Sometimes Martha Always Mary

Today is my usual grocery shopping day.  Social Butterfly and I drop Bright Eyes off at Preschool and we head over to Wegmans to do our shopping for the week.  It’s a nice little routine and I enjoy the feeling when I’m finished.  There are few things in this world that bring me more peace than a full refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.  Having enough food to nourish my growing family for a week is definitely comforting for this Mommy.

I have the same plan of attack each time I shop.  I start over in the soaps and detergents, pass through the cereals and pantry items, work my way over to dairy, then meats, seafood, bakery, finishing up with produce, leaving frozen foods for last.  Over the past couple of months I’ve been getting a second cart about two-thirds of the way through because the cart is just too heavy for me to push at this stage in my pregnancy.

If you’re familiar with Wegman’s, you know that their customer service is the best.  “Helping Hands” come to put my bags in my carts at the check out.  Then I walk out to my car with the little one and pull around to the curb.  They pile all of my bags into my minivan trunk and we’re off.

Today I made it through the store up to the bakery and started having Braxton Hicks.  I usually have these mild erratic contractions when I’m overdoing it or I need to drink more water, or both.  But today, they were accompanied by a nauseous, breathless feeling.  It was very unsettling.

I slowly pushed the cart to the check-out, breathing deeply and praying for peace.  The manager approached me — really nice guy who always says hello and asks if I need anything whenever I see him, which is often.  “Are you okay?  You look really tired.”  Cue the tears.  He took my cart, gave me some tissues, offered me some water, and walked me over to a bench.  I sat there with Social Butterfly while he and the Helping Hands gal took care of all my groceries.  I had to take the little one into the ladies’ room to go to the bathroom.  When I did, a female employee came in to ask me if I was okay and offered to have someone drive me home.  Wow.  Now that’s customer service!  I declined because I had already called The Hubs who was on his way home.

I spent the rest of the day (mostly) in bed while The Hubs worked from home and helped out with the children.  It was so comforting to have him here.

I’m okay now, but I know I’ve reached the next phase of this pregnancy.  It’s time to start utilizing Pea Pod Grocery Delivery again.  And it’s time for me to s-l-o-w down.  Even more.

Thank you, Wegmans staff, for being so thoughtful and caring in my time of need.  I don’t think I’ll be seeing you again until this baby is ex-utero.  I will miss you!