I
’m not sure if it was the pregnant bellies, the tiny pink gumboots filled with pink flowers or the realisation my ‘baby’ is now 20 months old and I can no longer squish his entire long body into my lap at once. So help me, I was clucky. Standing at my sister’s baby shower, watching my nearly four-year-old help her unwrap presents for her soon-to-be-born baby girl and jiggling a friend’s 14-month-old on my hip, my arms were feeling just a teeny bit achy. I’d felt that ache before: the first time I was separated from son number one. He was just three weeks old and Mum took us to the supermarket. Instead of dragging my sore, post-caesarean body around the aisles searching for milk, bread and nappies, Mum made me sit on the bench seat out the front of the checkouts for ‘just a few minutes’. She didn’t actually vocalise that she was going to take the pram and baby with her but I didn’t protest. As I watched her roll the little chap away I
started to feel a little ill. Then I started to panic. Just a bit. But she was too far away to hear me yell, I knew I was being silly and I could still barely walk thanks to the lingering pain of a 24-hour labour and emergency caesarean. My arms started to feel empty. Of course, they were empty. But they felt as though they shouldn’t be. I tried crossing my arms over my chest, hugging myself. It didn’t help. How long had Mum been away with the baby? Was it long enough to get the groceries? Shouldn’t she be back by now? I started peering at the checkouts to see if she was in a queue yet. I checked my mobile to make sure it was on, just in case she needed to call me. Tick, tick, tick. What if something had happened? What if someone had kidnapped the baby? Oh, don’t be so ridiculous. Tick, tick, tick. Someone’s kidnapped the baby. Mum’s lost him in the supermarket, she’s spoken to the manager but they’re hoping they’ll find the baby before they admit to me that they’ve lost the baby because they don’t want to worry me. I had already started tapping the passcode into my mobile to call Mum, just to check, when I saw her wave at me from the queue at checkout 3, pram in hand. I’ve always said I’m not really the ‘baby type’. I think babies are gorgeous and I loved my own babies very much but I always breathe a little sigh
Help me, I’m Clucky SCHOOL SHOES
at Bayside Shoe Warehouse WE HAVE THE STYLE, COLOUR AND RANGE TO SUIT YOUR CHILD.
WEAR YOUR LOVED ONES CLOSE
Brands include Clark, Roc, Harrison, Wilde, Surefit & more.
Plus a large range of boots for bubs, shoes for toddlers, runners for energetic kids!
PRESENT THIS AD FOR 10% OFF * YOUR PURCHASE *Offer expires 1/3/15. Excludes specials.
103 Railway Pde, Seaford (cnr Clovelly Pde) Ph:
9785 1887
email baysideshoewarehouse@gmail.com
www.baysideshoewarehouse.com.au
36
Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15
FREE
PARKING AVAILABLE
Fingerprints, hand/foot prints, pawprints and handstamping are all lovingly turned into bespoke pieces of silver jewellery.
NECKLACES BRACELETS KEYCHAINS ARE AVAILABLE! Peninsula Based Business Nikki Yoresh 0439658319 nikki@puresilverimpressions.com www.puresilverimpressions.com