Baby Einstein and Pazo

What would we do without Baby Einstein? Last night we left Ryder with a babysitter, so that we could attend a dinner party and eat like the animals that we are without having to worry about him. But that is a total contradiction- because most of the time when we were out, we wondered if the sitter was going to call and say, "you need to come home". Ryder is at that age now where he has some serious separation anxiety. I was pretty much preparing myself for it all day, preparing myself for the moments when I have to say goodbye to him for just a few hours. I am a total pansy when it comes to making him cry.

He was sooo adorable too, the few minutes right before we left. He was smiling gleefully at the sitter, being as cute as ever, walking all over the place and showing off his ability to bat his eyelashes. We gave the sitter all of the helpful hints, such as, "he loves running water", or "he loves to stare into the bathtub", and most importantly, if all else fails, "he LOVES LOVES LOVES Baby Einstein". Baby Einstein, I do believe, is like crack for babies. Ryder could be screaming and crying...but once that classical music comes on with the trippy visuals, Ryder is in a trance, fixated on the TV like a little stoner.

We eventually made it out of the door, but not without the wailing that we heard from the garage. We could also hear the sitter say to him, "do you want to watch Baby Einstein?" over his screams. She's no dummy. We shut the car doors, and sadly but happily drove away.

The dinner party was for VV's 30th birthday. We celebrated with her at Pazo, a Mediterranean restaurant right outside of Fells Point. The interior of the restaurant was gorgeous, filled with dark wrought iron fixtures, exposed brick, wood beams and blood red and orange fabrics. The main ceiling must have soared to about 50 feet, all reminicent of a medieval/gothic cathedral turned mountain lodge sans fireplace. A fun gathering place for close friends who like food. For a thoughtful review of the food by two of our pals, click here, or here.

As it neared 1230am, and everyone was gathering coats and jackets to leave, my husband and I thought, "We're out..it's only 1230! Is this night ending already"? Sadly but happily it did, and we were on our way home to see how the sitter fared with Ryder. As we pulled into the driveway, we noticed that his bedroom light was out. Good sign. We creeped into the living room (you never know if Ryder is sleeping on someone's chest in there), and the sitter looked up, smiled, and said, "how was dinner"? He was in his crib, sleeping! That's it? It was that easy? She said that Ryder cryed for a few minutes after we left, but when she turned Baby Einstein on, he was good until he had his bottle for bed around 10pm. And then he went to sleep with no fuss, no crying, nothing. "He was so good, I don't know what you were worried about". Go figure.

When she left we snuck into the bedroom for a peek at him. He was sleeping soundly, all snuggled up. I put my hand on his back as I always do, just to feel the rise and fall of his back while he breathed. Just as if we never left.

It's always fun to go out, but nothing beats coming home.