Some people are drawn to the clothing aisle in a store, some the hardware department, some the jewelry department, some the shoes….
Me? Well….I gravitate over to the baby department. I mean not only do I gravitate, but I find myself looking at “everything” that is in the department. Not just browsing, but I mean really seriously looking! Since I am 62 years old and the last time I had a baby was 1988, stores and baby items have changed so much that it’s like being in another world! Potty chairs alone, which by the way, were one of my perusing items for today while out at Target, had toilet paper holders, music, and the neatest things on them. I think some even made flushing noises! But, that’s for a later time, he (the baby) is (at the time of writing this )only 11 mo’s old and still working on walking 🙂
The other day while watching this chubby grandson here at home I became totally convinced that he needed or maybe I needed a walker for him. He had already been found up the stairs once by himself and when everyone gets busy (you are talking about 6 other children here) he can be found just about anywhere. So, I had one of my MamaMo baby aisle moments right from home. I got on line and went on Craigslist and looked for walkers.
Not many were there so I got on the phone and called….you know who….Bapa, to the rescue! I said in my emergency, highly important tone…”We need a baby walker, M climbed the entire stairway today!” (He is getting used to this now, since there have been many things before and he knows there will probably be in the future (just remember the word baby gate). His next words were “Now? You mean today, like right now?” I said “Yup, we need it today!!!” So, off to Target went Bapa! After a call to me from the store where he told me they had a plain green one and a “Cars” one, I told him the decision was his. Yes, you are right…the “Cars” one was what came home with Bapa and he very dutifully put it all together!
The walker works great and it is “so” boy! He loves it and scoots all around! MamaMo relaxed. M was safe and MamaMo didn’t have to worry any more.
Well, that is ……until,… I quickly realized that he couldn’t actually live “in” the walker all the time 🙂 Life is very busy, which means everyone is very busy most of the time, even baby M! (Just remember, with 7 children in the house, some of the baby equipment has been long gone.) And, just so you know, Grandma’s like to pick up the slack where Grandmas can, so….out went the call again to Super Bapa!
“A gate I say, a gate!” (from my trusty cell phone) Of course, Bapa’s response was the normal man’s response “Why do we need a gate when we have a walker?”
It is so great that the Lord has placed man with woman for these very times. As I explained that it will keep M from going up the stairs, which he is seemingly loving to do (and they are all solid wood) off he went to the store again and home came a great gate that just snapped into place! This made MamaMo “very” happy! This made Bapa very happy too! This did not make M very happy however, as he loved to climb the stairs!
I know since this is titled Grandma and the Baby Aisle you are wondering why I haven’t talked about being in a store, but only at home. It’s great for all of you to know that you can accomplish and satisfy some of your baby buying urges right from home without even having to leave or get into your car. You can also order many things on line and accomplish the same thing, but….
There just is nothing like walking those baby aisles at the stores like Target, Walmart, Baby’s R Us etc. They are always putting out new things! It brings back such memories like when we bought this cute little harness for our oldest (who is turning 40 on July 10th…hint, hint, hint!) that strapped right into a permanently mounted strap in the car. It was actually a baby seat belt. It harnessed around her body with 2 H’s, one front and one back and straps that hooked between her legs. As a matter of fact when we would come home from the grocery store Dad would hang her up on the door knob! She would giggle and have such a great time while we were unloading everything! She could move around in the car etc.
But, I digress…back to shopping. You see today I saw a “monkey” harness (which made me think about our own babies), while I was having so much fun in the baby aisle! It actually is for walking and has a leash. It has a little monkey back pack for the baby and is so cute! I immediately put in on my list to talk to my daughter about. Seems quite necessary to me!
I like to touch the cute little sleepers and blankets, check out the many sizes of pacifiers, look at the tiny shoes, look at all the riding things,
Then, on to the bottles, which there are more than I can count. Very unlike the plain, glass ones of my baby days… check out the food section, bibs and little hand toys and of course, check out the clothing. One problem with grandmas is that they don’t often know just the right size. I do have an advantage because some of my grandchildren are right here since we live with our daughter’s family. However, with a “baby” they grow faster than the mind can keep up. He is 11 mo’s old, and a good sized guy, so of course when I saw the sleeper with the green frogs (or whatever they are) I just had to get one in a size 18 mo’s. Surely that would be big enough. And, with this trip I had 3 of his sisters with me and they thought it would be way too big. I naturally told them that you must always buy bigger because they grow so fast. Well, when we got home, washed it and put it on him….it snugly fit! Next up 24 mo’s for this grandma!
Even though the baby “birthing” season has passed for me, I have never really mourned like some. I have grown right along with my children enjoying every minute of every experience! So, here I am again in the baby season of my life with a very different view. It makes shopping almost always a necessity! Children’s consignment shops draw me strongly and some of them know me by name! Garage sales and Goodwill stores seem to have magnets that draw my car too. I used to bring home big sand boxes, toddler cars, lots of clothes for the ones that are older now. But, here I am looking at it all over again with the baby! Wonder if they will be as happy as they were years ago bringing home some of those “bigger” children’s items like I used to? Good thing Bapa has a truck!
Yup, just about everything for children comes to mind when I am out shopping. I always go with an open mind. And, it’s a good thing…a very good thing. It helps my daughters, it is so fun for me and it gives Bapa and me something to talk about!! 🙂 Hehe. I love to see my grandchildren’s faces when I come home with things. The baby gate and walker were great, everyone got so excited, including M!!! I wonder if they will enjoy the baby section of the stores as much as I do when they are grandparents? I surely hope so!!
And, I wonder what things will be found for M that we will need the truck for? Just remember, Craigslist is great too! Slides, playhouses, play equipment, things that you haven’t thought of, but things that your children just can’t live without for their children! My heart is still in the baby section and I consider it such a blessing from the Lord. Not for me, but for them.
Not unto me Lord, but unto Thee we give glory!
For those of you that have small children and you can’t wait until they are grown up and you don’t have to be in the baby or children’s aisles any more…..just relish every minute of what you do with and for your child now. They will be grown before you know it! You have probably had others tell you that a lot, but I am telling you from MamaMo that the reality of this is so very real, it’s almost scary how fast they grow! Our oldest is turning 40 in July and I ask, how can that be? When yours have grown, married and are gone and have given you grandchildren….be one of those that loves the baby aisles! Be one of those that loves and gives and loves some more! Teach your daughters how to be a grandma, teach your grandchildren how to be a grandma. Teach them all to love the baby aisle!!!
MamaMo is the wife of one wonderful man (for over 40 years), mother of 3 beautiful grown children and their spouses, grandmother of 12, craft show vendor and Scentsy Certified Consultant. She wears many hats, but her favorite and most special times are with her grandbabies! The oldest is 14, the youngest 9 mo old! (By the way, MamaMo also happens to be my own dear Mama!)