How to scare friends and deafen people
Flybaby is a real walker, now, and we I couldn't wait to show our friends at the hospital Baby and Me class we go to sometimes. (The teacher told me not long ago he'd be walking by his first birthday.) When we got there, though, the class had been canceled. So I took Flybaby to the mall to make a quick exchange.
One of our Baby and Me class friends was at the mall -- well, he and his mom, from Switzerland -- so we stopped to chat. Fly has been antsy for days (is it the walking?) and was squealing his displeasure as loudly as he possibly could at being in a stroller. This frightened his friend, opposite him in his own stroller, and he made the most pitiful face and cried.
"Oh, Flybaby, you've scared your friend," I said. "Shhh! Don't squeal, baby." I apologized to the nice Swiss woman, who must have wondered what makes American babies so loud.
"That's all right," she said, soothing him. "He's sensitive. He needs to learn."
My Swiss friend went on to say several of the moms don't like the new class teacher and are doing something called Stroller Strides, and maybe I'd like to come?
Then Flybaby starting squealing again. And his friend screwed up his face and cried again. This time, his mom took him out of the stroller to comfort him, speaking to him in, uh, Swiss? German? I heard the word "freund." And I felt soooo bad.
"We'd better go," I said. "I'm so sorry. I don't want to stay and chat and just make your little one cry more."
So I wheeled Fly in the opposite direction, his squealing filling the high-ceiling corridor of the mall like an opera singer's notes filling a concert hall.
Truly, dolphins and whales were beaching themselves somewhere. Neighborhood dogs perked up their ears and howled. My ears are still ringing.
One of our Baby and Me class friends was at the mall -- well, he and his mom, from Switzerland -- so we stopped to chat. Fly has been antsy for days (is it the walking?) and was squealing his displeasure as loudly as he possibly could at being in a stroller. This frightened his friend, opposite him in his own stroller, and he made the most pitiful face and cried.
"Oh, Flybaby, you've scared your friend," I said. "Shhh! Don't squeal, baby." I apologized to the nice Swiss woman, who must have wondered what makes American babies so loud.
"That's all right," she said, soothing him. "He's sensitive. He needs to learn."
My Swiss friend went on to say several of the moms don't like the new class teacher and are doing something called Stroller Strides, and maybe I'd like to come?
Then Flybaby starting squealing again. And his friend screwed up his face and cried again. This time, his mom took him out of the stroller to comfort him, speaking to him in, uh, Swiss? German? I heard the word "freund." And I felt soooo bad.
"We'd better go," I said. "I'm so sorry. I don't want to stay and chat and just make your little one cry more."
So I wheeled Fly in the opposite direction, his squealing filling the high-ceiling corridor of the mall like an opera singer's notes filling a concert hall.
Truly, dolphins and whales were beaching themselves somewhere. Neighborhood dogs perked up their ears and howled. My ears are still ringing.
posted by Damselfly at 3:41 PM
6 Comments:
Awwww, poor baby! Maybe he's cutting a tooth?
I remember when my son first found his squeal. He experimented with it for awhile, but when I quit responding to it, he stopped.
He probably wanted to walk, or he was just enjoying the acoustics of the mall. My kids loved to shriek at the mall when they were babies.
Now, my son just screams because he's ticked at me.
Has roughly the same effect on people.
Ooo Malls echo good too! Echos are always a good time for a squeal!
Walking is so much fun!
Sorry your class was cancelled! I know how much you enjoy that. I've never heard of that stroller thing she mentioned, do you think you're going to go?
LOL.
Apparently, Fly and Isabella are co-conspirators in strollerphobia. Isabella only barely tolerates stroller rides (which are usually accompanied by at a minimum massive amounts of whining), and has been this way for months.
I can't believe Fly is walking already! Where has the time gone? Seriously.
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