We love Molly!

..because she has a big house in Eugene and loves it when I come down there with Rachel. I gave Drew a baby-free day yesterday; he got his hair cut, his oil changed, finished installing shelves in the closet, did the grocery shopping -- and even had some time to hang out at Powell's. I headed to Eugene at 10:30, with an unexpected detour in Salem, then got to Molly's at 1:30.

She had a fire going in her "hearth room" where she has installed two couches she bought for a song on e-Bay. We spent most of the day inside talking while Marigold played nearby and Calvin and Camilla ran and yelled outside. Camilla, of course, was delighted to see Rachel. She kept hugging and kissing her and Rachel kept smiling at her and giggling. If only they would stay here for a couple of years, I think Camilla and Rachel would turn out to be really good friends.

Molly graciously called a babysitter to watch the kids after she asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner. The babysitter turned out to be two girls -- sisters, one 15 and one 12. They are certified Red Cross babysitters and have gotten training for watching infants and have watched Marigold since she was born. I felt a little nervous leaving Rachel with them, since we usually have Angela, the sister of Drew's friend Jack, babysit Rachel. Angela is 25 and pretty much raised her little brother (and can deal with crying) so we feel very comfortable.

Rachel cried as I was leaving, but Molly & I headed for the sushi place and talked and laughed -- it was like old times when she and I were single, 20-somethings in Minnesota. I called Lauren in the middle of dinner to suggest she feed Rachel and that the food was in the diaper bag. The conversation went like this:

Me: Is Rachel OK?
Lauren: Sure!
Me: You mean, she hasn't been crying all night?
Lauren: She hasn't been crying at all!
Me: Um, do you mind feeding her? Are you comfortable with that?
Lauren: Sure!
Me: Do you know where the diaper bag is?
Lauren: Sure!
Me: There should be food in there.
Lauren: OK! (subtext: I can't believe how worried this mom is!)

When we got back, Rachel was fast asleep on the couch, a stuffed rabbit near her elbow and a Bobby pillow at her head. She was covered with a soft knit blanket. Lauren said she was absolutely no trouble -- they spent the time on the couch laughing and reading books together.

Unfortunately I left Eugene way too late -- 8:30, with Rachel tucked into a pair of Marigold's pajamas that Molly graciously loaned me. I paid for it; Rachel awoke at 4 a.m. and wouldn't stop crying (screaming, really) after Drew tried to give her water and soothe her. Both he & I were so tense that we never truly got back to sleep. Rachel cried out in her sleep twice at 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Neither of us could sleep in, since Drew had to head to Seattle and I had a 9:15 a.m. breakfast meeting. Rachel, of course, slept until just before 9!

We are crossing our fingers that this is not a repeat of the wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night behavior she exhibited at 6-9 months. I've gotten used to getting enough sleep and I do NOT want to revert back to the bad old days.