LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY!

Today is my 40th birthday! I get to spend it with two people who are very dear to me... my beloved mother in law and my DAUGHTER. Woo hoo!

To celebrate, after we took Daddio to the areopuerto to fly to Seattle for work, Granny Ernestine and I took a sleepy and well-fed Nessers to the T.J. Maxx superstore. Afterall, it is my birthday! I believed if Vanessa were comfortable and fed, and I were equipped with an extra bottle of milk, an extra (grand-) mother, and supplemental parking lot nursing, I could get a whole decadent hour of shopping in. But Little Miss Vanessa said, "No, thank you" at the top of her lungs as we made our way quickly through the beckoning aisles laden with treasures and bargains. We had just enough time to pick up some onesies and we were outta there.

Nessers decided she didn't even like riding the California highway system today so she howled all the way home. In the end Granny encouraged me to break two laws to get us the last half mile home: she took the wheel while I sat in back holding Vanessa without my seatbelt on. I understand you now, Brittany! Vanessa was drenched in sweat, her little red hairs matted to her head and her eyes swollen and tear stained. We were so relieved to get her to calm down and actually fall asleep that we flopped ourselves in Granny's two recliners and observed the child sleeping for two hours, letting all ambitions of doing any other errands fall away.

Granny Ernestine is turning 80 in ten days, but even with 120 years between us we felt scrambled by the one in charge... the small but mighty 7 week old. If this is the beginng of the rest of my life then I say Bring It On! I love being a mom.