Dash was all a-twitter waiting for her at the airport.
After one last all-night nursing binge, Dash joined Daddy and Grandma Laurie for Mommy's send-off lunch at McMenamin's Edgefield Lodge.
Mommy sneaked off, leaving Dash to do his spot-on impersonation of Steve Martin as Ruprect in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: "Not mother?!"
All too quickly came the moment Daddy dreaded: his first night alone in bed with his son. You know, the tyke who treats his mother like a 24-hour diner. It wasn't so bad. It only took an exhausting hour-and-a-half to get Dash to zonk out. And then he only woke up screaming 4 or 5 times. Those were two of the best hours of sleep in Daddy's life. Unexpectedly, Dash didn't want to drink a drop of milk all night. Daddy wasn't sure whether to be insulted or relieved.
The highlight of the first Mommy-free day was a trip to the Chinese Gardens with Grandma Laurie.
Dash was still a little suspect of this strange woman who seemed to be making herself awfully comfortable in HIS house.
He moved in for a closer inspection. Maybe a bit too close.
Satisfied that she posed little threat, Dash rewarded Grandma Laurie the rest of her trip with 5-minute intervals of mirth before beginning a "Daddy, come save me" tantrum.
Later, that night, a bona fide miracle occurred. Dash woke only once. No screaming. No stirring. Daddy slept like a baby. Hell, Dash slept like a baby.
The next morning, Dash, Daddy, and Grandma Laurie were all invited to a delicious brunch (that frittata...wow!) at friends Eric and Harper's, in honor of mutual friend, Kristy's (see Switzerland post), visit from London. Dash was fully bedazzled by daughters Edie and Irene. The two cutie-pies made it their mission to keep him entertained.
Grandma Laurie was so pleased to see how much Dash enjoyed their toy sit-in car that she made it her mission to get him one.
That afternoon, a very relaxed Mommy returned from her oyveycation. Amazing what a little massage and a lotta sleep can do.
Grandma Laurie insisted the following day that she'd waited far too many years (more like decades) to take a grandchild clothes shopping. So...off to the downtown Pioneer Place Mall we all went. We basically cleaned out the Baby Gap.
After dinner, we headed down to 23rd Street for some gelato and a stroll around Nob Hill.
Daddy and Grandma Laurie took Dash shopping the next day for his car. With the kindly help of another grandma at Toys R Us, we found the perfect toddler vehicle. Later, we had dinner at Meriwether's, the site of Mommy and Daddy's wedding reception almost exactly two years ago.
Dash concluded that the tastiest thing wasn't on the menu and proceeded to chow down on Grandma Laurie's eyeglasses.
Before leaving the next morning, Grandma Laurie took Dash for a spin in his brand new car. Thanks, Grandma Laurie!
All photos ©2011 Garrito
