Perhaps I am being overly-sensitive, but I think I'm justified. You tell me:

I understand that people, or at least most people like and/or love babies. But do people know no boundaries when it comes to other people's infants?

Let me start of in a small digression by saying that if anyone is in Los Angeles or decides to move to Los Angeles, do not send your child to the Summer Art Camp. It's awful. I suck at art and could have taught my older daughter most of the things that this camp has 'taught' her. Our dog Milton is, well a dog, and I think some of the things he produces are more art than what comes out of this camp. It's an overpriced daycare (But we paid ahead back in March, so by principle alone, I can't have her skip it. Can you say 'extortion'?) Not to mention that the Director of the camp is one of those folks that pretends that he likes kids, but when he goes home he pushes toddlers off of their tricycles and gleefully laughs. He gives me the creeps.

But back to my original thought, which I swear has to do with the art camp. When I pick up my older daughter in the afternoon, of course I have to bring Ellorie along. Everyday for the past two months now, I have picked Jaquelin (my older one) up with Ellorie either sleeping in the stroller or just about to drift off to sleep. I purposely place a blanket strategically over the stroller's top so that people don't feel the urge to get in her face and coo and smile at her, which 1. wakes her up, and 2. makes her very angry, as she is going through the "stranger anxiety" phase right now. So this woman, the "Assistant Director", as her name tag tells us, at least twice a week now for the past two months, lifts up the blanket and bends down and says "Who's a pretty baby?" What the hell? Firstly, she is an infant, not a parrot in search of a cracker. Secondly, she was freaking SLEEPING, and thirdly, SHE'S MY BABY. Every time she does it, I just stand there and smile through gritted teeth and inwardly wish her to implode on the spot or for Ellorie to projectile vomit in her face, but to no avail. Then she replaces the blanket (not a word to me the whole time, mind you) and walks away.

She did it today and I finally just had it. I told her I have the blanket on their for a reason and I'd appreciate it if she wouldn't take it upon herself to TOUCH any of my belongings, including the baby underneath. Frankly, I thought I handled it well, considering I was fuming and I wanted to shove my fist through her teeth (Yes, I know. Anger management.) She became genuinely offended, stood there with her mouth agape, then turned on her heel and walked away. Good riddance, really. I just hope she doesn't decide to take it out on Jaquelin, as she only has one more week of that camp and then that's it. Thankfully.

And this is not all, oh no, that is not all (homage to The Cat in the Hat). Numerous times I have taken her to the grocery store or Target while she is wide awake with no blanket, and some well-meaning lady reaches in and touches her face, hand or has the audacity to replace her pacifier in her mouth. Yes, I know it is well-meaning, and they mean no harm--but honestly, if the zipper on my pants were open, would you reach out and zip it up for me? Or if I had a smudge on my face, would you lick your finger and wipe it off for me? It's in the same line of thinking!! Why mess with someone else's baby? And yes, every time someone has stuck their face in her carrier, Ellorie turns from happy baby into very pissed-off baby in a matter of seconds and takes a while to get over it.

I purposely bought a onesie that says "I Cry When Ugly People Touch Me", 1. because I thought it was funny, and 2. because my nature is to be passive-aggressive until the point of no return--which is not a good place to be when I get there. (That or going home and fuming about it for hours to anyone who will listen).

Call me crazy, but I am sensitive about germs still. I've said that the stint in the NICU has traumatized me, considering that upon each entrance into the unit, you had the scrub your hands all the way up to your elbows and hand sanitizer was used more than I have ever seen in my life. How do I know that that grungy, old Assistant Director doesn't have some sort of herpes wart on her hand or harboring some sort of beastly virus? Or perhaps where her hands have been? I realize I can't protect Ellorie from all the germs in the world, but come on, have some respect people!

Am I alone in this? Am I crazy? Am I wrong?
There's a lovely camp counselor at the said art camp who must be seventeen or eighteen and I was quite pleased when she ASKED if she could see Jaquelin's baby sister. And I said, "of course". And I did so happily. I don't mind if someone has the decency to ask, for heaven's sake. But to just walk up as if one has entitlement to everything around them, then well, they can....well, it wouldn't be decent of me to say what they can do, but you get the picture.