Church with babies

Andy and I try to attend church on a regular basis, however, it is extremely difficult with a 19 month old who is afraid of his own shadow at times let alone new faces and a high maintenance princess of an 8 month old that doesn't have a problem at all making it loud and clear when she is not happy. Now, knowing this we try anyway...

It was Sunday May 3rd when we last attended. We decided to go to the 10:30 service thinking it would be best. Both kids were fed, Tyson was getting better at meeting new people, Kait's nap time was nearing so it was most likely she would sleep during the sermon. All seemed like it was a "go!" Ha ha ha... yea right! We ended up arriving a little late, so we walked in when they were already singing worship, it took us a bit of weaseling through people, saying: "excuse me, pardon me, excuse me..." I know that I bumped into people a few times with a backpack on my back full of things to keep the kids busy or clean and Tyson on my hip while Andy followed with Kait in her car seat. We finally found an almost empty row!

All seemed like it was gonna be fine, Kait was playing in her car seat with toys, Tyson was in Andy's arms as we stood and sang worship. It wasn't until we sat down as they passed out communion that it seemed difficult for our 19 month old (Tyson) to sit still. Soon he was wanting down, squirming from Andy to me whining "uh uh uh..." so we put him down in the row. He played for a few than began to talk (mostly to himself) and play as the pastor was praying over the communion. Andy and I tried so hard to keep him quiet and still, occupying him with paper and pencils. Then as we ate the cracker Tyson wanted a taste so Andy gave him a bite of his. Tyson wasn't impressed, he gave a look of disgust and swallowed as fast as he could. Then when we drank the grape juice Tyson wanted some so I gave him my little cup that I was unaware had a few drops still in it so he proceeded to put it upside down and the seat. Then once they came around and collected the cups everything was fine again. Until we prayed over the tithe, Tyson couldn't take it anymore, he was done sitting still.

He was talking out loud during prayer and throwing a fit when we wouldn't let him run up to the front. Finally Andy grabbed him sat him on his lap and gave him his cell phone to play with. Then Tyson put it to his ear and very loudly says "ELLO!" and begins talking very loudly as if someone were on the phone with him and laughing! Then I decided he needed to go to the nursery, so I picked him up and took him out of the congregation and walked him to the nursery. As I got there I realized they were FULL! I mean FULL! There were tons of kids! I knew Tyson might be overwhelmed with me leaving him so I decided to sit with him for a minute until he got comfortable. Just then another mom came in with her son, she dropped him off and as she was signing him in the woman in charge said "Oh take a pager!" When I looked I realized she was taking the last one! There were no more pagers! Which meant I couldn't leave Tyson with them not having a way to get a hold of me! So we played for a few, then I got brave and decided I'd take Tyson and try to sit in the congregation again with Andy and Kaitlynn and listen to the last of the sermon. That didn't last very long, so we headed back to the nursery. When we got back it was just in time for snack, goldfish crackers. Tyson thought he wanted some, but when I gave him a few he pushed them away and he also decided he did not want me to put him down amongst the crowd of kids in that little room. So I sat in a rocking chair holding Tyson and placed the crackers on the file cabinet next to me. Pretty soon I feel someone tug on my pants. Apparently there was a gap in the back of my khaki's that one of the kids thought was a perfect hiding place for the goldfish crackers I set down. Needless to say, he was placing the crackers in the back of my pants as I was holding Tyson and playing with some toys.

FINALLY when the sermon was over I ventured back into the congregation to find Andy, while I felt a couple of the crackers that I missed slide down my pant leg, I just kept walking praying that no one would notice crackers exiting from the bottom of my pants. When we walked in Andy was buckling Kait back in her car seat... obviously his experience wasn't all that great either. He said she fussed and talked almost the whole time too. So there we were this happy little family of four walking from church to our truck, without the slightest clue of what the sermon was about...

Hey at least God knows we tried right? ;)