I bought the other stocking. I’ll spirit it away until it’s required, but the votes of not-eldest kids really convinced me.

And! AND! Ingrid totally survived her first restaurant outing. The closest thing to a restaurant outing was the time that my coteacher took us to a deserted pizza place (like, 3 on a Tuesday afternoon or whatever), because with the weather, we did a lot of takeout picnics and such. (And also, shoutout to Andy, who has been just about the best childfree friend a new mom could want, including sushi-on-the-waterfront suggestions WITH INGRID.)

Today, though, my cousin was flying in to drive my aunt back to Florida, and so they, my parents, and my aunt’s friend were all in town, and wanted us to join them for lunch at… Bugaboo Creek. Now, if you don’t have it, apparently it’s like the Rainforest Cafe (which we don’t have) in that there’s lots of animatronics and shit like that, that  I don’t like, But, my aunt really likes it, and was on her way out of town, so it’s her choice, cool. Also, my cousin is 50 years old, and the next youngest at the table, and my aunt is 75, I think, so in addition to my own anxiety about baby’s first restaurant, I also felt a sort of generational pressure to have a ‘good baby,’ since it’s been a looooong time since any of them have had babies at the table. Plus, by the time we went, I knew she’d be hungry, and while I’ve nursed in public, not quite THAT in public.

And, of course, because of our party, we got seated at a big round table in the center of the section. Ingrid had her first highchair experience, which she liked well enough (and liked enough that I could use both! hands! to eat my sandwich) and she DID get hungry, but hot damn, I latched her on like no one’s business and she ate away, and I don’t think anyone noticed except the people at my table.  And then she got tired (OMG, they all ordered a post-meal coffee, and I thought I was going to hyperventilate!) and she fell asleep on my chest, and I had a little fleece hoodie with us, so I sort of covered her head with that to buffer her from the outside world.

Anyway, now? I totally want to go to Chili’s or something. Especially since she can sit in a highchair now. It’s like another door just slid back open in our world.