WEEK FOURTEEN

Oliver is becoming a seasoned traveler. This week he had his first airplane adventure, as we flew to Winnipeg to visit family. Nobody wants to be the parent of “that screaming baby on the plane,” so of course I was slightly nervous about this venture. Luckily I flew with my dad as backup and it was comforting to know that the person sitting next to me was on my team. Bravo to those of you that do this alone, because for me it was necessary, and less stressful to have four hands. I was pleasantly surprised how well Oliver did! He ended up sleeping most of the time in the sling. The incredible thing about traveling with a baby is that people jump out of everywhere to offer a helping hand. For instance, having to pick up my baggage by myself (in a secured area where no family is permitted), there I was with Oliver in the sling, carrying a car seat, diaper bag and bottle bag while trying to figure out how to get a cart. Luckily a very nice older gentleman came to my assistance and did everything for me. My confidence in humanity was renewed this week by many friendly, compassionate people.
It must be hard being a baby. They have so much pressure to perform all the time. As parents we have all been in the situation where somebody gets right up close to your baby's face and says "how about a smile?” Then, when your baby fails to deliver, you receive the questioning look. "Aww no smile?" Then we scramble..."Oh, he's teething; he has a gassy stomach today; he just woke up from a nap; he didn't sleep well last night; it's almost nap time; he's hungry. The list goes on. Sure it could be one of these reasons, or maybe he just doesn't feel like smiling right now. Why do we feel pressure to make excuses for our baby's mood? I myself am guilty of doing this, but I think I want to start a revolution on behalf of my son. The next time I feel pressured to make an excuse on behalf of Oliver, I'm going to simply shrug and say "he's a baby, what more can I say?"