Zach Galifianakis, the hairy dude in “The Hangover,” had nothing on me this afternoon, as I somehow managed to (avoid stealing Mike Tyson’s tiger and) do most of my holiday shopping with L on my chest in a Baby Bjorn.

It was the first official time I’ve used the Bjorn with L facing outward. To my surprise, the little sprite loved it, smiling and laughing and kicking all the while.

Her favorite stop: Lucky Brand, where she was fascinated with her reflection in a triptych mirror, and was mesmerized by child-sized mannequins that (oddly) were positioned all over the store. Lululemon was a close second, probably because the clothes came in fabulous colors that the baby had never seen before (and because yours truly always geeks out in that place).

Oh, the things that keep these babies happy.

Here I was, dreading four hours of family time at the mall because I had no idea how I’d entertain her and still buy what I needed to buy. Turns out I didn’t need to do much at all; L was content staring at flowers and dogs and simply watching the world go by.

As I get more practice being a dad, I’m recognizing that often giving babies the chance to find their own happiness in a situation is the best approach to parenting. This isn’t to say that I advocate neglect. Sometimes, though, innate curiosity can be far more stimulating than a toy or any crazy Muppets voice.