Baby's bad day.

Yesterday was a rough day for Nathaniel. We started off our morning just like any other morning--breakfast! But, on this particular morning, Nate didn't seem to be hungry; I think he ate approximately 6 bites of cheerios. Next, we piled into the car and headed off to Sunday School. Now, since we'd been away, we haven't been to Sunday School for two weeks, and, during our two weeks of absence, Nathaniel's stranger anxiety has been steadly building. When I dropped him off in the nursery, he was not a happy camper! After I pried his fingers from my neck, kissed him on the forehead, and promised him that I would be back soon, I walked out the door. Away from my baby, whose inconsolable wails followed me down the hall. Moments later, I stood at the copier running off coloring pages for my class and feeling a hard little ball in the pit of my stomach. I'd never done that before; he'd never done that before. Check "feeling horribly guilty because you have to leave your baby when he wants nothing more than to be in your arms" off of my list of motherhood accomplishments! Yes, I know that my boy is fine, but he'd never been that upset to see me go before. And, I didn't like to leave him any more than he liked it!
Anyway, after Sunday School, and, to Nate's delight, we were assigned nursery duty during the worship service! We spent the hour playing with Nathaniel and his little friend. While he wasn't thrilled that his mommy rocked another baby to sleep, he was satisfied to skip his own nap and play on the floor with Daddy. After the service, we headed upstairs to see Nana and Grandpa. Nathaniel proudly showed off his new crawling skills, until a little pal tripped over his hands. He fell, hitting his nose on the tile floor, and, to Mommy's dismay, received his very first bloody nose! Cue the mommy guilt--why, oh why did I let him crawl around on such a hard floor, right smack in the middle of a walkway?!
By the time we made it home, our little man was sleepy, hungry, and bruised! But, once recharged with some lunch, he was in a surprisingly decent mood. We all packed into the car again, this time with Great-Grandma's house in our sights. We had barely rounded the end of our street before Nate was asleep. He slept well, and by the time we arrived, was freshly awake, though not quite ready for more adventure. He wasn't sure about his great-grandma, especially when she used her cane. But, he quickly warmed up to her apartment when he spotted his favorite toy--a kitty! We had a nice visit, by the end which, Nate was so hungry that snacking on cheerios was not cutting it! He quickly turned from a cheerful baby crawling all over the living room to a grumpy, clingy baby who wanted nothing more than a big plate of supper and a nap. And, my third dose of mommy guily arrived when I realized that I had nothing but cheerios to feed him.
By the time we headed to the car again, Eric and I decided that we all deserved a dinner out. We stopped at Cici's Pizza Buffett for supper--super quick and yummy! (Have you ever tried their mac & cheese pizza?! Yummm!) Nathaniel enjoyed a giant plate of pasta while ogling a group of teens sitting nearby. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed pizza and no clean-up afterward!
Surprisingly, Nathaniel stayed awake for the entire 45 minute drive home, although it was past his bedtime. By the time we arrived, he was grumpy (who could blame him?!) and ready for bed. He enjoyed his bath and lots of cuddles from Mommy before falling asleep.
Today, we've been enjoying a relaxing, boo-boo-free, rainy day at home. Nate is a trooper, and doesn't seem any worse off for his rough day. Mommy, on the other hand, is still feeling bad that he had such a terrible day, and is probably spoiling him a little extra today!