Out and About

One thing my mom did for me while she was here was to encourage me to get out and about occasionally; she said she tended to feel a little trapped once she had two because it was so difficult to get out the door. It definitely IS difficult to get out the door, just ask my sister- we planned a nice outing while she was here; hours after we were supposed to have left we finally cried uncle. Once one child is ready the other needs to be fed, once one wakes up, the other needs to nap, once one is clean, the other makes a mess, once one has all his shoes and jackets on, the other has kicked his off. Still, I think it is good and healthy to escape the confines of the home every once in a while.

There are different scenarios for "getting out".

1. With both kids. This activity is best done with dual adult supervision. Getting out with both is hard, especially since one is completely dependent and the other wants to be. Drew hates walking. Even when I was 9 months pregnant Drew walked slower than me. He's not the normal toddler that you have to run to keep up with; he loves to observe his surroundings, take it all in, and touch everything (note for my father: you can go ahead and laugh). So getting out with both means I need a way to keep them both contained. Not to mention all the time it takes to get us all packed up and sorted out.

James in the moby wrap, Drew in the stroller

I did actually manage an outing alone with both kids this week. Believe it or not we actually made it there early! What is this world coming to? Drew and I enjoyed a Christmas musical story time while James enjoyed a nap in his stroller.

2. With 1 kid. When my mom was here she stayed home with Drew a few times so I could get out with my mommy friends. Now I go on days when Drew is at school. It is so nice to have other mommies to talk to, even if we do little other than feed the babies. (I wonder if anyone at this mall recognizes us as the 3 preggo mall walkers...)

What a sight! 3 breastfeeding women!
(Obviously I couldn't snap a photo of myself, too)

I'm really blessed that two of my closest friends had babies around the same time as me. No, it was NOT planned (yes, we get asked), but it worked out perfectly. I'm so happy to have them for my own sanity, but I think it will be great that the kids can grow up together. :)

I'm hoping to plan a few outings with just me and Drew eventually, too (once James is in a more predictable routine).

3. Without the kids. This isn't really a possibility yet as I'm not yet giving James bottles. Even when I do there's still the issue of having to pump, so there isn't a great way to really get away right now. But that's why my mom encouraged me to try things I wouldn't normally do with James, like taking him to the movie theater. Stacey and I love the Twilight movies, and have seen all (or almost all) of them together. This year was no exception! We chose to go early (11 am) near where Stacey lives (I would say the "boonies" but with new shopping plazas including Target, Home Depot, and a movie theater, I don't know that we can call it the boonies anymore) in hopes of there being fewer people to bother. Turns out we weren't the only ones with that idea- there were at least two other women with babies there!

Still, I avoid running many errands if I can possibly help it as the whole "wrestle with the car seat and drag the slow toddler" thing just isn't fun. But I am trying my best not to be a hermit!