My Sundays or Why New Moms Sometimes Avoid Leaving the House

Atticus is a really good baby. But even good babies cry. A lot. And Atticus hates church (except for when people are singing). If Sacrament Meeting was entirely comprised of hymn-singing, he would love church. Since there is only a little singing and a lot of talking, Atticus screams and cries often at church.

We end up spending much of Sacrament Meeting standing in the lobby bouncing/rocking Atticus while trying to get him to suck on a pacifier (usually he just licks it like a Popsicle and drools all over our Sunday best). Last Sunday was particularly challenging. James and I took turns bringing our baby out into the lobby during the service. He'd just scream when we were in the chapel, then I'd take him out and he'd be happy and calm. I'd hang out in the lobby for a bit and then bring him back in. Minutes later more screaming. So James would take a turn. And so on.

While we were in the chapel, a man on the row in front of us tried to entertain Atticus by wiggling his fingers at him—to no avail. The last time that man sat in front of us and Atticus fussed during church, the man turned to me after the meeting and said, “Is your baby sick or something?” That's why we're trying to confine most of the screaming to the lobby.

When the service finally ended I gathered up my various baby items. By the time we're finished trying to entertain our child through a whole meeting, the bench we sit on looks like Babies R Us after a tornado. A woman wearing a yellow jacket (we'll call her Yellow Jacket) approached me. We had a brief conversation.

Yellow Jacket: (pointing to Atticus) “Is he yours?”

Me: (thinking: well, he is the baby you've watched me schlep in and out of the chapel for the past hour.) “Yes.”

YJ: “And you're already expecting another baby?!”

Me: “Um, no.”

YJ: “Oh I'm sorry, you just look pregnant.”

Me: (thinking: I could burst into tears right now if this conversation goes any further, and also thinking: if I were far along enough in another pregnancy to show right now, I would have gotten pregnant before Atticus was even born.) “Yes, that's still the weight I gained with this baby.”

YJ: “Oh, good luck losing that.”

The good news is that even after days like that, I get to come home and be with this little sweetheart. It is totally worth it.