Shopping Adventures
Shopping with a baby is a necessary evil and therefore, an adventure.
When Daisy was six weeks old, I took her shopping. I fed her in the car right before we went inside. She slept in her carrier in the stroller through the first two stores. In the third store, she woke up, but she was happy until we went into the dressing room.
The dressing room had a teeny tiny stalls. I had to squeeze in the stroller, squeeze myself in, close the door, and move the stroller in front of the door so I could dress in front of the mirror.
Immediately upon removing my clothes, Daisy started crying. The tile floor of the dressing room echoed her cries pretty loudly.
I stood over her in my underwear and tried to soothe her by holding a pacifier at her mouth. She kept crying. I pushed the stroller back and forth in the small, cramped space. She kept crying. I got her out of the carrier and changed her diaper on the little tiny half-bench in the dressing room. She still kept crying. I tried to give her the pacifier again, but she swatted it out of her mouth and onto the floor. The one pacifier I had was now contaminated, and Daisy kept crying.
I had five dresses with me. I really needed to try at least one of them on, because I was trying to find a bridesmaid dress for a wedding.
So, I resorted to feeding her in the dressing room. I was pretty sure she was tired, but I was afraid everyone in the dressing room (maybe whole store?) thought I was torturing her. Leaving would take too much time, because I'd have to get dressed and un-wedge us from the tiny room. I sat on the tiny bench and nursed her for a few minutes. She stopped crying. Whew!
I set her back in the carrier, and as soon as I tried on the first dress, she started up again. I gave up, changed clothes, un-wedged us out of the stall, and left the store (which took much longer than that sentence sounds).
On the way out three or four people commented on her crying. They weren't mean, but just the fact that I drew attention at all made me uncomfortable. There's something really nice about going in and out of a store without anyone noticing your presence at all. Am I right?
Daisy cried most of the way home that day. She was exhausted, but she just doesn't sleep well in her carrier.
That being said, I need to let you know that Daisy is a GREAT sleeper in her bed. It is a huge blessing, and I'm really thankful. She's three months now, and her schedule is pretty solid. Her first wake-up time varies, but it's something like this:
8:00 - Wake, eat, play
9:00 - Sleep
11:00 - Wake, eat, play
12:00 - Sleep
2:00 - Wake, eat, play
3:00 - Sleep
5:00 - Wake, eat, play
6:00 - Sleep
8:00 - Wake, eat, play
8:30 - Sleep
11:00 - Wake, eat, back to sleep
Often she'll sleep 1-2 hours per nap, but sometimes she'll sleep 3-4 hours. It's GREAT if I'm staying home all day. I can get a lot of stuff done while she sleeps.
However, if I have to leave the house (say, to go grocery shopping), it becomes a problem. There's no built-in shop time, so no matter what, I usually have a fussy baby while shopping. Today, I thought if I kept her in a moby wrap in the store, then she'd be happy. She was happy until it got to be an hour after she ate, then she started fussing, and I had to endure the looks of other shoppers.
I know that people aren't ticked off that she's crying. She's not having a tantrum, she's just a tired baby. But it's still so awkward.
We left for the store immediately after she ate, but I couldn't shop fast enough to get home before she needed to sleep again. I could save the shopping for a Saturday, but the stores are much busier then, and it seems a waste to not go during the week if I have time.
What do you guys do?
When Daisy was six weeks old, I took her shopping. I fed her in the car right before we went inside. She slept in her carrier in the stroller through the first two stores. In the third store, she woke up, but she was happy until we went into the dressing room.
The dressing room had a teeny tiny stalls. I had to squeeze in the stroller, squeeze myself in, close the door, and move the stroller in front of the door so I could dress in front of the mirror.
Immediately upon removing my clothes, Daisy started crying. The tile floor of the dressing room echoed her cries pretty loudly.
I stood over her in my underwear and tried to soothe her by holding a pacifier at her mouth. She kept crying. I pushed the stroller back and forth in the small, cramped space. She kept crying. I got her out of the carrier and changed her diaper on the little tiny half-bench in the dressing room. She still kept crying. I tried to give her the pacifier again, but she swatted it out of her mouth and onto the floor. The one pacifier I had was now contaminated, and Daisy kept crying.
I had five dresses with me. I really needed to try at least one of them on, because I was trying to find a bridesmaid dress for a wedding.
So, I resorted to feeding her in the dressing room. I was pretty sure she was tired, but I was afraid everyone in the dressing room (maybe whole store?) thought I was torturing her. Leaving would take too much time, because I'd have to get dressed and un-wedge us from the tiny room. I sat on the tiny bench and nursed her for a few minutes. She stopped crying. Whew!
I set her back in the carrier, and as soon as I tried on the first dress, she started up again. I gave up, changed clothes, un-wedged us out of the stall, and left the store (which took much longer than that sentence sounds).
On the way out three or four people commented on her crying. They weren't mean, but just the fact that I drew attention at all made me uncomfortable. There's something really nice about going in and out of a store without anyone noticing your presence at all. Am I right?
Daisy cried most of the way home that day. She was exhausted, but she just doesn't sleep well in her carrier.
That being said, I need to let you know that Daisy is a GREAT sleeper in her bed. It is a huge blessing, and I'm really thankful. She's three months now, and her schedule is pretty solid. Her first wake-up time varies, but it's something like this:
8:00 - Wake, eat, play
9:00 - Sleep
11:00 - Wake, eat, play
12:00 - Sleep
2:00 - Wake, eat, play
3:00 - Sleep
5:00 - Wake, eat, play
6:00 - Sleep
8:00 - Wake, eat, play
8:30 - Sleep
11:00 - Wake, eat, back to sleep
Often she'll sleep 1-2 hours per nap, but sometimes she'll sleep 3-4 hours. It's GREAT if I'm staying home all day. I can get a lot of stuff done while she sleeps.
However, if I have to leave the house (say, to go grocery shopping), it becomes a problem. There's no built-in shop time, so no matter what, I usually have a fussy baby while shopping. Today, I thought if I kept her in a moby wrap in the store, then she'd be happy. She was happy until it got to be an hour after she ate, then she started fussing, and I had to endure the looks of other shoppers.
I know that people aren't ticked off that she's crying. She's not having a tantrum, she's just a tired baby. But it's still so awkward.
We left for the store immediately after she ate, but I couldn't shop fast enough to get home before she needed to sleep again. I could save the shopping for a Saturday, but the stores are much busier then, and it seems a waste to not go during the week if I have time.
What do you guys do?
Comments
The more you take her out and the older she gets it will become easier. Babies cry, people can just deal. I do feel your pain though. Just wait until she's 2 and knows better and still throws a tantrum! That's embarrassing.