Ramblings, Recipes, & Rants: Vacation... in reverse

We're back! After two weeks "abroad" we are back in the Lonestar state!

As much as I loved seeing everyone, I have to say that I felt relieved when we pulled into the driveway late Thursday night. Traveling with an 8 week old isn't exactly the most relaxing vacation.

Before Mikey was born we decided it was a fantastic idea to take him to California and Utah to see everyone... before Labor Day. We wanted to make sure that Brian had the time off, that people would be around, and of course we wanted to reduce Mikey's risk of contracting RSV. So we bought the tickets, planned to be gone two weeks, packed our bags, got a sitter for CJ, and headed off. We were not prepared for all the fun things that accompany traveling with an infant. Not only do you need to adjust the amount of luggage needed, but also the amount of time needed to accomplish each activity. We went from jam packed days to days with naps and few activities. Despite this adjustment we had a pretty successful trip overall... yes there was some meltdown moments, but I have to say all in all things went extremely well... not that I want to go out of town again for a bit, but still.

This was a trip of firsts for Mikey... I know every day has "firsts" when you are 8 weeks old, but let's recap, this trip included the following "firsts":

the first time we woke Mikey up at 4am instead of the other way around
the first time Mikey discovered that fists and thumbs are great (more on this later)
the first time Mikey went on an airplane (not counting the flights during pregnancy)
the first time Mikey went on a car ride longer than 1 hour
the first time Mikey visited CA, NV, AZ (just for 20 min), and UT
the first time Mikey visited his future alma mater... BYU
the first time Mikey slept until 4am (he was just tired, dont worry this isnt normal)
the first time Mikey used the closet as a comfy bed
the first time Mikey met his cousins, 3 sets of great grandparents, aunts, and uncles
the first time Mikey ate at JDawgs, Cafe Rio, and the Creamery on 9th
the first time Mikey had his diaper changed in a car (and the first time he pooped on another car... yeah)
the first time Mikey visited the BYU mothers rooms (more on that later too)
the first college class Mikey attended

And now for what you have waited for... the photo version of our trip. Yes there are an abnormal number of photos of one person, but that is expected, right?

Our trip... backwards

By the time we got to the airport on Thursday afternoon Mikey was ready to go home. Look how tired the guy looks.

Alayna had to create a wordsearch for her homework, Brian helped and I solved it, sadly her wordsearch was a little too tough for me! She is so smart, and well Jake is just too funny!

Can you believe how big this girl has gotten (and what a cute kitchen her mom has?). She is in first grade! Sadly we didnt get many pictures of her since she was in school all day, but suffice it to say she is a cute girl!

Mikey and Jake. Jake was so sweet with Mikey. He kept checking on him, and best of all he kept taking his little fist out his mouth, way to prevent thumb sucking Jake!

Mikey and Caleb, dont you just want to pinch their squishy cheeks! Caleb was so funny with Mikey, he kept running (fast) saying "baby mikey, baby mikey!" Our first day with him he decided that Mikey wanted to "share" his blankets with him. It was so funny to see him "share", Mikey didnt mind one bit, and I am sure Caleb was happy to see thermal blankets again.

All the cousins... yes this is the best one we got, we need more practice photographing wiggly kids.

After a long day of meeting people this is what happens, the poor guy just passed out wherever he was.

All the boy cousins, I love Jake's smile in this one!

Oh Jake... I have to admit I have a crush on this guy, he is just so stinkin' cute!

What a cute guy! Seriously, dont you think this guy is adorable.

Mikey meets the whole Utah family!

Auntie Em and Mikey at the Creamery... yes we went twice.

Oh Shipp! Both Em and I lived at Shipp our first summers at BYU (7 years apart). Now they are tearing it down, oh what great memories we have in this place!

Mikey and his first trip to Cafe Rio. It was so loud, but the poor guy was exhausted so he took a nap.

No room in the bed for me. Between these two bed hogs I might as well have slept in the closet!

JDawgs... oh how I have missed you!

Mikey and his first trip to the Creamery on 9th. I love this place, so... BYU in a nutshell. Mikey refused to sit in the stroller or on my lap, but he loved wiggling on the seat next to me.

Finishing up "lunch" in one of the new BYU mother's rooms. Why is this significant? I helped work with a group to create these "mother's rooms" or "pumping stations" (yes that is a horrible name) while I was in graduate school. Now that I am long gone from Provo they have 4! Lots more are needed but this is a step in the right direction. While I was there a BYU mom came in and pumped for her baby- this is awesome!

Mikey's "bed" in the hotel. He didnt seem to mind sleeping on the floor (there are several blankets down there), and the closet seemed like a safe place for him, dont worry at home he doesnt sleep on the floor in the closet.

Brian took Mikey to visit his old fishing spot. The river was beautiful, too bad we didnt have more time to enjoy it.

Mikey's first photo in Utah, this was somewhere around Filmore?

This is how Mikey would have spent the car ride to Utah if we had let him. Dont worry we were mostly responsible and had him in his car seat the whole time, but at some point, the 7 week old couldnt handle it, and his grammy took pity on him.

Getting his diaper changed while we trekked to Utah. The funny thing about this particular diaper change is that... well Mikey decided he wasnt quite done about halfway through the experience. Right as I was putting the new diaper on he squirted... it shot far enough that it got on the car parked next to us in the Costco parking lot. it would have been all over me, but in a moment of cat like reflexes I jumped (which was good since I didnt have any other clothes handy). Yeah this wasnt my best parenting moment. The owners of the car are going to wonder why there is deli mustard (ruined that for you didnt i) on their car, little do they know it is actually baby poop! Yes I am awful.

Leaving CA at 5am, Mikey wasnt thrilled to be up.

Learning to suck his fist... more on this but I need to stop this before it starts. See my mom laughing at me... this is the face of someone that paid for the braces of a thumb sucker.

Mikey aged 45 years over night! Not really, I put baby powder in his hair to help with the greasiness (that's what happens when you have so much hair at this age... people love to touch it) He looked so cute we had to take a picture, dont you just have a crush on this cute guy!

Mikey and Poppy had lots of long conversations. I dont know what it is about my dad, but Mikey LOVED him. My dad says he has the magic touch, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think there might be something to it. The little guy would go from screaming, not sleeping, and just total meltdown mode to peacefully sleeping as soon as my dad picked him up, this guy loves his Poppy!