GRANNY ERNESTINE

This week was a big one, especially since Vanny was reunited with her beloved Granny Ernestine. Granny came last Friday and left on Sunday: we hadn't seen her since she was here for the day on Easter.

In preparation for her arrival, Nessa took me to Costco, just the two of us girls. This was a big event, since she rarely tolerates riding in her carseat and navigating a 150 lb. cart of Costco loot with one hand is hard to do when you are jiggling and jostling a howling infant in the other. For this reason, I have avoided Costco runs. I do believe I was yee-hawing as we peeled outta there with a packed trunk.

When Granny arrived, we were still flying high on our shopping endorphins, so we asked her to accompany us to that other sure-fire cry-house: the grocery store. You see, sometimes you can't get everything on your list at Costco. That 12 lb. jar of relish, for example, doesn't fit neatly into the door of the refrigerator. So off we went, three generations of grocery shoppers, to the store. Not only did Nessers not cry, she seemed to like the trip. Granny manned the cart with the carseat and baby in it, and I tried to catch them to drop items in. No tears were shed, not even at the checkout. We ate like queens the whole weekend.

Nesserkins loves her Granny. They did all sorts of things together while I did all sorts of things alone. They took walks, read books, played with toys, discussed Milo and Alley, and watched a bit of Baby Einstein DVD, twice in a row. Granny and I were mesmerized by Baby Mozart and felt proud we had introduced VH1 to the video babysitter at the tender age of four months. Aren't we good?

Granny left us on Sunday, but we are so looking forward to visiting her for Mother's Day this weekend!

Daddio came home from his work trip and we celebrated with some more bathing. Vanny needed it. She demonstrated her kicking abilities, something we knew she's been developing. I do believe she's got her father's quick feet, overdeveloped abdominal muscles, and inferno metabolism. She does have, however, her mama's Irish ears and storkbite birthmark. I just love this view of her.

In other news, Van and Milo are developing a little love affair. She smiles and coos when he saunters by; he steals kisses. Nessa is developing her public stamina, too. Daddio and I were able to go out to eat with her twice - no crying. Heck, mama threw caution to the wind and took wee Van to another board meeting, this time at the Department of Childrens Services. Nessa screamed and cried so all the nice social workers came to see which form of abuse I was inflicting, then, after some discreet nursing in a back office, Van snored her way through the first half of the meeting, woke up, and babbled and farted through the second half. At the end I apologized empahtically, but the attendees would have nothing of it: they were instant Vanessa fans.

She's perhaps teething, since she continues to drool excessively and is perpetually nibbling on her digits. She is teaching herself to not reach all the way back to her punching bag, as that does have an undesirable effect. We are happy to report that Vanny continues to apply herself to The Machine like it's her life's ambition. She can grab at all the Baby Frankenstein, I mean Einstein toys now. Just wait til she learns how to operate that opposable thumb.