(no subject)

[rivka]

I was feeling way claustrophobic this afternoon. Alex had settled into a pattern of snacking every two hours or less, rather than her usual habit of a big meal every four hours. This meant that she only slept in short bursts too, and every time she woke up she was miserably hungry. Lots of crying. Endless bottle mixing, warming, and washing.

Finally I said, "The hell with it, we're leaving the house." I packed up the diaper bag, slowly, because Alex was so fussy, put our overdue library books in the basket of the stroller, and went outside. I figured that even if she was too fussy to go inside the library, we could still get some exercise and return the books to the outside slot. But she quieted down for the stroller ride. She didn't smile, but she looked around with wide, serious eyes.

Inside the library, we looked at the new books and then checked some things in the electronic catalog. Alex started to cry, so I scooped her up and put her in the sling. That was all it took! She rested quietly against my chest long enough for me to make a good sweep through the fiction library. The fiction librarian - a reserved, proper woman in her fifties who has never said a word to me that didn't involve books I was requesting - came rushing out from behind her desk to see Alex. Apparently she's been worrying a bit, not having seen seen me since two days before Alex was born. She actually took my hand as she told me that she was glad to see that everything had turned out well for me.

By the time I reached the checkout desk, Alex was sound asleep. I debated moving her from the sling to the stroller for about two seconds, and then decided to load the stroller full of library books instead. We must have made a funny picture.

We walked home slowly, because it's a lot hotter out when you have a baby in a sling and a stroller full of books. Hot enough that we stopped by City Cafe and had a large iced chai and a chocolate chip cookie. I read one of my library books until Alex woke up, and then shifted the library books into the stroller basket so she would be able to ride where she could look around.

I felt much better about the world by the time we got back home. It's amazing, what an hour and a half out in civilization can do.

Comments

Claustrophobia

[ailbhe]

I so, so know what you mean. As soon as I could leave the house unaided, I used to go into town and sit in a cafe for hours and hours, just to be out of the blasted house. And there were people to watch, and I could read just as well there as at home. We have a cafe with nice armchairs and no smoking indoors.

I also remember carrying Linnea home against my shoulder, and pushing the buggy, empty. I think only non-parents really query that kind of thing. Everyone in my antenatal group has done it, with or without a sling.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

I frequently carry Liam in the sling and push stuff around in the stroller. It's often much easier than the other way around.

When I was home with Liam full time we started going out at least once a day as soon as I was able. We were both much happier that way.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a very pleasant outing!

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

Baby? Library? Cookie?

A perfect day.

[elisem.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you two made a pretty good team today. Yay for the outing!

[perceval.livejournal.com]

Libraries calm her down, eh? Good girl!

[morning-glory.livejournal.com]

Libraries were my salvation with my LB when she was little. When she was teeny I could read while she slept and I was going through so many books I could never have afforded my habit. We also got to the point where going out at least once a day was great sanity for both of us. She often seemed to find the trips interesting, or she'd sleep in the car.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Thirding the "carry baby in sling, push stuff in stroller." I did the grocery shopping this way for ages - for quite some time, if I was buying milk, the groceries were heavier than the baby, so it made perfect sense to carry her instead of them!

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a lovely trip. I hope you get the chance to do it again soon.

Short Shameful Confession

[richtermom.livejournal.com]

I to have done the "kid in arms/stuff in stroller" juggle -- on the way home from the liquor store.

You can fit a 12-pack of canned beer plus two 8-packs of bottled beer in our stroller.

(Hey, it got us out of the house and DH did the cleaning up before guests came while we were out :^))

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

Libraries being a high point of civilisation, it's neat to hear you could get there, that Alex rested quietly, and the librarian was interested!

The iced chai and chocolate chip cookie sound very good :-)