Quiet in the fitting rooms!

Elliott and I just got back from a trip to the mall so that I could get some more clothes. It isn't like I don't have clothes, or even that they don't fit, because most of them do. It's just that most of my wardrobe was not purchased with nursing in mind, so if Elliott gets all riled up in the middle of some public place, it is usually helpful to be able to feed him without too much fuss. Because if you have a hungry, screamy baby people look at you like are OBVIOUSLY starving that poor baby. I remember once upon a time looking at women in Ikea or Target with screaming kids and thinking, "just take him home! He's tired!" I apologize, random shoppers, for judging you. I had no idea. And all you wanted was a shelf, or some toilet paper. You even brought a bottle, but your kid got all uppity about his method of feeding and wants you to get naked here in the middle of the store. If I saw you now, I'd haul over a pillow from the bedding section so that you could at least be comfortable.

It's stuff like this that you just wouldn't know until you lived it. A friend of mine had to literally sit in the middle of the sidewalk on the way to the bookstore that we were walking to and turn her back to traffic to feed her screaming baby, who refused the bottle. She was so embarrassed, but saw no other option. Thankfully it hasn't gotten to that point for me yet, but I do get it now.

Anyway, the stores. I found great stuff, and didn't spend too much, and decided to press my luck by going to Kohl's afterward- even though Elliott hadn't been able to catch a nap in his stroller. Off we went, and halfway through the trip Elliott started to cry, and was not having the bottle I brought. I checked out the "family restroom" and the ladies room, but the only option for sitting down to feed him would have been a toilet seat.

Absolutely Not. Barf.

Anyway, it dawned on me that I could use a fitting room, and so the other mom I was with came along too. Both of the babies fussed for a minute (and when I say fussed, I mean Elliott WIGGED OUT for two minutes) and then Elliott ate and calmed down. Apparently some girl in the fitting rooms was trying to talk on the phone but couldn't hear over the noise of our children. She seemed annoyed by the noise we were creating, and told her friend she would have to call them back since she couldn't hear anything. It was interesting that she either didn't know or didn't care if we could hear her end of the conversation and deduce that the annoying people she was referring to were us, but I'm slowly getting used to the fact that people aren't generally excited to see women with strollers sharing their space. Or at least, not while those strollers are generating so much racket.