Random acts of kindness and other thoughts

Lessons from Babies

Everyday I realize there is so much that we can learn from babies. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned over the past few days.

• When you lose your grasp and fall, just get back up (and continue trying to reach the remote control on the couch).
• Even if life, or mommy, puts obstacles in your way, don’t give up.
• Find a way around them, over them, through them (to get to the shelf of DVD’s. YUMMY!).
• Be curious about everything (and taste it all!!).
• Food is meant to be enjoyed and shared (with EVERY part of your body, the chair, the floor, the cat, Mommy…).

So it’s been a while. I finally got to “pay it forward” at Stop and Shop. There was an older woman in front of me on line who was struggling to bag her groceries, so as soon as I was done putting mine on the conveyor belt, I asked if she wanted help. She was so thankful. She had a lot of heavy items, and I hoped she had someone at home to help her. 

A huge “THANK YOU” to the father at Babies ‘R Us who went out of his way to help me with my cumbersome boxes. He had a wee one with him as well, and he came out to my car and helped me arrange the boxes in the back seat after figuring out they wouldn’t fit in the trunk. His daughter is 18 months old and extremely cute. She tried to crawl into the passenger seat. Then they went back into the store because they weren’t done shopping.

When we got home my downstairs neighbor was coming in as well and she carried the two boxes from Babies ‘R Us up the stairs, as well as a box from Diapers.com that had arrived. THANK YOU LANA!!!

It took me about an hour to put the exersaucer together, but it was well worth it after seeing Leora’s face during the process. She knew something awesome was about to happen! She loves it.

So I’m back from a wonderful vacation to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The west is truly magical, and I hope we can keep it that way. Unfortunately Yellowstone is visited by many who my high school social studies teacher would call “tourons.” It was a fantastic trip, though. I find that people outside of NYC, in general, are friendlier, which just increases my desire to leave (I’m not saying I haven’t met wonderful people here, but there’s something about the vibe in other places I have visited that is more chill). 

Leora was an excellent traveller. She rolled with the punches and was a great little hiker. She either looked around from her coveted vantage point in her back pack or slept. I’m very glad the pack we got has a little pillow for her to put her head on. We’ll definitely have to take her back when she can appreciate it more.

Via a friend of mine: The other day she was at the store, and, as happens to many of us, she ended up buying more groceries than anticipated. As she was struggling with her bags an older woman, who looked like she should be receiving assistance herself, not providing it, asked if she could help. My friend gratefully accepted.

And on the mommy front, a memory I will happily hold on to: Saturday night we spent the night at my in-law’s. Leora slept in a Pack ‘n Play next to our bed, and as usual, woke up around 6:30 with her fidgeting and babbling. Luckily she quieted back down until a little after 7, but I kept peeking out of the corner of my eye and could see that she was getting up on all fours, looking around her father’s old room, and putting her head back down. Needless to say, when she started becoming more vocal about her presence, I was not ready to get up, but I have realized by now that my wants are not always the priority anymore.

I fed Leora, and then she played in bed with us for a little while. Around 8, Adam got up to do some laundry, but I decided to enjoy a little more time in bed, even if it was with an active 6 month old. Luckily she started to wind down and put her down next to mine, just off the pillow, with my arm across her back, and we drifted back to sleep. That’s how Adam found us at 9:15. Sometimes I really miss having her in bed with us, but it makes times like this that much more special.