Out and About

Ok, so I never thought getting out and about with a newborn would be easy but our first attempt to get out of the house was a complete disaster...

The day after we got home from hospital we decided to bite the bullet and put the little guy in his little red wagon and brave the real world.

Before I tell you about our adventure out let me tell you the number #1 rule I learned that day about leaving the house:

As soon as baby is fed, drop everything, get in the car and GO!!!

Do NOT put on a load of washing, make the bed or generally fluff around tidying the house because in 2 hours (3 if you are lucky) you will be feeding again and then you will never leave the house!

Anyhow when we finally got out the door (after 3pm!) we headed to the local shopping centre with a list. We needed a few groceries and a few bits and pieces for the little guy from the baby store.

30mins later we proudly strut the little guy (fast asleep) into the shopping centre in his hot little red ride. As we walked through the food court entrance of the shopping centre we realised we hadn't had any lunch and decided to grab a quick bite to eat to tie us over.(Lesson number #2: as soon as baby is clean and fed your first priority is to clean and feed yourself... not housework. An unexpected guest wont necessarily see the unmade bed but they will smell the unshowered mummy).

At 4 O'clock we were FINALLY about to start our shopping and decided to do the groceries first in case we ran out of time to do everything on our list - getting food in to the house was the first priority!!! No sooner had we walked into the supermarket, grabbed a trolley and loaded in a loaf of bread did we hear the first wail from the little red wagon. At this point we decided that we would just grab bread, milk and absolute essentials to get us through and get out of there before the little guy demonstrated his vocal skills. But before we could get to the milk fridge the wails turned to demanding screams. The little guy was wide awake and he wanted to be fed... RIGHT NOW!

In what I thought was a clever move I decided to head to the parents room and let the Big A do the shopping with direction from me over the phone. So I wheeled my screaming child back out of the shop. Thank god the parents room was only 20meters away from the supermarket....

At the entrance of the parents room I was met by a "closed for renovations. Please use other facilites" sign (!?!?) realising that I had to embark on a 5 minute trek accross the shopping centre with a screaming child I called for back up. Big A abandoned trolley and we fled to the "other" parents room.

After a feed, change and cuddle we finally emerged at 5pm to see the roller doors coming down on the shops. So Big A, Little A and I packed up the little red wagon and trundled off home...empty handed! Even though we didn't achieve a thing it certainly was an eventful afternoon out.

It was two days later before we got the courage to venture out again. Luckily this time was much more sucessful!