Max vs. Nature - Part II

It was a beautiful day in Winnipeg today. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze and it was a balmy 15 degrees (Celsius of course). It seemed like the perfect day for round two of "Max vs Nature." If you recall, back in mid February the mercury swung into the plus digits and we thought it might be a good opportunity to introduce Max to the great outdoors. Frankly, he didn't know what he was missing, but his Mum was desperate to get out of the house. The excursion proved to be a little premature. Max hated every second. Today though, today was the day.

I dressed Max in fleece pants and hoodie, wrapped him in the carrier and off we went (much simpler than the countless layers we donned in February.) We stepped outdoors and the sun hit his face - he squinted, turned his head quickly and realized he was out in the world that he usually watches go by from the car window. He was instantly hooked. We walked around our neighbourhood for 15 minutes and Max took in the sights. He was captivated by everything, and quietly turned his head from side to side making note of the soggy brown grass, the bare trees, the dirty cars, the mud puddles. I only wonder what it all must look like through his eyes. We ended our excursion in the VitaHealth market down the street from our apartment where we bought a few things for dinner. This was Max's first trip to a store of any variety. Actually, the first place he's been aside from Dr. appointments and Vovo's house. He eyed the shelves of coloured boxes, watched Dad bag some vegetables and watched very intently as the lady at the counter bagged our things and made small talk. I counted three other shoppers while we made our purchases so it wasn't a bold introduction to the general public, but it was nice to get out and share a simple shopping experience as a family.

It seems silly, but we often lamented how we couldn't just escape the house this winter and roam around the mall like people with "regular" babies. This quarantine has been fairly isolating. We're really used to getting out together - running errands, grabbing a bite to eat, going for coffee - so it's been hard to not go out together as a family. We've been spending the winter taking turns getting out of the house while the other stays home with Max. But spring is here and in May we can start taking cautious trips into public and finally showing Max off to family, more than two at a time. Just in time for his birthday!