Baby at Dinner Party: A Sweet Relief
When a baby comes to dinner, I feel like I’m a really bad hostess. Because all I want to do is hold the baby and forget about everything else!
We had our friends over for dinner last week and quite frankly, although I did know what I was going to serve, I didn’t quite think through where we were going to sit until about 10 minutes before our guests arrived.
Do you ever do that?
I had quickly cut Black-eyed Susans from the front yard.
Thrown down a Good Will table cloth.
Even used paper napkins.
After we dished up our food, we went to the back patio and relaxed together – and my husband held the baby while we ate dinner.
The best part was relaxing by the pool, catching up, and watching the kiddos swim.
Guy talk and life guards.
Sweet mommy and baby.
Oh, and actually the tastiest part of the evening was the dessert that I had delegated to Fiona.
Which we all enjoyed.
I asked my husband about the night, and besides the great company, he recalled how when we were a young family of 5, and we’d be invited over for dinner, it was so nice when, while eating, someone would take the baby so we parents could enjoy our meal. It was a sweet relief …
So that is what he did during this dinner. He allowed sweet relief.
When’s the last time you had a young couple over for dinner? I’d love to hear you stories – who held the baby, did you pull out the toys, what did the kids do?
Pingback: Babies Around the Dinner Table | reluctantentertainer.com Reluctant Entertainer I Sandy Coughlin - Lifestyle, Entertaining, Food, Recipes, Hospitality and Gardening
My husband and I are baby lovers. So although our children are waaaay to old to cuddle, we tend to invite over a lot of young couples with babies. I love to cook for people, and we are very much “eat in” people., so there is always something happening at our house. And since we both love to cuddle babies, we fight over who gets to hold the baby! My special trick is to plan for him to grill, that means more baby snuggling time for me :)
Being the first in our “set” to have a baby put us at a bit of a disadvantage as new parents. It felt like no one but my in law’s could really handle us for a while when our daughter was new, and as new parents we weren’t relaxed enough to take anyone else up on the offer even if the extended it!
Next time we’ll be better at making socializing happen earlier.
And I’m going to dream about that dessert tonight.
As a new mom to an almost 4 month old litle girl, I must say, it truly would be sweet relief to be invited to a dinner party and to then have someone hold my girl and “give me a break”. To enjoy her, cuddle her and spend time with her while I enjoyed some adult conversation and some yummy food. Sweet relief indeed!!
For us, it’s pretty much babies, babies all the time. Most of our friends are in the thick of things with little kids and babies, so we all take turns and help each other out. We entertain very simply and enjoy the kids. It all works! :)
The dessert looks heavenly! I suppose we are still the young family…of our friends, I have the youngest one – 3 years old. I do remember how sweet it was to have a moment to eat when we would go to someones house for dinner and they would offer to hold the baby.
oops! my hubby ALWAYS gets the babies!
We just had two young families over a couple of weeks ago. Not only was it fun, but it was nice to give the mommas { both pregnant!} a break from cooking. I didn’t have them bring anything, so I kept the menu simple. We still have my sons legos, KNEX and kitchen dishes for children to play with when they come over. I would like to find a highchair so our company doesn’t have to haul one over to our home!…other than that we love having young families over!
We’ve been the young family for so long! And you’re right- it’s nice to eat and know the baby is taken care of! When I have nursing moms over, I do make sure that I have a quiet place they can go if they wish.
We regularly have younger couples over for dinner, Sandy. In fact, my husband and I joke that half of our friends are half our age! *grin* I have a set of toys in a large container that I spill out onto the floor, and we all take turns holding the baby. Love it! And love your new website. It’s just beautiful!
I’m with Paul – it was such a gift when we had babies-in-arms to sit and enjoy a meal with BOTH hands free, even for just a few minutes.
Not to mention, the gift of not having to prepare the meal, either.
And now, I miss those moments with a baby in my arms. Those mommy and baby pictures brought me back…
we had our friends over last week for regular friday night pizza-making! we had a blast … they have 5 kids, including a newborn, so we (the parents) took turns holding baby zeke while pizzas were built and eaten.
It was the perfect night for outside dining! And Paul is sooo wise……
But are such a gracious hostess for extending the invitation and making the evening so lovely!
What a sweet post. BTW, Sandy, I’d love to know what that dessert was that looked like hard-boiled eggs?
Outside is just the best place to enjoy friends and dinner. Looks like the perfect evening! It’s been so hot here that we haven’t been able to enjoy being outside until dusk each night… looking forward to fall and lots of wonderful times entertaining outside. Happy Monday!
I remember being the over-tired, spit upon mommy that just wanted 10 minutes to eat dinner. I loved going to the grandparent’s house for that very reason – grandma took the baby and i took the dinner plate! But now, what i wouldn’t give for that time back. Funny… as the saying goes, days seem to never end, but years fly by. I think you posted that once and it has stuck with me ever since.
We are the “young couple”…….we’ve got a 16 mos old, 3.5 yo and one on the way! So, you are so right when you say it is nice for someone to take the baby so you can enjoy your meal. But, even when they aren’t babies (my 16 mos old toddler). It is nice to have someone play w/ him or entertain him so I can enjoy some adult convo! Yes, it is less enticing than holding a sweet snuggly baby, but no less important to mommy ;) Just had to had my 2 cents!
Thanks for the sweet post!
I guess we are the “young” couple with the baby (and 3 year old). It is such a sweet relief to enjoy a dinner with friends and family while seeing someone other than my husband hold our little one across the table. Its wonderful to not only enjoy the meal with two hands :), but also see how much others love our little one!
Last night we were visiting family and our sweet napped while we all (toddlers included) enjoy our meal. She woke up for dessert and cooed in my mother-in-laws arms while mama & daddy (and big brother) enjoyed ice-cream!
Your husband is so right! I can remember feeling grateful to my Mom for holding my baby girls so I could have an uninterrupted meal. Funny how just that simple act rejuvenated me for the rest of the evening.
My sister is visiting with her 2 and 3 year olds. She is younger than me and started having babies a lot later than I did, so her kids end up being 20 years younger than my oldest son. It’s like having instant grandchildren. She does not live near family, so I know it’s a real treat for her to be able to breathe without having to know what her kids are doing every second. I do remember that sweet relief when someone was kind enough to lend a hand. Your hubby is a sweet heart.
Snuggling little ones is so soothing!
May I ask what exactly the dessert is? It looks simply divine!
If you could make a career out of holding babies, I’d sign up. I can think of nothing sweeter, and more natural than to cuddle a little blessing! When my niece was in the Peace Corp, she’d spend her free time in an orphanage just rocking babies so they could feel human touch. Every baby should feel loved.