son is not a fan of shopping. We've had a few excursions end abruptly for
one reason or another, but a particular trip to Target had me literally out
of breath either from embarrassment,
stress or laughter. I can't decide.
It was nap time and he usually falls asleep in the car so I
thought my plan of leaving during his nap and having him sleep through all of
my errands was fool-proof. Except that
when we arrived at the store he was still wide awake. We made it through several aisles before he
got fussy and wanted to be held, leaving me with a baby in one hand and cart in
the other, awkwardly pushing it slowly toward the register. When he calmed down I put him in his carrier
and that's when I heard it. "gurgle."
The familiar sound of a full diaper. I
figured I was on my way out, I could change him in the trunk of my car (which
he prefers over the fold-down changers in store bathrooms for some reason) and
we'd be on our way. As soon as he was
laying down and I lifted up his onesie I saw we had the most major blowout I've
ever seen. POOP EVERYWHERE. I pulled out two wipes and realized they were
my last ones. Using every scrap of wipe,
I'm cleaning poop off my baby, my car, his changing mat, etc. Only having two hands, I tossed the soiled
onesie onto the roof for a moment while I put on baby's diaper. But a moment was all it took.
A gust of wind took the onesie, with all of that poop, and
it blew away into a nearby parking spot.
There I am holding a naked baby in the trunk of my car staring in shock
at a poop-covered garment completely out of reach. I diapered the baby, picked him up and went
after the onesie. After I retrieved it
and threw it in a plastic bag I still had to dress the baby, buckle him in,
load all the merchandise, and pray he'd finally take that nap.
At 4 months, Baby B is 16lbs 5oz, 25.5 inches tall. He's in the 75th percentile and has hit all
the major milestones including rolling over both ways, standing and sitting
with some assistance, giggling, grabbing his hands and feet, and blowing
raspberries.
Baby B likes: tummy time, music class, pooping, eating,
meeting new friends and family members, and traveling.
Baby B dislikes: sleeping, mittens, and the garbage
disposal.
No comments:
Post a Comment