Does This Baby

Last Friday I hooked up with some friends on a patio, hoping to enjoy the last bit of summer. I took Eloise with me. She had a great time. She hopped from lap to lap trying to pull stuff off the table, while getting hugged to death by my friends. The waitress was impressed with Eloise's fun, well behaved nature. A few drinks, and a plate of finished nachos later, the waitress came to see how we were doing. She screamed, "OH MY GOD! Where's your baby?" I screamed back, "OH MY GOD! Where is my baby!" And then we all busted into laughter. The waitress had missed the part when hubby came by, and took Eloise home, about an hour into our visit.

My father has many tips for child rearing. "Drink a lot of soup. It helps make good breastmilk. Rub Tiger Balm on baby's belly, so she's warm at night. Babies need a bath twice a day, because it's refreshing." My favorite one, "Don't hold her all the time. She will get used to being held around like a baby". um, Dad...? We've been staying at my parents house for a week, while hubby is on holidays. Eloise has learned a trick. When grandpa walks by, she throws her arms in the air, implying that she wants him to pick her up. He does. I remind him of his rule, to not treat her like a baby. He giggles, and picks her up anyway.

It's a lot of pressure raising a child. I didn't know what kind of parent I wanted to be before Eloise was born, and I still don't really know. My only goals are that I manage to raise a nice kid, and maybe teach her a few things along the way. So far we've got 3 things down. MILK - I say milk before I pull out my boob. I can now say milk without pulling out my boob, but I'm pretty sure she understands because she starts curling her tongue, and sucking air. SMILE - I always pull out my camera phone, and say "smile". She gives me the biggest grins ever. It's super cute. Then she tries to grab my phone, and eat it. HIGH FIVE - I say high five, and put my hand in the air. When she puts her hand up I hit it with mine, completing the high five. She thinks it's hilarious. If that's all I ever teach her, I figure it's okay. Many of us have gotten through our lives just fine, smiling, and giving high fives. The curling her tongue, and su