June 19, 2017 - Day 8

Not much to tell about this day, our last day of vacation. I literally took zero photos. We were just all ready to go home. Our flight wasn't until 11:20, so we got up at our usual time, ate the hotel continental breakfast, and called an Uber. Uneventful, quick drive to the airport, then the usual checking bags, going through security, etc. The kids were fighting (again) and being super whiny and emotional and angry. Then it hit me: we only ate pastries for breakfast. They're not angry, they're HANGRY. So we got terrible airport breakfast sandwiches at Burger King and within a couple of bites, they were their usual delightful selves.

Smooth flight, and we were back in KC around 4:45. Stopped for dinner at Twisted Fresh on the way home. Andrew wanted to eat at home, but I remembered how empty the fridge was and how I did NOT feel like making dinner the instant we walked through the door.

(Wow, super interesting blog post, eh?)

To sum up, we went home. Glad to be here. Even more glad we took this vacation. I love my family.

All the Way

She did it! Olive slept through the night for the first time. And none of that "waking up at 4am counts as through the night, right?" stuff, either. She really did it. Went to sleep for the night at 7:45pm, didn't wake up until around 6:15 this morning.

It was awesome. (My boobs didn't really think so. They were angry and Hulk-like and refused to let me sleep on my side after about 5am. Oh, and then when she finally got to nurse and relieve me, she ate and ate andateandateandate until she could not possibly fit another drop in. Then she burped and spewed approximately 30 ounces of milky goo all over me.)

But seriously. Olive's timing was pretty spectacular. We spent the weekend visiting friends in Springfield, and Milo decided not to sleep, really, while we were there. I was up many, many times in the night with him (and Olive), retrieving pacis and tucking Kitty in next to him. And though the trip was super fun, Andrew and I were tired and very much appreciated the solid night of sleep.

Speaking of Springfield, our trip was great. First time the four of us visited people who do not have children, so we had to remember everything, from wipes to sippy cups to toys to burp cloths. And we did it. And Milo had a great time. We toured Fantastic Caverns, where touching the wet ceiling was a big hit, as was riding unbuckled in any sort of vehicle. Side note: I do not recommend trying to nurse your baby on this tour. Not easy. We also went to the biggest Bass Pro this side of the Mississippi (or anywhere, possibly). Milo loved the turtles, the fish, the water, and all the stuffed bears. Great fun for toddlers. We ate delicious food (hello, blueberry-strawberry muffins), watched terrible movies (Action Jackson, anyone?) and generally had a fabulous time. All was well, except for the part where Milo wouldn't go to bed until we were with him in the room, so he stayed up until well past 10:00. Not great, but he remained in surprisingly good spirits considering.

I'm wondering if Olive's great night of sleeping was due in part to all the newness of a trip out of town. Who knows? I'm crossing my fingers she repeats her magnificent sleeping performance tonight.

Worth it

Guess where Olive and I are? What, you don't want to guess? Okay then, I will tell you. We're in Indiana, PA, visiting my sister and her family!

Courtney is 32 weeks pregnant with identical twins and has recently been put on bed rest. My mom had decided to drive out here to help out with household stuff and Courtney's two kids. And I thought, I wish I could go visit and introduce Olive to her Aunt Courtney. Then I thought... why can't I go?

So I started thinking it through. Olive would need to go with me since I am her only food source at the moment. I'd need to reschedule the kids' doctors appointments. How would I get back, since Mom would be staying six or seven weeks? I'd miss Easter. And would Andrew be okay to take care of Milo solo for a week? And could I stand being away from Milo and Andrew for that long?

So. Andrew was fine with the whole thing and encouraged me to go. I rescheduled the doctors appointments. The Easter Bunny came early to our house. My amazing in-laws gave me points to use for a flight home. And even though I knew I'd miss my boys like crazy, I decided to go.

It's a 900-mile trip, and Olive did really great. She slept a lot, and only fussed for short periods of time. Of course we had to stop frequently for feeding her and changing her diaper, but it wasn't too bad.

Did I mention that my visit was a total surprise to Courtney? She knew Mom was coming, but we kept my participation a secret. So when we got here, my mom walked in, then I followed behind. I got an amazing greeting. Big hugs and even a few tears. She was so glad to see me and to meet Olive. If I hadn't made this trip, she wouldn't have gotten to meet Olive until the end of June, and that is just too long.

I do miss Milo like crazy. The first night I was gone, Andrew told me he forgot I wasn't there and after bath, he went to the top of the stairs and called "Mommy!" like he always does so I'll come up and read stories to him. Broke my heart a little. We've been hanging out on Google+, so I've gotten to see him and give him virtual kisses and high fives, but it's sure not the same as hugging that little guy and tucking him into bed.

It's good to be here, though. I am having fun with my niece and nephew, and it's great to see my sister and brother-in-law. And while I can't wait to meet my future nephews, I sure hope they hold off until well after I go back home.

The sprinkler, Chicago, and a really big T-shirt

I know I haven't posted photos in awhile, so I wanted to reassure you that Milo is indeed still quite cute. This post is just a bunch of photos from that last month or so.

First, the really big T-shirt. Actually, on me, this is a really tiny T-shirt.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we had a little barbecue at my parents' house. Milo enjoyed riding around in the Cozy Coupe and playing in the sprinkler.

We also recently took a trip to Chicago to visit our good friends. Milo and Eli are really close in age, and it was great fun to hang out with two adorable tiny people. We even put them in matching outfits, because how else could we embarrass them when they're in middle school?

I just love Milo's expression in this one.

He climbed the stairs and went down the slide all by himself!

Mini-Vacation

Last Thursday Andrew and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary by going on a mini-vacation to Weston, MO. It was our first time to go away together since we became parents and my first night away from Milo.

And it all went really, really well. Of course I missed Milo and wondered what he was up to. How was his bath? Did he get a bedtime story? Did he wonder where we were? He was with his nana, my MIL, and I know he adores her. But still. Obviously no one can take care of him quite as well as his daddy and me.

Andrew and I had a great time. We desperately needed a night away from our daily grind. It's wearing, working all the time, constantly doing chores and being responsible for a tiny person's well-being. We didn't have the time or the funds for a huge trip, so a single night at a B&B it was. We've never really spent any time in Weston, so it was all new to us. We wandered into every single store, sampled the local wine and beer, had a couple of great meals, and watched about half of a dull video on Lewis and Clark. But mostly we just had fun being together.

Happy Anniversary to us!

We saw this shop: Old Geezer's Mantiques. I thought it would surely be the most awesome shop in the entire town, but turns out not so much. The smell in that place made me nauseous, literally. It smelled like incense and cigars and body odor and a moldy old basement, all rolled into one overcrowded space. Gross.

Exploring Weston made us T-I-R-E-D. We had to stop to rest at least five times in a two-block stretch of shopping. Perhaps we should have napped instead?

When we got back, Milo was not nearly as excited to see us as I hoped he would be. He was happy we were back, even though he didn't give me the huge grin and excited welcome that I had imagined. But who can blame him, when going home meant leaving Nana and Grandpa Mark?

(Side note: I'm still nursing Milo in the morning and before his bedtime, but when I'm away from him, he just goes to bed without any milk. So while we were gone, Milo didn't get anything to replace his breast milk snacks. But I took my pump in case I needed some relief. And, well, I did not. At all. In fact, I went about 36 hours between nursing sessions, and still felt like there wasn't really any milk in there. Crazy. Makes me wonder if Milo isn't nursing so much as just hanging out and being close. Perhaps complete weaning will come soon?)

When it rains...

Things that have happened in the last two weeks:

• Milo got pinkeye.
• Milo had clogged tear ducts.
• Milo had ear infections in both ears.
• Milo threw up eight times in three hours (two nights before traveling).
• Milo and I flew to Washington, D.C., where Milo burped up his entire meal the first night, leaving me without any pj's and him without a sleep sack for the rest of the trip.
• Milo forgot how to poop, and seriously, four days is just too long to go without pooping.
• Milo spent half the flight back from D.C. crying, making me want to cry as well.
• Still reeling from my maternity leave and lack of a paycheck, we carried a balance on our credit card for the first time and had to get a cash advance from the bank when our checking account went into the negative.
• My car battery died, leaving me desperately calling around, trying to a) get someone to pick up Milo, and b) get someone to take me home.
• I fell further behind on my projects at work due to spending half a day trying to get my car fixed.
• My boobs began holding my milk hostage, refusing to let me pump the amount I know Milo needs.
• I dropped one of the bottles of pumped milk as I was putting it into my cooler bag, and it broke.
• Milo hasn't taken a decent nap in weeks, and is tired and cranky by the time he gets home in the evening, and it makes me so sad to only have fussy time with him each night.

Glad to be home

Today I . . .

. . . woke up at 2:45am so I could wake up Milo, feed him, and catch a 6:00am flight.
. . . got peed on while sitting on the tarmac, waiting for our turn to take off at the busiest airport in the world.
. . . cried when Milo banged his head on the tray table and got quite a nasty bump, his first real booboo.
. . . took a four-hour nap.

Our Trip to D.C., Part Two

I was pleasantly surprised by what a good traveler Milo was. Everything about the trip disrupted his normal routine. Naptime was almost nonexistent, there was no blanket on the floor to play on and no toys all around, meals were not in the big brown chair and diaper changes were not on the cushy soft pad. Daddy was not there to sing and read bedtime stories. And there were constantly new faces to meet, new places to see, and new sounds to hear. But Milo just went with the flow and was relaxed almost the entire time.

On Saturday, Emily and I had lots of things to pick up for the shower. Our plan was to run all over town in the morning/early afternoon (babies in tow, of course) then head back to the hotel in the afternoon to set things up, feed babies, and take naps. I had brought a little umbrella stroller for Milo to ride in because he seems to prefer the stroller over the Bjorn (which I had also brought) or the Moby (which I had not brought). But of course it was sprinkling when we left. The stroller had a sun shade on it, so I thought that would keep Milo pretty dry, and I would either tough it out or buy an umbrella someplace.

We walked no more than two blocks when it began raining much harder. Milo's legs were completely wet, and the sun shade was clearly not going to cut it. The umbrella seemed like a must at this point. But did Milo cry or get upset with his newly wet feet? No. Not at all. He was just hanging out, checking out the sights. Even though he didn't seem to mind the rain, I didn't so much feel like being a negligent mother, so I bought a cheapo umbrella and headed back to the hotel to switch Milo to the Bjorn. At least in that, he would stay dry.

I worried that he would fuss after a short time in the Bjorn. At home, he seems pretty ambivalent about it for awhile, then is all, "Let me out of this thing, woman." But again, pleasantly surprised. Milo ended up riding around in that thing for the next three hours, and had to go in and out of it three or four times for diaper changes and meals (his and mine). And he was a trooper the whole time.

I was not nearly as laid back as Milo. First of all, it was raining. I was carrying a heavy diaper bag, an umbrella, and a 13-plus-pound baby. We had several things to purchase (including snacks and eight bottles of wine) and by the time we headed back to the hotel, Emily and I each had heavy shopping bags to carry as well. Emily really had the brunt of the load—she had six wine bottles to my two and snacks. We had a long walk, a metro ride (with a transfer) and an uphill climb to get back to the hotel. My back hurt and I was sweaty and I definitely felt like whining about it. Milo really set the bar high, though. I think the only part of the day that he was sort of upset about was the metro ride. He cried, and I got the feeling he didn't like the noise and the motion. (He apparently is not much of an urban baby.) Milo even managed to fall asleep while in the Bjorn. His head just started leaning to one side, and I eventually guided it to lean back against my chest. I think he slept like that for about 30 minutes, which was his only real nap of the day.

Once we got back to the hotel, the hard part of the trip was over. Molly's party that evening was a huge success. I think everyone had a great time. Food was delicious, drinks were plentiful, and guests played along with the silly shower games. Milo and Eli enjoyed their first bridal shower, but were a bit sad that we did not let them attend the bachelorette party. Babysitters took good care of them, and even texted us photos of sleeping babies so we could relax and enjoy our evening out. (And enjoy it we did. Good thing we had the frozen milk for the babies to drink.)

On Sunday, Molly picked me and Milo up and we spent the afternoon hanging out at her and Rich's house. We took a nap, chatted, and ate Chinese food. It was the perfect way to spend the day.

Thankfully, the flight home was uneventful. Milo slept the entire time, and somehow I managed to snag one of the two single seats (the nice wide ones with no one next to it, both window and aisle seat). I was expecting my mother-in-law, but Andrew even surprised us and picked us up from the airport. All in all, it was a fun trip—but I don't relish the thought of traveling solo with an infant again for a very long time. Even if that infant is an excellent traveler.

Milo, Meet Eli

I stole this from Emily. It is awfully damn cute. Milo and I shared a hotel room with Emily and Eli during our trip to D.C., and it was so fun to see the boys interacting with each other. I hope that when they are older they become great friends.

Milo's First Flight

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. This weekend I flew to Washington, D.C. for my dear friend Molly's bridal shower and bachelorette party. But I did not go by myself. My travel companion was a chubby-cheeked, thunder-thighed, blue-eyed, 13-pound bundle of joy. Because I am breastfeeding, Milo goes where I go. So we went to D.C. together. And—spoiler alert—we made it.

I was a nervous wreck beforehand. I had no idea what it would be like to travel with an infant. I read about traveling with a baby. I asked friends for advice. I called the airline. I overpacked. But I had no idea what to expect. And on Friday morning, I was so nervous I just kept crying. (I am a crier. Have I mentioned this before? It is how I react to about 75 percent of situations.) I was so worried that Milo would be miserable, or that he would get sick, or poop all over me. Not just on the plane. I was least worried about the flight itself. I was worried about getting both of us, plus stroller, diaper bag, cooler bag of frozen milk, and my giant camping backpack from the airport to the metro and then on to the hotel. I was worried about being on my own with Milo for three days. I'd be the only one for every diaper change, for every feeding, for every need he had. And that thought overwhelmed me.

I made it through airport security with no trouble. Shoes off, liquids bag in the tub. Milo out of stroller, fold up stroller, send diaper bag and stroller through X-ray. Declare 36 ounces of frozen breastmilk, send through X-ray. Walk through with baby in arms. Milo back in stroller, gather bags, put on shoes. As I waited in the boarding area, a woman approached me. She asked if I was traveling alone with the baby. She said she had a three-year-old and knew how tough traveling could be, and she offered to sit by me on the plane and help in any way she could. I began crying again. Embarrassed to be such a mess in front of this stranger, but so incredibly thankful for her offer, I said that would be great, and she and I began to talk. Her name was Amber, and she made all the difference in the world to me on my first flight with a baby.

Amber and I did manage to sit together—my original seatmate, a businessman, was happy to switch seats. I nursed Milo during take-off so his ears wouldn't hurt, and I was glad to have this woman (who breastfed her child for two years) sitting next to me. All seemed to be going really well, and my nerves were dissipating. Even though Milo was not sleeping as I had hoped he would be, he was fairly content and easy to entertain. Looked like it would be a good trip.

But then.

We hit some turbulence. Like, a lot of turbulence. The plane bounced around. Milo smiled at the sudden movements. I wanted air and tried not to think about feeling sick. The turbulence was so bad, a passenger fell to the floor as he walked back to his seat. I had a cup of water sitting on Amber's tray table, and not wanting it to spill or splash on her, I picked it up to finish it off. Before I could get a chance to take a drink, though, the plane dropped suddenly. Several people shrieked. My water flew up onto the ceiling, dripping down onto my head and soaking Milo's pjs. Everyone on board flew up as high as their seat belts would let them. Milo was not wearing a seat belt. And I was only supporting him with one arm. He was ripped out of my grasp, flying above my eye level. It happened so fast, seeing Milo in the air like that felt like it was happening in slow motion.

Thankfully, he came down safe and sound in the crook of my arm. But he was upset. And I was upset. I cried again, hugging that little boy so close. I couldn't stop thinking of the what-ifs. What if he had hit his head on the ceiling? What if I had been holding him less tightly and he banged his head on the wall? What if my seat belt had been looser and I hit my head and was unable to care for Milo? It was awful. No parenting moment so far has had me more shaken than this.

I've never experience turbulence like that before. One of the flight attendants was injured and upon landing had to be taken off the plane by medical personnel. As the passengers filed off the plane, you could see the stains of spilled coffee and soda all over their clothes and bags. Amber threw up, and I doubt she was the only one. But we made it. I'm not sure what I would have done without Amber there to distract me, help me, and encourage me. Even after we landed, she went with me to the baggage claim and carried the cooler bag for me. She watched Milo while I used the restroom. When her sister arrived to pick her up, they both walked me all the way to the metro entrance. Super nice. Amber, if you read this, thank you. You were a lifesaver for me and I will never forget your kindness.

Stories of the rest of the trip will have to wait. I'm still exhausted from the whirlwind trip, and it's time for me to go to bed.