Adventures in Babysitting

Ok, so...I love babies. I can't help it. I think they're amazing little wonders of science, blessings from God, and all that. I love the way the top of their heads smell. I love little baby fingers and toes. And aren't the little fat rolls on their thighs the CUTEST?!?

I hate being so far away from really good friends that have little ones because I'm missing out on all the fun stuff...although, I have to say that a lot of them are blogging these days about their little angels/devils so I get to see more of them than I used to. I get to find out about the trials of sleepless nights, teething and colic; the excitement of first steps and first words; the anxiety of sending them off to daycare/pre-school/Kindergarten while I share about "my baby's" first dates/college/the great beyond.

I do have some friends nearby that have had babies, too. Pregnancy doesn't just affect my friends that live 200+ miles away. I even got to babysit one of those little firecrackers recently.

Meet Maddie, not the VW one...but the Tucker one. I got to spend some time with her in April and again in July. Bow did his part to help her stay put. I forgot how much a little one can wear you out though. Especially once they've figured out the crawling and eventually the walking.
I've found that Sonic slushes are great for teething babies...as long as your teenage son is willing to share.

So, for all of you with little ones crawling, climbing, scooting, walking, and running through your lives...you deserve a nap. And a cocktail. And a massage. And...

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

It's no secret that I'm old. Or that my son is not a baby anymore. He's grown into a man. I'm still coping. (We'll come back to that.)

So when the opportunity arises for me to see a baby, I jump on it. The opportunity, not the baby.

I've been lucky enough to watch my friends' children grow by stalking several of their "baby blogs." They're really wonderful at sharing the hopes, dreams, trials and triumphs in their lives as parents but even better at just sharing their children as they grow up into the individuals they are meant to be. I'm just lucky to be able to sneak a peek every now and then because of those blogs since most of them don't live in the same area as me. It's surprising how even 30 miles can really separate people and yet their blogs bring them into my home.

Recently, I've had two (relatively new to my world) friends give birth to little stunners, Madison and Maebry.
Maddie is always so stylish thanks to her mommy's good taste and is such a good-natured little girl which I think she gets from her laid-back daddy.

She loves to flirt with Keith. He's a sucker for her toothless grins. That gives me hope for when I become toothless in my later years.

Bow isn't quite sure what to think when she's here. He wants to be close, but not tooo close. He's actually a pretty good babysitter himself. "Babysitting by 'Bow" does have a nice ring to it.

I've been lucky enough to babysit Maddie twice now. She's the most vocal six-month-old I know even though she's not actually speaking yet and I swear she'll be running next month since crawling just won't be fast enough for her!

Speaking of go-getters, meet Maebry. She was born THIRTEEN WEEKS early. I think she was telling us she's just ready to get on with it. I've visited her twice in NICU so far and it's a-MAE-zing how well she's doing.

I can't wait to see what other things this little one is going to get up to in the next several years!

Congratulations to both young couples for these lovely little ones and thanks for introducing them to me!

A Saturday (Baby) Shower for Savannah

On Saturday, we (Barbara, my mother-in-law) and I went to a baby shower for my newest friend in Austin, Savannah. She and her husband Matt are expecting a little girl in November...so the pink was pretty prevalent!

Barbara had never been to a baby shower as it's not really customary in England so I thought it would be fun for her to come along.

They had a table for everyone to get crafty and decorate a bib or onesie for little Maddie. Here we are showing off our efforts.






And here's a small portion of the guests in attendance (me, Barbara, Christa and Sue) with Savannah front and center showing off her baby bump!





CONGRATULATIONS SAVANNAH AND MATT!


I can't wait to meet Maddie soon and in a few years take her out for a cheeseburger (Savannah's pregnancy craving)!!