Look But Don’t Touch!
Parents often sit back and watch the various ways people react when they catch a quick glimpse of the baby. Thursday morning presented one of the most bizarre encounters with Maddie that I’ve seen yet.
A quick trip to a local merchant triggered a joyous – but wildly odd reaction from the woman behind the counter that left the baby out-of-sorts and me scratching my head.
I had the car seat with Maddie in my right hand and a stack of clothes in my left. I walked into the drycleaners, set the car seat on the floor and the clothes on the counter. Suddenly a frantic cry split the morning’s silence startling the baby and her father, “Oh my goshhhhh – Hello baby, Hellloooo!!”
Before we could react, the clerk was motoring around the counter towards the baby who was strapped into the car seat. She was squealing the whole way – “Hello BayyBeee – HELLLOOOO!!!”
Maddie looked up at the strange incoming woman with a bewildered look on her face. The woman crouched down, reached into the car seat and grasped both of Maddie’s thighs. She started pumping Maddie’s little legs all the while crying out, “Baby – What are you doing baby?”
Taken aback by this series of strange incidents – Maddie looked desperately to me for guidance and then started screaming at the top of her lungs.
“OH NOOOOO, Baby!” The scary and loud woman was reaching for Maddie’s face with her dirty hands when I snatched up the car seat and said maybe I better hold onto her for now. I exchanged a few awkward pleasantries with the woman and exited the store with the less-than-impressed young Madeleine.
My little girl was still shaken by the volume of the greeting and the impromptu leg pumping session. I gently massaged Maddie’s face and soothed her and within 30 seconds, that strange little encounter was all but forgotten. As I placed Maddie into the car – she admonished me with a harsh look that seemed to say, “What were you thinking?”
Sadly, I’m still searching for the answer to that one.
Stay Home PaPa 
October 1, 2011 at 12:10 am
Please change cleaners and don’t let that baby out of your sight.
MIMI
October 1, 2011 at 1:54 pm
OMG!!! I can’t imagine touching someone’s child without FIRST asking for permission. How scary!