I spent almost 13 months carting Keira's diaper bag around, almost like an appendage, everywhere we went. Only recently have I begun to leave it in the car. It has been very liberating...until today.Since Keira was weaned from nursing about a month ago and doesn't need a diaper change too often anymore, there really isn't much in the diaper bag that we need during an outing into a store. We are not likely to need it while walking down the aisles of the grocery store, or like today, when Keira and I went to Target to pick up some cookie decorating supplies to use at our playgroup's holiday party this Friday. I also wanted to check out the toys to see if they had one item I knew that Keira might like for Christmas.
After a brief search through the $1 bins for stocking stuffers, our next stop was the toy section. We had been there maybe ten minutes when I looked over at Keira sitting in the shopping cart. She was strangely bent over the right side of the cart and it looked like she might be trying to grab a toy off a lower shelf. "Keira, what are you doing?" I ask her. She turns her head to me and I immediately recognize the look of her red-rimmed eyes. "Oh, no! You didn't....not a poopy..." I plead. A few seconds pass while I hope that I am wrong for once. Suddenly a pungent smell wafts my way. Nope. My first instinct was unfortunately correct. A mom knows these things.
A poopy diaper has been born...in Target...without the diaper bag...today we are those people. You know the ones, you've smelled them before... In her 13 months of life, I can remember maybe half a dozen poopy diapers that she has had while out and about. This has to be, by far, the stinkiest! Of all the days to leave the diaper bag in the car!
What to do? Leave our half full shopping cart and go out to the car? I, always practical and efficient, make the decision to quickly finish my shopping so that we can pay for our purchases before going out to the car to grab the diaper bag, dropping off our purchases, and coming back in to change the diaper. Of course, this would have to be the one time in my life that I can't quickly find what I want to purchase. Every time I head down a new aisle, I am so aware of the stench eminating from Keira's bum and afraid that every single person I walk past can also smell it. Why me? So we stroll up and down the aisles of the toy section trying to find an item that, it soon becomes obvious, is not available in this store. At one point, Keira starts to turn around in her seat, lifting her smelly bum off the seat, and turning it in my direction. "Whoa, girl! You need to sit down right now!!" And, for the first time, I wasn't saying this for her safety!
I quickly get her situated again, and decide to give up the fight. This diaper needs changing now! As we head swiftly down the corridor toward the checkout lanes, some toys catch my eye that might fit the bill. I take a minute to look over the options and pluck the best one off the shelf. Off we go to check out. It being lunchtime for working people, the checkout lanes are pretty busy. So we get in a line and fortunately it moves pretty quickly. I try not to get too close to the person in front of me. No need to subject them to Keira's odor.
I pay for our purchases while I make a joke to the cashier about what has occurred. On my way out to the car, I realize I never bought the cookie decorating supplies, our main reason for coming to Target!All that rushing through the toy section for naught. All that smelliness for naught. Sighing, I put the shopping bags in the trunk and grab the diaper bag from the back seat. Keira and I head back inside to change her diaper...and actually finish our shopping!
Take two...except this time we have the diaper bag, my appreciation for it renewed.
