nona and pops come to visit

a week after ramona was here, my mother came to stay with jp and i for a week. her help and calm was so encouraging and much needed. i cried when she left as i couldn't imagine life with ramona and without her! she left us with a gift though: the confidence and increased wisdom to love and handle ramona in the way she needed to be. whereas i would freak out when ramona would wail, my mother showed us how an upset baby need not upset the parent. there are checklists to go through and tricks to soothe her and ways to read her and figure out her needs. 

the very next weekend she returned with my father, ramona's pops. they were here for four days and again, my mother and father showed me the ideal picture of calm and confidence when handling my child. it really put her into perspective for me and enabled me to relax around her. both of them also helped with chores around the house: my mother cleaned the dishes every night before she went to bed (i LOVE waking up to a clean kitchen and HATE washing dishes), my father installed a new doggy door for otto and chopped down our dead peach tree. they both took care of weeds and overgrown front trees. and, of course, held ramona when jp and i needed a break or to take care of ourselves (yay for showers and mascara!). 

it wasn't all work and babysitting. we took my dad to get his first-ever hot shave at proper barbershop, took a baby wearing class at the giggling green bean, browsed the horseshoe market, and ate good food at linger, hops & pie, little man, yogurt time, ba le, crema, and our backyard.

i have the best parents in the world. after ramona, of course.