Out and About With Baby

"New Mum On The Block "
Nelson District Parent Centre Newsletter January/February 2006

As Amelia was an Easter baby the two of us spent the first few months of her life quite happily indoors. Most Kiwi winters I've tolerated close to freezing temperatures inside. With a newborn on board, it was the perfect excuse to have the heater on permanently making home a cosy place to be. Even though our power bill soared this winter gone, I will fondly remember the Winter of 2005 as been a luxuriously warm one. It seemed there wasn't much point to venture much further than the letterbox some days. Breastfeeding frequently through the day, I entertained myself watching Dr Phil and Oprah and reading mags and books and napping on the couch. So really, why would I want to go anywhere else? There was something quite delicious about snuggling indoors with my new baby girl.

But then the day came when I of course had to venture beyond the comfort of our family nest. Coffee group was a great incentive to get out of the house. In fact I remember going to coffee group with Amelia when she was just 10 days old. Our first real outing, I was just a little overwhelmed at the prep required for what seemed to be a relatively small outing in the grand scheme of things. Buggy, change of clothes, nappies, car seat. Man oh man. And then we stayed in town for several hours so to the “parent room” I went for the first time to feed my ravenous daughter. New to breastfeeding and to handling a newborn outside the privacy of my own home, I left the house very much with my training wheels on.

Nine months down the track, taking Amelia out hasn't changed a lot except for me being slightly more relaxed. But don't let me fool you. I still have my days. Not so long ago while coordinating taking Amelia out of the car and putting her into her buggy, I didn't use the brakes on her buggy. A gust of wind had it hurtling through a car park, thankfully without her in it. But an elderly couple panicked and raced after the empty buggy, their brows creased with worry. Even though Amelia wasn't in the buggy I still felt somewhat silly that I'd unwittingly inspired a couple of old timers to run in the hope of saving the day, only to come back with an empty buggy with me holding Amelia sheepishly in my arms.

Add sleep deprivation to the picture and I am destined to be juggling somewhat with the general coordination of baby gear, among other things. One time I met a friend for a coffee and couldn't find my car keys anywhere to lock the car. So I had my cup of tea nearby while watching my unlocked car like a hawk. When I returned to my car I found the keys dangling in the boot. Oh dear. A common term for behaviour such is this is “nappy brain”. I'm so glad now that I'm a mum I have an excuse for my blonde moments, as such!

In recent months Amelia and I have been a little more adventurous in our mother-baby outings. During the average week we might go to Playgroup in Tahuna, to our antenatal class coffee group, to a music group, to the park to go on the swing and/or to the beach for a play in the sand or go on a play date.

Some days we just play outside in our garden in the shade under a sun umbrella. I grab a few toys from inside and put them on a picnic blanket for her to play with. For Amelia The Great Outdoors is simply the world outside our house. Our tiny garden is a constant source of wonderment from bumble bees buzzing to a plastic pink flower that whirls happily in the wind to Warren The Cat who stalks the garden like the lion he thinks he is. But typically Warren is the most exciting toy of all as Amelia spends a large part of her day crawling after him. He in turn spends a large part of his day inching away from her grasping fingers.

Examining a blade of grass captivates Amelia, as do the leaves on the trees. Daily rituals like walks to the letterbox in the mornings to get the mail and in the afternoons to get the paper are a simple pleasure. Amelia willingly helps carry any mail back. I call out “Warren” and he trots down the driveway after us, typically collapsing about halfway down for a roll in the gravel and ever so hopeful that he might get a bit of a pat.

These days Amelia enjoys watching the world go by from the comfort of her buggy. The other day we went for a walk on Tahuna Beach. A windy day, Amelia enjoyed watching the kite surfers, the rough surf and the general going-ons on the beach. Patting a couple of dogs was her highlight and she let out a delighted squeal when one dog licked her on the leg.
Recently Amelia's experience of the world broadened further when I took her up to Auckland to visit family and friends. I got to experience flying with a “dream baby” on the way up - non-crying, non-fussy etc. And on the way back the reverse. Passengers were swiveling their heads to get a glimpse of my little fusspot. It was the longest hour and a half, sitting in a space no bigger than a toilet pew with a baby that had ants in her pants.

This Christmas our whole family including Warren headed to Ruby Bay for just over a week to stay with extended family. We loaded the car up with the usual baby paraphernalia including a paddling pool. There was no need to go far as for Amelia a few days on a one acre property located next to the sea is a bit like going to a national park.

A couple of visits to Natureland have provided Amelia with cheap thrills as such and in turn, have delighted us, her parents. So although I don't envision us tramping the Grand Canyon with Amelia in the near future, I can see that her unbridled enthusiasm with the great outdoors as she gets to knows it, will continue to inspire our family unit to step outside and explore our natural world. After all, watching your baby daughter squinting upwards to get a glimpse of a passing plane as the wind gently combs through her hair while happily kicking her feet in the sand is as intoxicating and gratifying as it gets.