Howdy Stranger!

I have an amazing tip if you want to meet people. Get a baby. Please note, that if you're single and do not have kids, you may not want to use this tip to meet men. As a teenager my Mom used to go to the grocery store where my Dad worked. Frequently she took her nephew, and unfortunately my Dad avoided her for some time because he thought my cousin was her son. If my Dad did the math he would have realized that my Mom was about 12 or 13 when he was born. He eventually figured it out. But anyway, don't borrow babies to meet men.

Anyway, if you're a people person and love to yak it up with complete strangers, take a baby out somewhere, anywhere. You will find that the very old and the very young will be drawn to you like magnets. Also women of any age. Come to think of it, if you're a single GUY and want to meet women, this strategy could work for you.

I don't think I've been anywhere with Doug where we weren't stopped by some one to check him out. I find the chit chat kind of awkward, but I don't really mind. Most people (so far) have been very respectful of personal space and don't get to close to him. The only people who have trouble with this are little girls. A few weeks ago at church these two little girls, about 2 and 5ish, accosted Doug in his carrier. Their Mom was in tow, and as she saw her youngest was about to go and touch Doug she said "NO! Don't touch just look, let the baby sleep!". I was quite grateful for her intervention. Last week Jeff and I took Doug to the mall and were strolling around with him. We came upon a woman and a little girl about 18-24 months. She was out of her stroller walking with her mom, helping her push it. She saw us approach with the stroller and came over to check it out, it was so funny! Later that night we were leaving a restaurant when another little girl, about 4, came over to peer in the stroller as we walked by. She proceeded to follow us, at the exit a woman held the door for us. As we walked out she told us that we'd left our daughter behind! I don't know where that girl's parents were, but they sure weren't watching her!

Older grandmotherly women love to come up to Doug and check him out. And talk. Endlessly. Luckily its all been the gushing variety, I can tell they're dying to pick him up and squeeze him. But I know the day of unsolicited child rearing advice is coming. I know there will be a day when Doug's fussy in public, and it will come. I think pregnancy is meant to prepare you for a complete stranger's advice. I didn't really look pregnant until a few weeks before he was due, so I was largely spared from this. However, one day in January I was walking into a store without a coat, it was about 40 degrees out, and this older woman stopped to lecture me! I just smiled and walked on. I was so hot all the time, I couldn't fathom wearing a coat. During the snow storms I thought about running outside in my underwear to cool off. Jeff was able to persuade me not to.

I usually don't mind the attention people pay to Doug. It usually takes us a while to leave church because so many people come over to check out Doug. I know why though, he's just so cute! Although, I do have to remind myself that he's cute at 2 in the morning. Around then the cute kinda wears off ;)