Blogging With A Baby

I'm sitting here with my little daughter on my lap. She doesn't like to go to sleep when she is tired, so we have to find ways to entertain her until she collapses from exhaustion. Originally, the children were supposed to spend only one night with us. However, we learned that their abuelos had planned a round trip (by car) to Los Angeles tomorrow. So in the interest of their own sanity, they asked us to take care of the kids, and it just made sense for them to stay tonight as well. I'm not clear how they think they can make it to LA, conduct their business, and get back to Phoenix all in one day, but I guess we'll see tomorrow. If not, they are welcome to stay another day.

We had a wonderful weekend. The children are extremely well behaved. Valentino is so helpful. He likes to pay the cashier at stores. I give him the money or credit card. and he hands it to the cashier. He is very careful with things- not a destructive child. We went to Target (I know, you're really shocked...) and for the first time in a week I did not ask for the registry gun. We went to buy some gloves for the kids because their hands get cold when we take our nightly walks with the dogs. Unfortunately, there are no gloves to be found in Arizona in February. The stores are gearing up for summer, stocking bathing suits, etc. But I digress... So we were at Target and we picked out a card for Dave's (Daddy's) birthday. Tino carried the card all through the store during the laborious trek in search of gloves. He held it very gently. Then he handed it to the cashier so she could ring it up. She gave it back to him and he then carried it to the car and gave it back to me. It wasn't bent, wrinkled, damaged, or showing any signs of having being handled for half an hour by a two year old.

Victoria is a little angel. She is very expressive. If someone is thwarting her from reaching her goal, she shrieks loudly. And when I smile at her, she breaks into a beautiful smile of her own. I love to watch her eat. She carefully picks up a piece of food and touches the tip of her tongue to it cautiously. Then she screws up her little face into a frown, like she doesn't like it. Then she puts it into her mouth and makes the same face again. But she chews it up and eats it. Both children are good eaters. I am thrilled that their abuelos did not feed them a bunch of junk, but instead have given them a good variety of nutritious foods.

One more thing I have to say is... I have a newfound respect for single moms. When Dave is here, things seem very manageable. On my own, well, let's just say it's a learning process for me. It took me about an hour to install two car seats and figure out how to collapse a stroller into its travel size while watching two children. Shopping is a whole new ball game. It took me two hours to buy one thing from Target, three things from Costco, and two things from JC Penneys, and mind you, all three stores are in the SAME shopping complex! I have figured out a routine for extracting the kids from their car seat and installing them in the shopping cart. Victoria goes in the baby seat and Valentino in the cart. I absolutely love the shopping cart cover that my cousin gave me. It makes her seat so cushy and comfy. When I got to Costco, the guy at the door wouldn't let me in because he said I was using a WalMart shopping cart! "Don't worry," he assured me, "We'll get you a Costco cart and you can transfer everything into it." I laughed out loud, but he was actually not kidding. Apparently WalMart objects to shoppers using THEIR carts to make purchases at other stores in the same mall! I don't think they quite comprehend the process of putting the kids in the cart. It's like moving into a new home. You can't just say, "Oops! You moved into the wrong house. But don't worry, all you have to do is transfer everything into the correct house..."

Victoria is asleep now. I can't imagine many things more wonderful than having a sleeping baby in my lap. Because Valentino is very cooperative about night time, we have decided the best course of action is to first put him to bed, wait until he is asleep and then bring her in. He is a sound sleeper, so her crying won't wake him up. So I'm waiting out here for Dave to come out so I can put baby in bed.

This has been amazing. I love them both so much. Can't wait until moving day!