Stay at home mom, day 2

Welp, today wasn't quite as successful as yesterday. Gray definitely didn't go back to sleep until 10:00, which was no big deal though because he was ready for nap number one by 8:30. I got a whole shower in and a little make up on before he was up. Two days in a row of a shower with no one else here is a big accomplishment! So I'm feeling good about the day and ready to get out and about. Stinky boy was almost out of diapers (again) so I decided we'd make a trip to Target. This would be my first trip to a "real" place with Gray by myself (other than the doctor or someone's house). You might be thinking that's pitiful, considering he is 10 weeks old. But errands with a colicky baby consisted of either Paul or I going into the place by ourselves and the other staying inside of the car with our screaming baby. So needless to say, we didn't get out much. But we don't have much choice now that Daddy is back to work and won't be home until late every evening. Errands gotta be ran, ya know?

So off we went. After my post yesterday, you won't be surprised to know he was screaming within two minutes of being in the car. No big deal though, I'd get him settled down as soon as we got there. I held him for a good five-ten minutes in the parking lot until he finally settled down and then it was back into the car seat and into the shopping cart he went. Well, we made it all the way from the car to inside of the store before he was crying again and had to be picked up. So far, our first trip out consisted of me holding a crying Gray and pushing the cart. But at least it was a cry and not a scream, right?! And it's amazing what I've learned to do with only one hand these days. He finally settled down again so I put him back in the car seat. He let me put a few things in the cart before he started crying again-what a sweet baby! ;) We had to spend quite a bit of time with the mops on the cleaning aisle before he settled down again. He finally fell asleep on my shoulder and I was able to put him back in his car seat long enough to check out and get the heck out of there. But wouldn't you know that he was screaming again within a minute of being in the car and screamed the entire way home. He was a drenched, sweaty mess by the time we got home.

I got him inside, fed him and he was a happy baby again. Then my friend Sarah called to say she and another friend, Traci, were going to be eating lunch at a restaurant right next door to our neighborhood and asked us to join. Since Gray would only have to be in the car for a minute, I thought we'd go for it. Well dang-it if the little booger didn't start up again within minutes of being there. Traci offered to hold him so I could eat but soon enough he was so loud he needed to exit the premises. So out I go, bouncing my crying baby until he was quiet enough for me to go back in and finish scarfing down my meal. I am not exaggerating when I say the stinker was sleep within seconds of being back home.

When we're home as soon as he gets tired, at the very first yawn even, I can swaddle him, put him in his swing and nine times out of ten he goes right to sleep without any fuss. But he will NOT be flexible about this if we are anywhere but home. I guess my new job as a stay at home mom will be taken more literally until Gray grows out of the I-hate-being-out-in-public-stage. For now anyway. I know that everything is a stage and there will certainly be worse things in my career as a mom. We'll keep venturing out when we can and it will either get better or we'll get more used to it not being perfect. Regardless, I am feeling just as blessed today to be this little guy's mama.