The little 1 yr old squirt I babysit accompanied me to Aldi today. For those of you who are not familiar w/ the awesomeness that is Aldi, it's an uber cheap grocery store. This was our very first outing, aside from stroller walks and playing outside in his inflatable kiddie pool. He was BEYOND cranky this morning, and I was a little afraid of what kind of scene he might make while in the crowded aisles of a grocery store, but I decided it was worth the risk since all we had left in our cupboards was some gopher jerky and cream of toast. That was for you, Simpsons fans.

He slept most of the way there. I thought I'd get lucky enough for him to sleep while we were shopping, but he woke up as soon as I took him out of the car. In addition to my fear of him throwing a wild tantrum, I have to admit that I'm a little embarrassed of his hair. He has beautiful LONG curly brown hair that both his momma and I keep pulled up in a neat ponytail the majority of the time. If we didn't it would quickly turn into a tangly rat's nest full of dog hair, applesauce, and graham cracker crumbs. Because of his lovely locks, long eyelashes, and cute chubby cheeks, I'm pretty sure people tend to think he's a girl. I hate to say it, but I can totally see myself letting strangers comment on what a cute "girl" he is without bothering to correct them, just to spare them the embarrassment.....well, and so they don't think I'm a really mean "mom" for making my little boy look like a girl.

I understand why his momma doesn't want to cut his hair. It is really pretty. Plus, one of his older teenage brothers has long hair, so the fact that they match is pretty darling. But I wish she would just break down and cut it anyway. Not necessarily to make interaction with doting strangers more comfortable for me, but just so I don't have to deal with trying to comb out the tangles and contain it in a ponytail all while he is screaming at the top of his lungs, fighting me tooth and nail.

During our little trip, he REFUSED to sit in the cart and I had to carry him on my hip the whole time. I actually didn't mind that much - I think my arm muscles are getting pretty buff. I just wish that when I do need to sit him down for any reason he wouldn't throw such a fit. He is spoiled rotten. I definitely need to make a sling for us FAST. His momma brought me a Snuggli carrier, but it is way uncomfortable on my back and I don't think they are very ergonomically healthy for baby. All baby's weight ends up on his spine, since he is essentially just suspended by a tiny strip of fabric under his crotch. The one I have doesn't even seem to have this much padding and support:



My husband is at a job interview as we speak. He informed me that our plans to get pregnant in a few months should still be on track financially. That made me very happy. Even though I'm having a rough time with the cranky teething little booger I watch right now, I still can't wait to have one of my own.

Before I started frequenting some of these crunchy baby-hippie forums, I had never heard of TEETHING NECKLACES. Apparently, amber has natural healing properties that can ease the pain of teething simply by placing it around baby's neck. Am I going crazy? This actually seems like a good idea to me.


I am becoming the antithesis of everything my mother believes. "Give him Baby Tylenol", says mom. "Put him down and let him cry. It'll be good for him", says mom. It's a good thing I live so far away from my mom. No doubt, she would think I'm nuts for hanging an amber necklace around Junior's neck to make his pain go away. I haven't told her yet that we are not planning on vaccinating our kids. Yikes.

Labels: babysitting, general complaining