Our little socialite

Yelena has had a very busy week with many social engagements. Saturday night she went out for Ethiopian food with us for our friend's 35th birthday party. Except for one brief venture for brunch at Tre Kronor (a couple weeks ago Daddy wanted brunch and Mummy simply could not live any longer without a maple pecan Danish), it was her first time in a restaurant. We then went back to our friend's house for dessert and adult conversation. She was very excited and so busy taking in every new sight and sound that she refused to go to sleep, afraid of missing something.

Monday night we had a nice group of friends over for Erev Rosh Hashanah and she loved being passed around. She was getting a little fussy, which afforded us an opportunity of showing off her dancing talents. Yes, when our daughter starts getting grumpy all we need to do is turn on some music and dance with her. She goes from tears to zoned out bliss in seconds when we start a shakin'. With me, there is one Cheb Mami song she particularly loves; I get to work on my shimmy and calm her at the same time. Daddy prefers his dancing a little more club and everyone was massively amused by their dance routine to "Hey Ya!"

She made it to services both days and managed to attend a lunch and a dinner Tuesday without losing it. This was certainly not my most spiritual Rosh Hashanah; a Bjorn on one's back and frequent trips to the Change of Scenery Room is not conducive to kavanah. But she did sleep through the sermons both days, so at least I wasn't the one with the screaming baby while the rabbi was trying to speak. I was worried that all the years of giving dirty looks to parents with wailing children was going to come back to bite me in the ass.

A general comment about the high holidays: who were all those people and what were they doing at my shul?

On Wednesday we left services a little early since Eli surprised me with a wonderful in-house massage. We then had our second meal in one week in a big kids' restaurant, celebrating my birthday at Bistro Compagne. Yum. Yelena liked the little white lights strung up in the tent but their novelty wore off around the time our entrees arrived. Fortunately, there was a couple with a one-year old in full meltdown mode right next to us, so Yelena's chirps and conflicting desires to boogie and nurse seemed charming by comparison. Next time we go out, it will be with friends so the other person has someone to hang out with while the other nurses, changes or stands.

To round out the excitement, today Yelena went with me to get my hair cut (man, no one fawns over an infant's full head of hair like salon employees), tomorrow she goes to the pediatrician and Saturday night she joins us for butternut squash ravioli over at Uncles Tony and Eric.