Baby Addict

When we got pregnant with Amelia, here are the visions I had of the fun things that my future would hold: Trips to the zoo. Pixar movies at the theater. Cedar point. Camping trips. Playing catch. Planting a garden together.  Note how none of this included baby type activities. I’m not a baby swooner, and I don’t try to immediately swipe newborns from their mothers’ arms upon entering a room. It’s just not me.

Or, wasn’t me in the past.

Yesterday my dad and I continued our annual tradition of attending the Crosby Arts Festival. Although I had considered bringing Amelia with us, I decided that dragging the stroller and all of the baby essentials along did not sound all that desirable, and so, Amelia spent the day with her Grammy Conklin. At first, I was a bit anxious due to Amelia’s recent decision to refuse bottles. However, I had a battle plan in place and if there is anyone that I trust 100% to deal with my daughter’s attitude, it’s my mom. Within thirty minutes of arriving at the festival, I was calmer and enjoying the artwork.

And checking out babies and their gear.

Whoa, wait, when did this happen?!?

In my defense, I know that part of it was that I was missing Amelia a bit. Now that I’m not working, she is my little partner in crime and we practically do everything together. This takes a bit of planning ahead from me, especially since she only tolerates her stroller for so long, but generally, I can whisk her along wherever I go. And though I pretty much couldn’t stand being a mom in the beginning-- see other posts to see why-- I’m finding I mostly love it now. I don’t even mind being home to put her to bed anymore because if I’m out, I will miss my late night snuggles and the quiet calm that comes with her starting the night in her crib.

Oh my, I’m completely mommified.

Still, that does not completely explain my urge to rip the newborn out of the high school girl’s arms when she was totally letting that poor baby’s head bop all over the place. Or, the cooing I found myself doing under my breath each time I caught sight of a baby. I even found myself checking out a stroller which had a small bench seat affixed to the front so an older child could sit there while the baby lounged in the stroller part. I’m completely sucked in to the world of mommy hood, and I know it.

Perhaps the best part of this realization is when I came home and shared with my husband how I was scoping out all the babies at the fest. Oh, the look of horror that instantly appeared, as if the next words out of my mouth were going to be “Let’s have another baby!” I adore babies, but I was not doing drugs at Crosby, OK? No more babies for me for quite a while. I need a break from the waking in the middle of the night and frequent nursing. I’m all for everyone else have babies, though. Get to work, ladies, Amelia is going to be a toddler all too soon, and I’m going to need a substitute baby to fuss over… then promptly hand back!