The Baby Warning

Abigail May Parker has been the light of the Huntsman family. The one that could bring us all together in a miraculous way that no one could ever imagine. Close to the Wicked Witch of the West and Dorothy becoming kindred spirits. She was the first descendant of all of my Huntsman siblings-in-laws*. Needless to say Abigail, or as we call her, Abby, was always found basking in the attention of some adult (a term I loosely use as anyone who is not under the age of 10) at all family events/gatherings over the past year and a half. This in turn has caused a bit of a dilemma. Spoiled baby alert.

Abby has unanimously become my favorite niece (though, now that a cousin has been pro-created, I'm not sure if its PC for me to say that anymore). I also happen to love anything that is small in stature, fat and will let me cuddle with it. So it's no surprise, any time the opportunity for me to play-mommy for a few hours arises, I take it.

Last night was one of those few times. It was for a most part success. I was able to do all my pre-post-modern housewife duties: cook, clean and change a (massively large) poopy-diaper. The last errand of the night was to go with Mike to the mall and shop for a wedding gift while he got his mane, I mean, hair groomed, I mean... cut...

Joy had warned me that Abby was a little bit fussy, and that taking her out in public might not be ideal. She is on some pharmaceutical steroid that causes her to have acute insomnia and anyone who has been around a baby knows sleepy baby=angry baby, and angry baby=awholelotta whining! Well luckily on the way over to my humble abode Abby had fell asleep in her car seat. SCORE! This to me meant I was on track to have all my boxes checked on my to-do-list for the day.

All was fine, until we passed the land of robotic-plastic-toys that move up and down, or left and right or maybe (if its fancy enough) both. I had no intention of stopping and letting her ride one, and that little baby mind of hers knew it. That little lip began to protrude and I could feel the rumbling beginnings of her cry of hopelessness. Luckily, her short term memory came to my rescue and before I stepped foot in Target she had forgotten all about the quarter-devouring-satan-machines. The worst was over.

Until we began to walk down the aisles. Anything shiny, pretty, dull, fuzzy, large, small, colorful, that could be seen with Abby's eyes was immediately the item of her desire and no short term memory could assist me now as every aisle, was full of items that she wanted to hold. I was strong for about 15 minutes. Then I had my auntie break down and took her to the toy aisle (big mistake the whining just got louder, as I decided which toy I would buy her). I finally found a little fuzzy bear that was only $3.99**. This appeased her whining, but brought on the wrath of Abby wanting to see me make up the cardio workout that I had neglected to do that morning, by making me bend down every 5 ft or so and pick up the bear she had thrown on the ground. This continued until I finally was able to get to the cash register. She dropped that fuzzy bear on final time and I slyly placed it in the magazine rack, the annoyed, overworked side of me deciding she no longer deserved the cute little teddy bear. Thankfully, my ninja skills paid off and she didn't even think twice about what happened to the bear and we made it out of the mall without anymore whining.

Of course, being the over-analytical person I am, began to think of ways to avoid my child from becoming the "I see, I must have" monster. And ... I'm blank. I'm not around Joy and Abby enough to judge the amount of discipline given, but overall I would say that Abby is a happy child and doesn't do much whining for the most part. All I can do is hope that I will have the foreknowledge of how to appease a whining baby without giving him/her everything he/she wants. But we will see. I would just hate to be one of those people pushing a baby around that is crying at the top of her lungs, to the disgust of all those around me.

So to future-mother-Isabel: Please please pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease remember this day, and when you are tempted to give into that cute baby wanting to hold the little pink or baby blue fuzzy sheep, don't give in. The baby may cry for a minute, but it will save you a countless embarrassing trips out in public.


P.S. Please understand this is in no way judging my sister-in-laws ability to mother or calling Abby spoiled. I find Abby to be a very pleasant baby and cannot use this one situation to make any judgements.


*The second descendant of one of my Huntsman s-i-l was just born August 22nd! Congratulations Ben & Kake. Welcome Hope Huntsman!

** When did little stuffed animals become so expensive? I remember them being cheap, because I never asked my mom for anything that was expensive, because that meant a lecture about money and how we had to be smart with our money. Even asking for cheap things instigated a lecture, but it seemed to me with each dollar in the price of the item came a 10 min of subsequent lecture. So anything under $3 was worth asking for, and I recall finding plenty things to ask my mom for that met the under $3 criteria.