Sophie was born on December 17, and for three months, we barricaded ourselves inside our little house in Erie. The flu worried me. My mom, who works in a hospital, told me all the horror stories -- that didn't help. The CDC reported 165 pediatric deaths from the flu this winter -- that really didn't help. In truth, I became a little more agoraphobic than I would like to admit. In deeper truth, I didn't mind the hibernation. I never thought I would enjoy being a homebody for 13 weeks, but I did. I bonded with Sophie, met our neighbors, walked around the park near our house, practiced yoga, created art, invited friends over for dinner, learned to bake, and made my bed. If you think that's lame, my pre-baby self probably would have agreed with you.These days the sun is shining, my baby is five months old (today!), and we have been trying to explore the world a little more boldly. I still struggle with my fear of Sophie catching some kind of sickness (the germs! everywhere! like, literally!), but when I think about helping this girl live her best life, I know we need to go outside and experience more than our block. In an effort to do so, last week Soph and I met up with some gal pals and visited the Degas exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. We popped into the Stampede: Animals in Art showcase as well. Here's what I learned about taking a babe to the DAM.1. At $34 (includes the price of admission to the special exhibit + parking), it was a splurge for a trip that only lasted a couple of hours. Worth it? I think it was. I also happen to love Degas, so the temporary exhibit was a huge selling point for me. Just look at his portrayal of David + Goliath (below). Heads up: this exhibit is closing soon, and my pictures do not do it justice. Not even close.General admission for adults is $16, but I learned general admission for kids 18 and under is free. I love that.Also I don't recall ever seeing a landscape by Degas... v. cool (see below).2. I think going alone would be copacetic, but inviting my artist/mama friend to join us was a fun move. I knew she wouldn't care if I had to dart out of the exhibit mere seconds upon entering it to change* my freshly soiled fussmuffin or if I happened to linger a little longer at certain paintings or if I wanted to take photos or if I needed to nurse for eighteen million hours (all of which happened). Plus, she knows art, and she knows how to enjoy it. In the photo below, she's trying to tell me to raise Sophie up like Simba. But, I'm pretty sure Littles was barfing on my shoulder at this exact moment. Only my friend's little toddler has her act together.*FYI They have a family bathroom on the second floor -- clean, with a baby changing station.3. The photo above and below were taken in a couple of the museum's play areas -- so perfect for my buddy's little girl. We went on a Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and had these places to ourselves. The Degas exhibit, on the other hand, was packed and QUIET. I was not expecting the latter. Last summer, when I toured the Parisian museums, people chatted as they viewed the artwork, but when Sophie tried to provide her commentary (grunting and dinosaur noises), people looked unsettled. So, we moved through the exhibit faster than I would have liked.^future besties^ They coincidentally struck identical postures.^ Same caption as above.^ I love this O'Keefe -- how fun would it be to buy this print and frame it for a nursery? These photos that follow are a few more shots from the Animals in Art exhibit which ended up being surprisingly delightful.^ Do you see the deer staring back at the woman? Took me a second to find it.Overall, I'm glad I made the journey down to Denver (only 35 minutes from Erie at that time of the day) to spend time with the gals and show Sophie a few pieces of beautiful art.For next time:

• I will definitely park in the garage (located next door) again (an extra $6 was worth it).
• I will stare down the starer-downers who stare down my babbling babe, so I can take my time in the exhibits.
• I will push my stroller but wear my baby. It was nice to have a place to store all my goods, and Littles seemed to enjoy looking around.
• I will leave as soon as Littles falls asleep for her long nap of the day, so she doesn't wake up and demand to be home halfway through the car ride.

^I made some of my own art. Stroller selfies are art. I would know because I went to the art museum.^ Please note the solitary tear. (She had already stopped crying for a few minutes when I took this picture upon arriving home; I did not take pictures while Sophie sobbed in the car. Even I'm not that much of a monster. I also didn't video myself while driving so I could post it on my Instagram story. Why is that a thing?)

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P.S. Even though staying inside for three months isn't for everyone, I must say that somehow, I managed to escape going to the grocery store with an infant until LAST WEEK. Now that's something everyone can agree is pretty fandiddlyastic. Thanks, Clicklist. Thanks, Joe.