not a discreet breather

we all need oxygen, but some of us are more discreet about it than others.
when we got alice's upper lip tie clipped the ENT gave me a flier on stridor. it's an adventurous sounding word that simply means "she makes all kinds of squeaks and squawks when she breaths". in her case it's upon inhalation. and it's close to 24/7 she is striding-yes, this is now a new meaning to that verb.
yesterday i had some "seasonal shopping" to do(wink wink) and i spent about 30 minutes at the craft store. it was so 30 minutes!!!! ok, maybe it was more.
anyway- squeaky, the mouse was in my wrap against my chest- mostly covered since she was also wearing a warm hat. she slept the whole time to her self made sound effects of flying geese, cars putting on the breaks, and old ladies asking "hmmm?".
i don't love attention when i am shopping. i like to get in, get it bought, and get out. or no- not true. i love browsing craft stores- but in peace- without interruption.
well, no less than 4 people addressed me about her noises. could've been more because i wasn't actually counting but i'll list those I can remember.
one lady said, "ok, what is that?"
i told her about stridor.
"oh, i thought it was some noise thing you were playing to calm her down."
squawking noises calm a baby? mmmmmmkay.
the next lady just walked by and talked kind of like a drive by shooting but with words...
"love those sweet noises, they'll be 30-something before you know it."
and with that she turned the corner into the framing section of the store.
a mother and older college aged daughter just kept meeting me with worried looks- no matter how i tried to avoid them i bumped into them about four times. i wanted to hold a sign saying "she has stridor- it's ok- she's getting enough oxygen, look- she is pink! and by the way she is our 9th:-))))"
a lady in line said she thought i was holding a puppy.
and that is all the reactions i can recall.
i like flying under the radar. i enjoy slipping in- people unaware- slipping out. i like when people don't know i am carrying her. it's like pregnancy a bit- an extension of it.
i never liked toting the car seat everywhere- it's so heavy, bulky, unwieldy. and the baby is out for all to see, touch, poke, sneeze on, cough on.
maybe i'll make her a hat that looks like the head and neck of a Canadian goose- that way she can sleep in the wrap and everyone will be too scared to approach me because from a distance they'll say to themselves or another "wow, that woman is crazy! she is wearing a canadian goose in a baby wrap- oh but listen, it's honking so it must be content" and they'll keep on walking.