Helping A New Mom in an Unlikely Place

So, I didn’t expect to blog twice today…but I couldn’t help but share this story.

On my lunch today, I headed to the new Wal-Mart that opened a few months ago in Tysons Corner to pick up a few things, including supplies for bringing my friend Erin dinner this week (remember her?  There’s a picture of us in this post).  She just had a baby boy last Sunday.

Anyway, once you’re a mom…you can’t go into these stores without hitting up the baby section.  Even if you don’t buy anything and you don’t need anything, you still go.  While I was looking for more crunchies for Abbie (girlfriend loves these things), I heard a baby crying a few aisles over – definitely the cry of a newborn baby.  I went about my business, then found myself in the same area as the baby, including his new mom, his aunt, and a Wal-Mart employee.  They were all looking at the baby in his travel system, and he was fussing – the mom was asking questions about the car seat.  When the employee asked if I had kids, of course I said yes, and she asked for my help.

This mom was the sweetest thing – and so nervous.  Her baby boy was only three days old, and here she was, out and about.  I didn’t really leave the house for weeks after Abbie was born!  Baby boy was swaddled up in blankets, and she was concerned about the car seat hurting his back – she kept asking me if it would…then asked for help getting him in the seat properly!  She handed him right to me to help her out!  I don’t know if no one ever showed her or what, but I put him in and explained how he needed to be put in the seat first, then covered, and that the straps needed to be snug on his chest (they were really loose).  She was worried about the chest straps rubbing on his neck too, and I assured her that he’d get used to it, and was probably still adjusting and might cry when he’s in the seat (after all, Abbie hated the car seat from an early age too).

She was so thankful, and I just wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay.  That she’d figure it out.  That things would get easier over time.

For now, I’m just thankful and so happy I was able to help her, even in such a small way.  We truly are all in this motherhood thing together.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget today.

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