In the public's eye

Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
Plato


We took our daughter into the real world today. Out of the little cocoon we have kept her in since she was born and out into the scary, dirty world we all share. I guess she has been out before, she's been to church twice, the doctor's office and to the supermarket. This was the first time that we have taken her out to eat as a family. The first time we ever got to say "Three" when the hostess asked us how many. The first time we tried to figure out what to do with her while my wife and I tried to eat.
Our plan was actually a pretty good one. We would go out after the lunch crowd was mostly gone so that we could have the restaurant to ourselves. The other part of the plan was to make sure that the baby had eaten before we got there. Our daughter needs to be full or else she wants to eat every thirty minutes.She was asleep at the Olive Garden for most of our lunch. She did wake up for about 10 minutes, just long enough to go to the bathroom. We usually take turns changing the babies diaper, this was my turn. Trying to figure out the best way to avoid touching anything in a public restroom when I go in by myself is enough of a challenge. Trying to change a baby in a public restroom without touching anything is impossible. There is the baby seat, the baby, the diaper bag, the wipes and the new diaper that all need to be placed somewhere in the restroom. Most likely the places they end up is someplace that someone else has urinated, sneezed, pooped or boogered on within the last 48 hours. Next time my daughter needs a diaper change and we are out, it is going to be done in the backseat of our truck.
My wife is a big fan of going out to eat, personally I can take it or leave it. Although I intend to expose our daughter to as many things as time and finances will allow there are going to be times that my own personal beliefs are going to get in the way. Hopefully, I am going to be able to put aside my own fears, prejudices, and dislikes long enough to let my daughter discover everything the world has to offer.