The Grocery Store has become much more of a challenge to me than it ever has been before. We're trying to cut down our grocery bill after going down to one income, so there's the world of couponing (which I didn't realize is actually a verb as well as a noun) and price matching to navigate through on my way to the best deal possible. But that wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't for the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of getting through an entire trip with a newborn.
For the first 3 months of her life, I had pretty much given up trying to get to the store. At first, I was ambitious (i.e. naive) and thought I could do anything with Erin that I had done before. Wrong. One time, she was screaming on the diaper aisle and I had to pull her out of her car seat and carry her through the rest of the trip. The check out girl asked me if she was spoiled. No, she's just 2 months old, and we need milk at our house, so here we are.
I've nursed her multiple times in the parking lot of the grocery store because I misjudged how long the trip would take. I have worried about the precariousness of the car seat sitting in the top of the grocery cart and the well-meaning, fellow grocery customers who want to touch and hold our baby. A few times, we've been on the way to the store, and I turn around because Erin won't stop screaming, and I have too much anxiety to see if she'll calm down. And there have been dozens of days we don't even make it out the door of the apartment.
If not for my sweet husband, some wonderful family and friends who watch her so I can get to the store, we'd be a pretty hungry household over here. Multiple times I have wondered if I would ever be a mom who takes her kids to the store. It seemed impossible. But, over the last few weeks, we have actually had a couple successful trips, just the 2 of us, so I've been cautiously hopeful.
Today, I decided to try to run a few quick errands with Erin, one of which was the grocery store for just a handful of things. She did great during the trip and I was so proud of her. We came out to the parking lot, and I walked up the aisles looking for our car. Not that row, not that row, not that row...was it really this far? I turned around to check the rows we had already passed, and that's when I saw this:
How did that happen?
I could only laugh, take a picture, and thank the Lord for kind people in the Central Market parking lot who didn't take any of our stuff.
Score: Grocery stores, 78, Me, 0.
Bonus: Check out this blog for a fun post about Erin's playdate with her friend, Tribb! http://getonthethomastrain.
Have you tried a ring sling or Moby Wrap for shopping trips, as well as vacuuming, walks around the neighborhood, working on the computer, and gosh, I don't know what else... They have been a life-saver for me with both babies, both of whom HATED being in the car seat and would scream and scream. It took me about three days of using it around the house before I felt comfortable popping a baby in and out over a hard concrete parking lot, but then it was a miracle-- a happy baby and my hands were free. (Both those options are more affordable and MUCH more comfortable for you and baby than the Baby Bjorn.)
ReplyDeletei love that it was your car and even more thankful it was a good laugh because the peeps left your stuff in your trunk!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is an ordeal! When she was younger the 2 cars next to me parked so close I couldn't open the doors big enough to get the carseat back in. I had to wait for one of them to come back, and it was HOT! Sometimes after that I would purposely take up two spots in small parking spaces so that wouldn't happen again.
ReplyDeleteHow funny! I can totally relate. And love this scene - hilarious! I feel for ya!
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