Let's Go Dodgers, Let's Go

Thanks to our good friend, Mike, who treated us to Saturday night's Dodger game. Noey's first major league appearance! After our successful night at a minor league baseball game, we were pretty confident Noey would do just fine and wondered if she might even make the big screen in her cute pink Dodger's cap.

After one MAJOR diaper blowout (we had to throw the outfit away!) and fighting LA traffic, we arrived at the game. Ahhhh...the smell of hotdogs and garlic fries, excited kids running around, the thump of the latest 'Jock Jams' cd, the abundance of Dodger apparel, and seeing people from every neighborhood in the greater LA area coming together...what fun!

Mike had purchased us tickets in the infamous "bleacher" area. Fans here have the True Blue. Cheers are started here. Fights are picked with any opposing team's fan. Every now and then cheers with obscenities are shouted towards the opposing team (to which my mommy-glare always came out!) These "bleacher" fans pride themselves on being the loudest and most vigilant. We had a underestimated just how loud the cheering would be. After a few startling moments for sweet Noey, she seemed to be adjusting just fine. That ended with the home run hit by LA's new sweetheart, Manny Ramirez. The stadium erupted and as I watched all the children seated around us putting their hands to their ears. I also watched Noey's lower lip pop out, her face scrunch up, and her lungs fill. She had had enough. Poor baby, she cried into my neck as I tried to reason with her that this was simply a glorious moment and this is what good fans do. Maybe that will sink in next time. :)

But we, like every new parent, were learning the art of improvising. I tucked Noey on my lap in such a way that a burp cloth was snuggled up against one of her ears, and my hands covered her other ear whenever the cheering voices rose. She loved it! She could watch the crowd with none of the noise. Noey and I smiled our way through the rest of the game! I think she is an LA fan at heart...