She took the day off of work and traveled out to see us because she couldn't wait to wrap her arms around little Liam, showering him with hugs, kisses, and all the love a great aunt can muster. :)
When she arrived, we relaxed on the couch and chatted about everything and anything -- which is so easy for us to do.
Then we walked downtown for lunch at the The Tomato Pie Cafe. The Springtime weather was cool but gorgeous.
Aunt Paula pushed the stroller for me so that I could enjoy an easier walk.
But soon a funny detail would emerge: Liam began to tightly grasp the side of the stroller (which he's never done before), as if he felt he needed to hold on! Paula and I cracked up this. Could he tell that someone else was driving?!
Aunt Paula loved the Tomato Pie Cafe and its signature dish, but perhaps the most striking memory she'll have of that dining experience is the moment when Liam--while breastfeeding under my udder cover--decided to helicopter one of his legs. Boy, did that catch our attention!
With my newly-developed, lighting-fast mommy reflexes (of which I am very proud), I immediately put his leg back where it needed to be. Hopefully nobody saw that!
The foible sent us both into a fit of laughter; and, as we tried to contain ourselves and this lively boy, a pair of great grandparents at the table next to us decided to say hello. Unbeknownst to us, they had been watching (and enjoying, they said) our dining adventures. You see, Little Liam, in his sweet and innocent active curiosity, was keeping us on our toes. We traded him back and forth, we rolled up the tablecloth so that he wouldn't attempt that age-old trick, we caught the glass bottle of salad dressing just as it began to tip over, and--incredibly--neither of us spilled our lemonades. Amazing!
Then Paula reminded me that we had been sitting there for an hour-and-a-half. No wonder little Liam was getting a little squirmy! It was time for us to pack up and go.
When we returned to the house, I was delighted to find my father waiting for us! He is my Aunt Paula's oldest brother, and she was very glad to see him, too. Little Liam was so excited to see his Granddaddy that he smiled and wiggled and kicked and squealed.
What a lovely day. Aunt Paula, let's do this again soon!!
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| Liam was SO EXCITED to see his Great Aunt Paula! He gave her a huge smile the moment she got out of her car! |
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| Aunt Paula plants the first of about 200 hundred kisses he got from the two of us that afternoon! |
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| Liam just LOVED the rubber duckies she brought him! |
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| The Drunken Sailor Look for the stroller ride home |
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| What a surprise! Granddad was waiting for Liam when we got home! |
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| This is one very, very thankful mama! |
