10 Places I wouldn't have been caught dead in just 2 years ago

I was just sitting here thinking how much has really changed in the past three years. One year was spent pregnant (or trying to get pregnant) and I now have almost 15 months of parenthood under my belt. I have become the woman that I used to make snide comments about under my breath. I was the woman that grumbled in a restaurant, a movie theater or on a plane when I found myself anywhere near a baby -- all three are places that I thought a child should never be allowed.

I have become a new kind of woman. I have become Mommy. Here are 10 places that I now frequent. Willingly. 10 places that, just 2 short years ago, I would have to have been dragged into, kicking and screaming.

1. The Children's Museum. There are children there. That was reason enough for me not to investigate this wonder of a building that I now thank my lucky stars for its existence. If it weren't for our weekly winter excursions to the CM I think Jack and I might have gone bonkers.
2. The Baby Department at Target (or Macy's, Dillard's, Nordstrom's, etc.) I have always been a big fan of Target. Weekly or bi-weekly trips have always been the norm. Until 2008, I had never stepped foot in the Baby department unless I was shopping from a registry, and even then, I had no idea what I was looking for. Now, this is the area of the store that I make a beeline for -- whether we need something or not!
3. The Model Train Show. Model trains? I am not a 6 year old boy, nor am I anyone's grandfather so I definitely don't belong at a model train show. That being said, I shelled out $20 plus $7 for parking yesterday so Rob, Jack and I could fight the crowds to look at tiny trains choo choo in circles. The sad part? I am the one that suggested it. Jack (and Rob) had a great time and I will only admit to my closest friends that I didn't hate it.
4. Gymboree/Little Monkey Bizness. For the uninitiated, these are both places where your kid can run and jump and scream in a relatively safe environment. Indoor playgrounds that cost $7.50 and up are a necessity for those of us that don't have palatial abodes that can accommodate a climbing rope or a slide. These places are awful -- loud, noisy, crowded, germ-infested. Full of kids. We're there at least twice each month.
5. Mall playgrounds. The "Flu Factory." I have worked in malls for much of my career. I made it a point to avoid these playgrounds like the plague. Now, I know which malls have the best, safest equipment and the times of day when each location is closed for cleaning so Jack and I can arrive just as the last spray of sanitizer is wiped clean.
6. The Children's section of any bookstore. Why in the world would I have gone in there? I was too busy checking out the Self-Help section...
7. Any restaurant with a "Kids Eat Free" policy. I'm a restaurant snob, I admit it. I didn't eat at chains, at restaurants that had a mascot or places with paper or vinyl tablecloths. Now, I frequent a website that lists out all of the local restaurants that serve free kid meals. The first thing I used to look at was the wine list, now the first thing I do when entering a new restaurant is look for the highchairs. If they don't have 'em, we're not eating there.
8. Shutterfly.com. If you had been to our house prior to Jack's arrival, you would have noticed that the only photos on our wall were from our wedding. We were married in 1998. Apparently, life stopped for us the moment we said "I do." I honestly don't think that we took a single photo worth printing, save for our honeymoon and our trip to Mexico. Now, the walls are plastered with Jack. Jack sleeping. Jack playing. Jack smiling coyly at the camera. I have purchased so many prints from Shutterfly that I should be listed as a major shareholder.
9. Babies 'R Us. Are you kidding me? Besides the ridiculous spelling of the store's name (I don't trust stores that use silly spelling for their names) it only has stuff for babies. No stilletos, no cosmetics department, no purses (no, diaper bags don't count.) Why would the "old me" have gone there?! Now, I make up reasons to go out of my way to shop here. They have everything. Sippy cups with Jack's name on them, stuffed Cookie Monsters, breast pads (breast pads??!!) I would register here for my birthday gifts if I didn't think that was a little over the top -- even for me.
10. Any secondhand or re-sale shop. Along with my restaurant snobbery came a love of all things new and shiny. Never before would I have purchased something that someone else wore or used. I didn't even like bowling because of the rented shoes! Now, I don't know what I would do without Goodwill or the many children's consignment shops that have been added to my favorite places to shop. I'm still a little iffy on bowling, though...