It was a normal day, the apartment was warm and what little breeze we had coming in from the windows appeased us. We weren't sure what our day would hold seeing as we had no plans (for once!) however we thought we might want to do something, maybe go out, or possibly take a walk around McConnellsburg. In normal Brown fashion we didn't make a decision and laid around and played with Rylan who was finally acting somewhat like himself since getting the flu last weekend and being sick all week. He was a little fussy though which I guess is what kept us home until we heard a "Hello" and a knock at our kitchen door at around one O'clock. Jumping up Rylan and I went to the door. It was Grammy! Rylan immediately started kicking his legs and making his "snoot" face, he reached for her and smiled when she engulfed him in a hug and showered him with kisses.
With not much to do but clean the house (gross) we all sat around and played with Rylan. When it was time for a snack and a bottle Grammy fed Rylan while I decided to take that time and do the dishes and clean the kitchen and living room while daddy jumped in the shower and got ready just in case we decided to go to Chambersburg. Some time passed and I went in to check on Rylan and Grammy. Once I saw that they had both fallen asleep I quickly got ready thinking that "Moes" should make us lunch. We weren't sure if Grammy was going with us but once her and Rylan woke up from their short nap we mentioned our lunch idea and she decided that sounded fun. SO off we were. (Pause for a cute picture)
Once we ate our yummy lunch at Moes we weren't sure what we wanted to do. I was interested in looking for a sewing machine and a play mat for Rylan. Since I had a gift card to Target that's where we were going to go but before we left the restaurant parking lot we realized they wouldn't have what we were looking for, so we decided to go to Walmart. While turning out of the Moes parking lot Kevin decided he rather walk around at the Premium Outlets (former Prime Outlets) in Hagerstown. At first I wasn't in the mood but after he insisted that it would be fun we all agreed that we could go (even though a sewing machine and play mat couldn't be purchased there...hmmm...maybe that will be on next Saturdays agenda!) Before making our way to Hagerstown we had to stop by Rylans Mimi's and Popi's house to get the stroller which they had since they had taken it to our mini vaca last weekend. We visited for a short time and then made our way to the outlets.
First, we made a wrong turn and it took us about 10-15mins out of our way (that's ok, we can deal with that.) Before getting to the Prime Outlets (haha I mean Premium) Rylan starts screaming because he wants out of his car seat and as Grammy put it "had gas" (okk. thats ok, we can deal with that, right daddy? Right.) Once we got to the outlets we get out the stroller. Rylan was so excited to get out and take a ride in his "car". We put sunscreen on him and started towards my favorite store, Kirklands. After making a purchase there we then made our way to Bath & Body Works, Carters, food court to change baby's diaper and feed him a 7oz bottle, then the Nike outlet and Reebok outlet to find mommy some shorts for work (no luck).
We were thinking we were done with shopping since it looked like it might start raining and started our trek back to the car, however once Grammy spotted Harry & Davids and realized that they had chocolate covered coffee beans we couldn't catch her before she dashed inside. I followed just as excited (umm yummy!) We walked around for about ten minutes, daddy pushed Rylan around showing him different things while Grammy and I found a yummy sample of iced tea. With Grammys arms filled with goods we headed to the register. I glanced to the back of the store and saw daddy and Rylan looking at lemonade. I had spotted a really cute Harry & Davids tote bag and walked back to ask daddy if it was ok to get it. While walking towards my boys, daddy suddenly goes "Oh!" and reaches down into the diaper bag to get something. Not sure what is going on I look from daddy to Rylan and back again. Suddenly realization settles in! As I look back to Rylan I see he has spit up a little on his outfit. I go to reach for him and help daddy with the mess. I'm about to get to Rylan and all of a sudden.... projectile vomiting ensues (I mean serious do you have an umbrella projectile.) Not once or twice or even three times. Four times! Yup. All seven ounces of formula suddenly blanketed his entire body, the floor of Harry & Davids, and the stroller. Not knowing what to do I look around....for something....paper towels, wipes, a bag to pull over my head, nothing comes up (well other than Rylans formula, ha) In a dazed fashion I see myself unbuckling a now white (supposed to be black) seat belt and stand Rylan up. I noticed a pile of green beans floating (yes floating, no exaggeration) beside him while unbuckling him and thought how much is a new stroller and can a buy one right this minute? However once Rylan is in a standing position feet covered in a pool of formula I have a light bulb moment. Rylan didn't have green beans today.
YEAHHH. Poop is literally dripping out of his diaper, down his legs, covering his feet, and laughing at me in a formula pool of its not green beans!!! (ummmmmm, can we deal with this? That's a tight lipped, yesss???)
At this point Rylan is crying and daddy is running up to the baffled older woman at the register asking if we could use their bathroom (even if she had said no....yeah, we would have, sorry) As I grabbed the diaper bag and daddy carried Rylan by his hands to the back room a younger employee greeted him. I hear "Oh, (pause for utter shock), ummm, YES (realization settling in), the bathrooms right here!" "Oh I understand I have a baby too (she said offering up the "its ok I'm a mom too" smile, trying to reassure us that this exact situation has happened to her,
ummm yeah right). "You can use that cart if you need" she encouraged. We wheeled over the cart meant for I assume preparing food (that will need Cloroxed H&D staff.
Thanks) and stripped Rylan down. We "washed" him with wipes and a couple water dowsed paper towels. I apologized p.r.o.f.u.s.e.l.y to the "other mom" while she came in and out of the back room; while daddy just kept laughing. At one point in utter desperation I said "Stop laughing! This is
SO not funny"! He looked up at me in my 'rock of a manner' way and simply said, "What else can I do"? In that moment I just had to laugh all the while holding a screaming sticky, stinky, stinkkkyyy baby boy. After we got him changed and presentable for the public (but seriously don't get too close, you'll faint) we made our way back to the stroller, (Oh. No.
The Stroller. OK, wheres the dumpster and how much do we have in our bank account for a new stroller/what store do I go to!?)
However before asking what stores sold strollers, to my amazement I walked out to an even crazier moment than the one we had just blazed through. The amazing, AWESOME, I don't know your name H&D employee who is a mom too kind lady, had spotlessly (I'm serious, you wouldn't have known a thing happened) cleaned out our stroller as well as wiped up the remnants of formula and poop pooling in front of the lemonade cooler (want a lemonade?) All she said was, "This was perfect timing! I was just going to take these towels home to wash!" We were so blessed by her kind spirit and "I can handle this" demeanor I wish now we had had the clarity to ask her what her name was. (hug to you dear lady)
As we walked to the door the two employees now acted like they were organizing a shelf however I had caught their glances back and forth and quick bursts of laughter inserted into muffled 'don't let them see us' smirks. "Well, you will definitely have a story to tell to... uhh, whoever you are going to tell" I breathed (my words were lacking in the moment, don't judge.) They smiled as we said goodbye, knowing that we could never show our faces there a.g.a.i.n. We had walked a little ways and then I remembered. We didn't get the mat that we lay Rylan on for the changing tables, it must still be laying on the food prep station (ha) (sigh).
"Its fine, don't worry about it we will get another one" I said in desperation. But then a thought hit me and it immediately just came out, "But....that is the only thing we have left of Rylans first diaper bag which I gave away....hmmm (insert pout) oh well." Being the AMAZING husband, daddy turned around and said, "I'll be back" and went back without a bag over his head (kudos) to get the mat. When he returned he also had the pack of wipes which we had also left behind. The "other mom" had ran out behind us to give us what we had left but couldn't find us. Again, awesome lady. (Thanks God for that :-D)
We made our way to the car and got everyone settled in for the car ride home. We were discussing how it was such amazing timing that we were in the store we were in and how we were pretty sure if we had been in any other stores we had visited that day, they would not have been so accommodating and had cloths and an awesome "other mom" to clean up our child's vomit and poop. As Grammy mentioned how it was great that we weren't in the car when it happened I decided to put up a puke shield (just in case) attaching our changing table mat to the back of the car seat in front of Rylans car seat (does that make sense? Hope so!)
Rylan stayed awake for the majority of the trip but then must have dozed off when Daddy passed the exit that Grammy normally would have taken home and they were discussing their different ways to get home. As we took daddys way home because he was unsure of Grammys way, I noticed that Daddy was getting tired and mentioned he should get a drink from somewhere. We settled on the McDonalds in Greencastle since daddy loves the new pies they have right now (Strawberry and cream! Taste just like a toaster strudel!) Daddy pulled up to the drive-thru and started placing our sweet tooth order. In the middle of talking daddy starts laughing (really? again!) I have NO idea whats going on and ask him "What are you laughing at"? In the midst of his laughing fit the girl behind the call box asks "I'm sorry sir? What do you want? Can you repeat that?" He tries to tell her to hold on and then I hear words that my ears are literally trained to pin point. "I'm sorry, daddy says, there's a kitten out here".
((MY WORLD HAS STOPPED! :-D))
((Back track like every week for the past three months. "Can we get a pet?" "Please!" "We can go to the shelter!" "PLEASE" "What do you want? A dog? Or a cat?" "Maybe BOTH!??" All I ever get for answers is a look and a, "We'll see, maybe later, not now" (insert my sad face) ))
((Back to present))
The girl repeats her question, "What did you want sir"? Daddy composes himself while I arch my back and try to look out the window for the mentioned kitten. All the while I hear this little cry. At this point daddy has opened his door at my pushing, prodding, and pleading and tried to pick up the kitten for fear of running it over. Finally the girl hears the kitten and asks, "Oh my gosh is there a kitten out there!" Daddy laughs and says "yes" while the kitten runs from him. Ok...maybe I was just desperate and needing a cute cuddle with a kitten or maybe I'm just being me (ok it's probably the latter) but before I even know it my seat belt is unbuckled and I'm already half way around the front of the car in the middle of the drive-thru while daddy is hanging half out of the car with his hand under the car trying to coax the kitten to safety. (Really can this day get any better???) As I turn the corner I see the kitten. It's all grey with white paws on each foot and a white underbelly with a white bib
(Mimi, are you crying yet?) The little kitten spotted me and backed up but as soon as I lay my hand on the ground and said "Come here kitty it will be ok" it was like a switch just clicked and the kitten immediately walked right into my hands.
We all jumped back into the car while daddy rolled his eyes because the kitten came to me not him. And we pulled around to the first window to pay and get our food. The young girl about fifteen flashed a smile filled with braces as she asked, "Are you going to keep it?!" When we said yes she lit up. "
Oh. My. Gosh. you are the sweetest!
You are such sweet people! That's so nice that you would do that! Do you know, there was this guy just a little bit ago that like came up to the window and said', "Hey do you know that you have a kitten hanging around out here, I almost ran over it," 'I about died when he said that!" "Oh I would have been so sad to see that!!!"
"Oh. My. Gosh, you are SO nice!" she squealed; while another employee offered to give us more kittens that she apparently had at home in her bedroom (no we do not need to go look at the seven kittens you currently have.....in your room. Thanks though!) We asked if they had a box we could put the kitten in for the ride home. The young girl yelled to the back and asked for the nugget box. Apparently the guy she yelled to took her question literally and handed her an actual nugget box which she then informed us of. "
Oh. My. Gosh. he totally just handed me an actual nugget box, that's just toooo funny!" (insert wide braces filled smile) "Here you go!" she hands daddy this huge cardboard nugget box which he initially tried to pull through the window. Yeah that didn't work. Since there were now cars behind us because we are actually at a McDonalds not a pet store, we pulled into a parking spot and daddy ran to get the box while dodging cars. Grammy and I decided we thought little kitty, who was now playing with Rylan and purring up a storm, is a girl (still not completely sure, it can be difficult to tell when they are young :-D) We knew that from the looks of her she had been taken care of and was just at the age where they can leave the mommy kitty. Once daddy got back into the car there was a moment where time just stopped and there we were. Me holding a nugget box with a kitten inside and the subtle smell of vomit and poop in the air, I knew we were thinking the same thing. We smiled at each other.
(It's Okk. We can deal with this.)
