Elizabeth’s Journal

The Warm Feeling of Being a Mummy

Today was quite a busy day for us—unfortunately filled with about my least favorite activity . . . shopping! Luckily there was some socializing thrown into the mix. After seeing the breakaway group of five finish today’s stage of the Tour de France, Kayleigh and I hied ourselves down to Central Market to meet some friends at the playground and also to do some consultation with one of the co-hosts of Jennifer’s baby shower. We were just completing our purchases at the Paper Place when I looked at my watch and realized I had intended to be leaving there in five minutes to pick up Jonathan, but we still had to go back to the playground to get my diaper bag I’d left in Archie’s capable hands and I had to change Kayleigh’s dirty nappy she’d had while looking at the pretty paper. Eeeek! So we quickly did that and I wasn’t too terribly late in picking up Jonathan.

So, from Central Market in midtown up to north Austin to get Jonathan, and from there we went to Barton Creek Mall, which is south of the river. There we got a late lunch for me (by now it was 2:45 p.m.), some ice cream for Jonathan, and then we did some shopping for Dale’s birthday. While there I figured I might as well go in the kids’ shops to try to get some clothes for Jonathan that actually fit him (I think he’s put on a growth spurt lately—Dale’s been getting him dressed in the morning and pointed out to me the other day that most of his shorts no longer fit his waist, and I’ve seen him recently in some shirts that were a little small too), and then we popped into a Radio Shack to get a present for Dale from Jonathan, and before I knew it, it was FIVE o’clock and we had to go home through the traffic (not before nursing Kayleigh in the back of the Odyssey, of course).

Much to my great chagrin, when we got to the mall we entered it on the second level, and what did I hear my son utter when I asked him why he was so insistent on making sure we’d be going to the first level while we were there? He said, and I quote, “I want to see what shops are down there.” Aaargh! So I told him he could go there with his Nanny and Grandad next time they visit .

So, there are three parts to the warm feeling of being a mummy: first was the gentle warmth of the wee that escaped Kayleigh’s nappy at the Central Park playground and ran from the middle of my thigh down to my feet. Luckily Jessica and I both found it funny. Next was the excess milk that came back up from her little (or not so little) tummy when she was on me in the sling—that got both the chest and the left arm (and of course it got her too, and I ended up acquiring a little T-shirt to change her into b/c she didn’t think much of cold wet clothes being pressed against her chest, and frankly I didn’t blame her). Finally was the ever-so-fashionable look and feel of the warm milk that was decorating my shirt every now and then . . . I forgot to put nursing pads in my bra this morning after my shower b/c I was in a rush to get on down to meet my friends. Oops!