well yesterday i started my baby-sitting "job". originally i had asked my next door neighbor, a very sweet young lady, if she needed someone to watch her baby while she worked and at the time she said no. a week later she asked me was i still interested in keeping her baby - an absolutely adorable and precious 8 month old baby boy - and i told her sure, since i didnt go anywhere and was here at home the majority of the time. so the deal was sealed and she said she would pay me $40 a week to keep him three days out of the week. sounded good to me, as i need whatever extra money i can get.
as i previously mentioned, i started yesterday. when she brought him to me, he was sleeping, so i had a moment to kinda chill and watch some TV. then he woke up looking around and i turned to pick him up. lawd, that child is heavy LOL! it had been a LONG time since i held an eight month old (both my daughters are grown-one is 26 and the other is 18, so add those two ages together and you'll see what i mean lol) in my arms. his mommy told me that he was born a preemie, but he filled out REAL fast. he's got plump lil arms and legs, and seems to be a very happy lil fella, and is cute as a button.
anyways, once he woke up, i picked him up and sat him on my lap and played with him, tickling his tummy and getting a kick out of watching him smile. as i said, he is a solid lil guy, and his mommy had made two bottles with baby cereal in them, so when he started to get a little fussy, i held him in my arms and gave him his ba-ba (bottle). within minutes, that bottle was empty!
i held him against my shoulder with a blanket and he gave me a nice healthy burp, and then i put him down on my bed and let him kick his lil plump legs and gave him his "Binky" (pacifier) and i laid down next to him and let him have a ball.
i thought my skills as a mommy caring for a little baby were rusty, but as i fed him and played with him it all came back to me. i would make funny noises and just seeing hiim smile made me smile. then, looking thru his diaper bag, i saw his mommy had packed some Gerber mixed baby cereal, and a can of mini-ravioli. i sat him in his baby seat that also doubled as a rocker, and figured, well, maybe he can eat some of the ravioli, if i mash it up really good. so i tried that.
that notion went south, and then i thought, "duh! i used to give my girls baby cereal so they would be nice and full" so i poured the ravioli back into the can, washed out the bowl and then put some of the Gerber cereal in the bowl, mixed it with a little water and some of the formula, and sat down on my bed and fed him. when i made funny faces, he'd get tickled and would open his lil mouth and eat the cereal. he took it in really well, and then i figured i'd save his mommy some time, and gave him a bath to help him fall asleep. his mommy had packed some baby bath with the soothing vapors and some baby powder. i took off his diaper and found where he had pooped (thankfully it was a solid one), cleaned it off and then took him to the bathroom, sat him in the sink and washed him up.
by that time, i could see those little eyes getting sleepy, and i knew it wouldnt be long before the lil fella would drift off to sleep. i dried him off and was putting on some fresh clothes when his daddy knocked on my window to tell me he was coming to get him. i told his daddy to give me a few minutes to get him dressed, and then he told me he was gonna make a run to the store, and i said he'll be ready when he got back.
there's nothing sweeter than a fresh and clean baby. i put on a clean diaper, got him into one of his little outfits, put some socks on his feet and a little cap on his head. that being done, i sat him in his little rocker chair and he was tryin to kick up a fuss, but i gave him some of his other bottle, and then his lil eyes got heavy and he was falling asleep. he took about 3 ounces of his cereal/formula, and i eased the bottle away, picked him up and laid him on his big comforter blankie and wrapped him up good. i gave him his "Binky" and then held him in my arms and rocked him and the next thing i know, he was sound asleep.
looking at him sleep took me back to when i was a new mommy to both my girls. it was amazing to me how my "new mommy" instincts came flooding back in just those few hours that i kept him. he looked so adorable with his little "Binky" sleeping like an angel. when his daddy came back to get him, i was tired, but at the same time, it felt like a part of me went with him even tho he lives right next door.
when i woke up this morning, both my arms ached, but it's all good. i keep my lil man again on Saturday morning.
by the way, his name is Prentice Mario Edwards and he has stolen my heart.
4 comments:
What a sweet post. I too am helpless wehn it comes to falling under the spell of an infant. I would have given anything to have a sitter like you when mine were young.
I agree with gigglezngrinz!!! I too would have loved you for a neighbor, my kids would have loved it too...
All I have to say about Mr. Sweetbabyhimself is AAAaaaawwwwwww............ *smile*
A lot of people don't like to hear a baby cry. But I always love it. It means life is happening around me. Caring for an infant/child is to me one of the most noble and honorable jobs on this planet.
I wish I would get into like "Daycare" or something, but I'm a guy and people would think I'm a pervert. I mean, if I saw a guy at a daycare, the thought would go through my mind to0. We guys get a bum rap man.
I think I was hiding somewhere when god was giving out maternal instincts, but the little guy sounds like a complete cutie. I'm glad that you had such a wonderful day with him and here's to a heap more. Take care.
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