Shopping with baby

With LHG a little over a week old, Giovanna and I decided to take him on his first shopping trip to the Big Shops. She only needed nursing bras, I wanted to pick up a some shower spray and a magazine. How hard could that be?

Well, for a start, I have no idea how a person, let alone one who's not long given birth, would cope with that pushchair on their own. It took two of us to fold it down (when we'd worked out how to do it!) and put it in the boot of the car. It barely fitted, despite the boot being a decent size, and we had to detach the body from the frame. Individually, each piece weighed a ton, so I can't imagine how anybody would lift it normally.

Sadly, LHG was clearly not enamoured of his pushchair. No, not nearly as good as being held in someone's arms. The only thing it was good for was carrying the shopping. Did you know that every shop is set out as a slalom for pushchairs and prams? I had been ignorant of this purpose till I started to negotiate them. And when your pushchair has a will of its own (and boy, does this one have a will of its own), places like Lakeland become scary. I don't remember it being this hard with a pram all those years ago. Imagine trying to steer a toddler as well.

With LHG getting worked up, we decided it was a good point to stop for lunch, With the two of us enjoying a sandwich and a cup of coffee, it would have been an ideal time for him to tuck in himself. So what did he do? Fell asleep, little mouth open, away with the fairies.

Later, with Giovanna trying to find nursing bras in her size, he awoke once again. She carried and jiggled and rocked while I searched, then I carried and jiggled and rocked while she searched for this illusive size. Finally, with only two such bras in existence it seemed, we headed for the till. LHG was not only screaming by this point, but smelly. I headed off for the baby change rooms while Giovanna parted with much cash (have you seen the price of nursing bras?). My grandson hates, abhors and detests having his nappy changed, so by the time Giovanna turned up, he was in full, red-faced screeching mode. She sat and fed him while I escaped to buy my magazine.

Four hours after we'd set off, we arrived home, exhausted. Unlike a lot of babies, LHG doesn't fall asleep in the car.

A few days later, we repeated the shopping experience with Great Grandad TC and my step mother-in-law, Great Grandma C. After a couple of hours of pass the baby, the grandparents went ahead and started whispering to each other. Were they sorry they'd ever started on this shopping trip? Were they planning their escape? No, it seems they'd come up with an idea. While I danced and jiggled with LHG, they took Giovanna to look at baby slings. She chose a simple, fabric one. He snuggled in and was out like a light.

So far it's been a great success.