Why Ace and the Tipat Chalav suck.

I went to Ace hardware the other day. That was my first mistake. We needed some storage containers, because despite me doing a huge clearout, chucking out a rubbish bag full of stuff, the very next day we got more stuff. The universe likes to laugh at us it seems. Bob's family came round to visit bearing gifts - loads and loads of baby clothes, very much appreciated because Davy is growing like a weed - and piles of toys. So off I went to go and buy some storage boxes so our 60 square meters doesn't start feeling like 5 very squashed square meters. I could have gone to Shilav (the local fancy outrageously priced baby store) to get the boxes which go with Davy's bed, but I think they cost something like 400 shekels a pop.

So I go into Ace. It is a huge mess, and there are no prices anywhere. None of the prices you can see match up to the items on display. Things are falling off the shelves and are lying on the floor. There are as usual no salesmen anywhere to ask the prices. I lugged a huge trunk and two wicker boxes to the till. I knew the price of the boxes, but figured I would dump the trunk if it was too expensive. I wait forever and ever, and finally I get served. The surly cashier tells me the trunk costs 240 shekels - 100 more than I had decided I was willing to spend for it. I realise I have no time to be gadding about looking for stupid boxes, and Davy is about to wail (he had been good up til then), so I tell her fine. She rings it up, and promptly ignores me and goes to the next customer. I ask her if they have any big bags. They do not. I ask her if there is someone to help me take this stuff to my car. She gestures vaguely in some direction, and tells me to ask over there. I ask her how precisely I am meant to get this stuff to my car. She tells me to get a trolley. Very sensible suggestion but I already have my hands full with a baby in a stroller. I do not have 4 hands! Long story short, I go to the returns desk, where finally someone helps me because I started shouting and telling them I want to return the stuff I bought if no-one will help me take it to my car. They are such a load of bright sparks there - they can see I have a baby in a stroller, and yet two other people told me to use a trolley.

What is funny is that 3 years ago I would have stood by calmly being trodden on for a good half hour, and this time I just started to shout immediately until I got my way. I am clearly Israeli.

Now why do the tipat chalav (well baby clinic) suck? I took Davy for his 4 month immunisation and weight check the other day. I was made to feel like such a bad mother for a number of reasons. Firstly this woman sucked in her breath like I just tried to kill my child, when I turned around (put my back to him), while still keeping a hand on him, to get his pants. He can't go anywhere while I have my hand on him, for the one second it took! Then she asks me about his eye - one of his eyes is quite slanted and droopy in comparison to the other. I tell her it is fine, it is a family thing - both my brother and uncle have it. She says have I gotten it checked by a doctor. Yes woman, your very own tipat chalav doctor checked it and said it was fine. She still insists that maybe there is something wrong with his eye.

Then she asks me if we are giving him vitamin D, and if not we must give it to him. We were giving it to him but I gave up giving it to him because I read that breastfed babies do not need it. She told me I mustn't listen to rumours and I should give it to him. Listen lady, I have a lot more education than you, I read an awful lot about how to raise my child, and if I were feeding him formula, then he would need it. Then she starts going on about giving him iron. Again, I have read if you exclusively breastfeed to 6 months, then start with solids and make sure you give them meat, they don't need the iron. Again she makes out I am clearly just reading nonsense and don't know what I'm talking about. Then she stuck a needle about 2.5 cms deep into his leg to inject him. The previous woman didn't stick the needle nearly so deep, so I'm not so sure why this woman needed to stick it so deep. It doesn't sound like much all in all, but I really resent people giving me recommendations based on advice for a population of both formula and breastfed babies - it does not fit for my baby who does not drink formula. I especially resent people making me out to be some whacky bad mother, especially when I feel like I go to fairly extreme lengths to do what is best for my son.

Anyway, they made me fairly cranky as you can probably tell. A friend of ours said her sister stopped taking her baby to tipat chalav as they made her feel so bad about his weight gain, or lack thereof. This I can well believe.

Anyway I am off to bed. Last night Davy had a fever from the injection, so we gave him baby painkillers and fed him at 930 - he slept all the way through til 630 the little shit. Bob does not seem to agree with me that this means he should sleep with him again tonight as last night he got more sleep than I did with that baby. Why does he never pull these tricks with me?!