12/14/2023
Let me tell you about the time I decided to take my 2-week-old baby to Wild Lights at the Zoo 😅
First, I’ll just give the disclaimer that I probably shouldn’t have been out for a walking activity like that so early postpartum, but I’m still glad we went because my toddler had the time of his life.
Anyway, I bundled up Sophie in the carrier and walked around the zoo with Sam and our family to look at all the lights. Sam was in awe of all the displays and had a great time interacting with whatever he could! While Sam was having a blast hopping on some lights projected onto the ground, Sophie let out the loudest adult-level fart, and I felt my front become very, very warm 🫠
I already knew she had had a massive blowout and that it was not just on her, but also all over me. Our parents kept asking if I wanted to stop into a bathroom, but trying to handle it in a public restroom would have been so much worse than just wearing the p**p for a little while longer (she wasn’t upset, and I didn’t have a change of clothes for myself, and it had soaked through my 2 layers).
We didn’t rush through the rest of the light displays, and then when we got to to the minivan I climbed in the trunk and cleaned my screaming baby up as much as I could and did my best to not let my own clothes touch anything. It wasn’t fun, but I stayed (mostly) calm :)
If that had happened with my first baby, I probably would have cried the moment I realized what had happened, left the zoo, and then been scared to leave the house for a few days afterward. The greatest lesson I learned after having Sam was that I’m really not in control of my circumstances. I can plan as much as I want to and try to have everything be just right for our outings, but children can always find a way to surprise you!
I think one of the most helpful skills you can have as a parent is to be able to say, “Well, that happened. It’s not great, but we’ll figure it out” whenever an unideal situation presents itself. The trick is to not expect any certain outcome and to be able to adapt to your circumstances in the moment. And if you don’t have that skill going into parenthood, chances are you’ll learn it very quickly 😂
