Babysitting Brendan

Yesterday was my very first time to babysit for Brendan ... solo! Dylan and Kelly were celebrating their second wedding anniversary and asked if I would come over and take care of Brendan while they were away. Yes, yes, YES!

I packed a few little toys in my backpack to bring along just in case we needed some amusement ... 

I've had these little wind-ups for years and years. They didn't work very well on the carpeting, so I moved us over to the hardwood floor. Brendan was quite taken with the little monkey who walked and played his instrument ... see how excited he is?

 I love his expression in these pictures. He knows I am taking his photograph, and he is patiently cooperating with me.

The kangaroo wind-up actually does a flip and every single time the kangaroo flipped over, Brendan flinched and his body shook! But then when the kangaroo was all finished flipping and he stopped and did nothing at all, Brendan would look at me and give me this big smile. Isn't he the cutest little love of a baby?

We actually played with these wind-ups for about a half hour. Now and then, Brendan would reach for one and successfully grab it. The green polka-dotted ladybug was his least favorite. If you wind this one up, it zooms around, flips over and changes directions ~ but I think it was too fast and too erratic for a wee baby to appreciate.

 Brendan has such a sweet personality. He is very social, very friendly, and such a neat little person!

We went shopping for awhile around Eastown, just to get out of the house.  We weren't seriously shopping, just playing and talking ... 

 ... and then finally our little dear fell sound asleep. 

 And this face! I haven't the slightest idea WHAT he is thinking ... don't you wish you knew? But I wonder if he is thinking: "Wait until she tries to put me to bed later on ~ won't she be surprised at how tough I am then?!!"

We had a good time together, at least most of the time. But then it was bed time and there was NO mama, NO daddy ... just Grandma?!! Yikes. Brendan was NOT happy about that one single bit. But thankfully, he did finally fall asleep ... after some anguish and lot of tears. I told Dylan and Kelly the whole sad story when they got home, but they've decided to STILL let me babysit now and then! Whew!