Been a bit busy lately. I haven't really had time to post for a while. Little Caedmon has been good usually. Today though he seems to be unhappy for some reason. At first I thought it was because he was figuring out that he could get picked up whenever he cries, but now I think he probably has some stomach pain. I hope the poor guy gets better soon.
We took him out for the first time on Wednesday last week. We had tried to take him out a few days before, but there is a tradition here that a mom and her newborn cannot go outside for a whole month. We, not really holding too much stock in that custom, wanted to go out for a walk. When we got to the ground floor of our building, the door keeper ladies where aghast that we would go outside before the month was over. They tried to physically prevent us from going outside. One of the ladies especially was becoming a bit angry at us. She said, "Poppy, how silly can you be? You still have two days left before you can go outside! This is a matter of lifetime importance!" A man walked in at that time and wondered out loud, "What! Even a Chinese girl doesn't know about this?" Poppy was a great sport. She was cool and happy about the whole situation. I wasn't.
On Wednesday we went out for a walk (the first month being over). We put Caedmon in a front carrier and walked around our neighborhood. We really enjoyed it. He created quite a stir wherever we went. Most people wouldn't even notice him riding in front of me, but if a person noticed him they usually seemed pretty surprised and delighted. Many people stopped in their tracks to turn around and look at him while we walked by.
Our trip on Saturday to Walmart was less idyllic. We ate lunch at KFC and then went shopping afterwards. The meal was nice, but it was a little difficult trying not to drop crumbs on the sleeping youngster under my chin. The shopping trip was a little more challenging. First, we went to the baby section to buy some wet wipes. The workers saw us coming from across the aisle and were there to greet us. They ooh-ed and ah-ed for a little while. Then there was a little boy who came beside me and just stared at Caedmon and me. As long as we were in the baby section this boy just stared and stared.
Then we went to buy something at the Adidas stand, which was in the cosmetics area. As soon as we entered, we were swarmed by cosmetics vendors plus a few customers. We tried to keep moving to avoid making a scene, but there were a lot of people wanting to ask questions and peek at him. There was one lady, a customer, who was really displeased with us. She first said that Caedmon was too small to go out. Then she was criticizing the way we were carrying him. She began to get louder and louder in her denunciations. She followed us to the Adidas area and stood there criticizing Poppy and me while I chose the stuff I wanted to buy. So much for not making a scene.
In light of this and other experiences I have had recently, it seems that I am wearing a sign around my neck that says, "I'm a parent. Please criticize me." People see us and say, "Those look like new parents! Let's go give them lots of useful tips!"
I'm trying to have a good attitude about it, but I'm not used to all of this criticism and unsolicited advice. Poppy, as always, is really wonderful about it. She is a good encouragement to me. She always says, "Sure I don't agree with them, but they are only concerned."
However, as I once again walk into my building with Caedmon, my shirt getting wet with sweat and my hat band getting moist, and the ladies shake their heads, make a tisk-tisk sound and tell me that my baby is too cold and should be wearing a blanket over his two layers of clothes and foam baby carrier, I feel that old sense of pride telling me to be annoyed.
Having a child reveals yet more places in my heart that I need God to change. It would be nice if he would choose to change me by having everyone tell me what a great and talented dad they think I am.
