Dinner + Baby

Last night we went out to dinner - 3 couples (including myself), my friend visiting from Miami and another friend, total 8 plus our baby.   We went to a spot called Esperanto on Avenue C in the East Village, a Brazilian/South American joint.  I had never been there before.  I liked the ambiance.  I think they have live Samba music on Saturday nights.  I would have to say the place is not kid friendly since they don't have high chairs available, and goes without saying no changing table in the bathroom.  Good thing we had some bench seating so I was able to corner our son in and feed him as he sat next to me.  He was pretty well behaved but got a little antsy and started crying towards the middle/end because I think he was tired but forcing himself to stay awake or he was completely bored. I'm not sure which.  Since it was quite loud in there, I don't think anyone noticed the screaming baby which was good, but since it was quite loud I also couldn't hear what anyone else was saying especially on the other end of the table.  The hubby took him outside a couple of times to calm him down which helped a bit when he got  really fidgety.  Of course most everyone was late meeting up but there was plenty of space to be seated because we got there so early (6pm).  Good thing it was empty because it was not until an hour later that we actually went to sit down.  It did fill up by the time we left though.  Food was good. The waitress was nice to let us put in an order of  Cod Fish and Potato Cakes for the baby as soon as we sat down, before anyone else had ordered, so we could get the baby some food asap.  They were delicious and perfectly fried balls of goodness.  I also had Carne Asada  which was seasoned nicely and tasted pretty good, served with a side of black beans and rice.  It was still a little chewy for my taste but not inedible.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food.  They have a feijoida there that I want to try.  Next time.  Hubby had a vegetarian plate - skewered vegetables which seemed to also be seasoned nicely.  He also ordered some fried yucca which was crispy and tasted awesome.  Overall it was nice to get to gather with people we hadn't seen for some time and have a night out.  Across the street there is a neighborhood garden, and they were having a free concert which was also a nice touch to end the evening.

The pièce de résistance is we got to see my friend's twin baby boys for the first time.  They are 11 weeks old and oh so small and lovely.  Gorgeous babies!  I can't imagine having to care for double at this stage of 2 hour wakings/feedings.  Must be exhausting but still rewarding to see the little smiles on their faces.  I forget that my baby was once that size because in one year they grow so fast.  And to think prior to this, they didn't even exist.  Every time I see a baby, I know the scientific why and how, but it really makes me wonder at this miracle of life.   It seems like they were formed out of nowhere and are now these little precious human beings born with their own personalities, learning and adjusting and becoming part of this crazy old world that we are all a part of, until one day they are the adults and we cease to exist, and the cycle begins all over again.