My first Mother’s Day was sort of the most perfect day ever.  Actually, it was a whole perfect weekend.

Saturday started off with a late brunch at Fontaine, a French creperie in Old Town Alexandria that I love.  We hadn’t been there since before Peanut was born and I have been really, really wanting to go.  Hubby and I did a few test runs at our favorite pizza place and Peanut was relatively good (there was some carseat-related fussing) so I thought she’d be okay to eat at a nicer restaurant, and I’ve missed Fontaine.  It’s a small place and there isn’t really room for a carseat, so she’d have to sit in my lap and I expected that she’d fuss less in my lap.  I was right: she sat happily in my lap for the entire meal, playing with a toy and occasionally making a grab for my fork.  I had the “Parisienne” crepe (roast chicken, ratatouille and Brie) and hubby had the “Norwegian” (smoked salmon, crème fraiche and caramelized onions).  Delish.

That was that for Saturday; we’re trying not to overwhelm Peanut with activities, especially since she’s being baptized next weekend and that requires going off schedule a bit.  So the rest of the day was spent playing with Peanut, reading some of Winnie-the-Pooh for quiet time, and reading to myself (The Iron King, by Maurice Druon, which is great so far) or knitting (I’m working on a little baseball-style raglan tee for an acquaintance’s baby, also a NICU kid) while Peanut took her afternoon nap.  We did take a family walk before dinner, which was wonderful.

On Sunday we got all dressed up and went to church (the pic above was taken on our deck after).  Peanut was a huge hit, especially with the old ladies and another family with an even littler guy.  She sat on my lap, threw toys on the floor and talked the entire service.  Seriously.  You put the girl on the phone with her grandparents and she clams right up, but church was a constant stream of babble (when she wasn’t looking around at the new surroundings or playing peek-a-boo with the lady behind us).  I spent most of the service trying to listen in between mouthing “Sorry!” to people, but no one seemed to mind the noise in our corner.  We’ve lucked into a church that seems to love babies, even when they’re being loud.  (Note: Peanut wasn’t crying or discontented; if she’d been upset or people seemed to be annoyed I would have whisked her out of there and to the nursery.)

After church we settled in for a day of napping, a bath for Peanut (and subsequent mopping of the kitchen by hubby, since Peanut has discovered that if she kicks her feet, water goes everywhere, wheeeeeee!) and plenty of reading and relaxing time for Mom.  We finished the weekend with a photo shoot in the Boppy lounger, which as a present to me, Peanut tolerated:

Love.