Title Me Tuesday

In continuation of the joy that is the holiday season, here's another Title Me opportunity for your viewing pleasure. Post a witty (or not... mine generally are not) comment below and I'll post the winning title (assuming there are players in this little game) in the next blog. Enjoy!

Fa-la-la-la-la, it's Christmas Card Time!

Christmas cards - to send or not to send? I run into this dilemma every year. As a general rule, I love sending Christmas cards. But I always felt silly doing a photo card with just me and Matt on it. Plus we never had nice professional looking pictures to slap on the front anyway. So each year I'd trudge through the Christmas card aisle at Target, looking for something nice that wouldn't break the bank.

But all that has changed this year! As a brand new family (with fabulous new family portraits), this is finally the year! I asked some trusted friends who always send out photo cards and as it turns out, Shutterfly seems to be the photo site of choice. Even better, I was so excited when Adrienne from Our Journey of Love posted on her blog that Shutterfly is giving cards away to bloggers! Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly! You can sign up here: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Now of course, the dilemma I now face is: which cards to choose!  If you've never perused Shutterfly's site, brace yourself, because there are almost too many designs to choose from, especially if you're indecisive like me.

Should I do one large family photo?

Joy Sage Story Christmas

Opt for including as many pictures as possible? 

Merry Memories Blue

Perhaps we should feature Violet solo? 

Joy & Peace 

My pal Shelly recommended I make a couple different versions to help narrow it down, and it has been fun playing around with all the possibilities. Of course, choosing the final cut will be tough. No doubt whatever gets picked, it will be beautiful. After all, it is starring my little munchkin! (Apologies all around, Christmas makes me sappy and exclamation point happy!)

Monday's Child

40 Weeks

Forty weeks old and finally starting to recover from the last week. Not Violet's best photo, but cut her some slack, the girl has been through a lot. Fortunately, getting her back in the regular routine seems to have helped. She had a better day than anyone expected at daycare, and her eating seems back on track as well. Tonight she didn't push the bottle away once, which was the case all last week. I was going nuts worrying about her. But things are looking up!

I don't know if I've told you, but Violet has finally starting saying mama! And she's getting good at sorting out her sounds. It used to be that if I asked her to say mama, all I got was dada. Dada would be her only sound for a good couple days, and then it would switch to some other consonant. But now, I say mama, she says mama. I say baba, she says baba. It's like her brain is working out how each sound is made, instead of just letting any sound pop out.

Violet also has quite an arm on her. These days, if she can get something in her hand, she'll fling it as far and fast as she can. This goes for paci, toys, food, anything. She has also realized she can display her displeasure in any number of ways, including screaming, whining, arching her back and stiffening her legs to twist out of my arms, throwing her body around, face planting into the floor, pushing away from me when I'm holding her (not cool!), grabbing my face... She's learning her has a will of her own, and it's her God-given American right to exercise it!

I'm just thankful the worst seems to be over. And hey, I survived my first day back at school and managed to cook and serve dinner sans hubby tonight. Now I'm off to place a massive Amazon.com order so I can officially say my holiday shopping is underway.

I had a minor breakdown this weekend, after realizing my entire Thanksgiving holiday was gone and I had practically nothing to show for it. I was super irritated and overwhelmed by stuff that seemed super important at the time, but now with a little perspective, is almost (almost... I'm not quite there yet) laughable. For example, I need stamps to mail out Christmas cards. I don't want the lame flag stamps, I want the colorful holiday Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus stamps. After all, these cards are special, our first as a family. The problem is, I can't make it to the post office after work before it closes. And it wasn't open yesterday. And this Saturday I have my last grad school class so I'll be gone all day. And then it's Sunday again. So now we're looking at an entire two weeks before I can get to the frickin' post office to get my stamps to mail out these cards! (Over-dramatic much? See, I told you I was in a mood!)

I was in the car, having these crazy-woman ideas, when all of a sudden, another thought popped, unbidden, into my head. I just needed to let it go and ask God to change my attitude. That was my exact thought and the minute it ran through my head, I could sense my vision brightening a little. Naturally, being the crazy-woman human that I am, my next thought was, I don't want to change my attitude! I want to be irritated and pissed off and overwhelmed because this week has been a wreck and... and... and... But again came that little whisper. So as grumpily as ever, with a huff and an eye roll, I gave in and asked God to change my spirit. Fine, I wanted to snap. Give me peace, whatever, see if I like it. But my very next lungful of air felt so much lighter, tasted so much cooler, that I have to admit, it was a good decision on my part, listening to that little Voice. I'll be keeping an ear out for it again.

Car Seat Blues

Lately whenever I put Violet in the carseat, she starts crying. Any idea what that could be about?

 Don't let this smiling face fool you... Daddy put her in the car this time.

I'm wondering if it's my method... She's so heavy, and the seat is so awkward, that by the time I maneuver her head under the door frame, I have no choice but to basically drop her into the seat. Not graceful in the slightest. So that could be an issue. (For the record, she doesn't cry when Matt puts her in every morning for our trip to daycare.) I'm also wondering if she's afraid of it, or rather, what it means - she's going to be stuck there in the backseat by herself for an indeterminate amount of time - LAME.

The crying really picks up after I'm loading her in the car to take her home from daycare. She's probably thinking - finally, my mom is back! And then the first thing I do is stick her in the car. It's gotten so bad that all I have to do is open the car door and she freaks out and starts clinging desperately to my neck as if I'm about to abandon her on a desert island filled with baby-eating wildebeests or something.

Anyway, any advice out there from fellow mommies who have experienced something similar?

Our First Thanksgiving

So Violet's first Thanksgiving was a bit of a bust. Poor girl has been so sick for the last several days. She didn't even make it to the table on Thursday. And maybe it was because of this that I felt this year's holiday was a bit... off.

 Pretty much sums up Violet's Thanksgiving.

Don't get me wrong, we had a lovely day. It's just that, my idea of Thanksgiving has always involved getting to enjoy the feast without worrying about how it got to the table. Someone else has always cooked the bird, someone else has always decorated the table. We show up, heap compliments on the chef, enjoy the bounty, take a lazy walk, watch football drowsily in front of the tv before rousing ourselves to plate up turkey sandwiches.

 Our salt and pepper family, together for the holidays! (The mom and dad are mine, the kids belong to my mom, they reunite every year.)

This year, Matt and I wanted to host. After all, we are a new family, we have this house, it's about time we let the others just show up and enjoy. And I loved that both our families made the trip up and gathered around our table, complimented Matt's turkey, took the traditional walk. But when you've seen the entire process through from start to finish, a little bit of the magic wears off. You have to handle the raw, rubbery turkey before it gets to its golden perfection. You have to swipe off the layers of dust that have gathered on the shelves, dig through closets to find those linen napkins and napkins rings never used although you've owned them since your wedding. You stress about tablescapes. You see the imperfections that no one else will notice, but you will. By the time you get the house clean, the table set, the dishes organized, the food ready, you're almost too tired to even enjoy it. And there's always the danger that the real reason for the entire production, the opportunity to stop and give thanks, will slip by like the overlooked bowl of cranberries that were bought with such good intentions but never managed to make it to the table.

On top of that, Violet has been sick all week. All. Week. My visions of being super productive and getting all these things done and enjoying my week off from work have been in shambles since Monday afternoon. And even then, I thought for sure she'd be better for her first Thanksgiving. But no dice. We've been to the doctor twice, endured nebulizer breathing treatments, and haven't had a full night's sleep all week (and when I say we, I mean everyone in the family). I've turned into a human kleenex for all Violet's snot and tears.

Still, we managed to make yesterday a nice day. Matt's first turkey turned out fabulous, despite stressing over when to put it in the oven, when it take it out, worrying it wouldn't get done on time and then worrying it would finish cooking too soon. We managed to find room in the oven for everything. Everyone brought their showcase dishes, from my mom's famous sweet potato casserole to my mother-in-law's corn pudding. I debuted my new two dollar (Target clearance) gravy boat, which received numerous compliments, of which I'm fairy certain sixty percent were sincere. The weather was perfect for our stroll around the neighborhood with Violet. More importantly, we got to enjoy time together as a family. All in all, I'd chalk it up as a success, and would even consider hosting again. Provided my child isn't sick this time!

Scenes from around the table:

 My father-in-law and cousin-in-law, obviously overwhelmed at the beauty of my two dollar gravy boat.

 I had Matt lean back so I could get the festive fall leaves in the background, but the effect somehow didn't translate the way I thought it would. Sorry!

 My parents and me.

Once everyone left, Violet took an exhausted two-hour nap, during which we snuck in a breathing treatment. She woke up in a better mood and even got her first taste of Thanksgiving, my mom's homemade sweet potato casserole. Then she surprised both of us by sleeping in her bed the whole night long, only coughing a few times. I think (dare I say it) she might finally be on the upswing.

And she's done. Ending the day the same way she started.

But despite all the drama, I'm still thankful. I'm grateful we had the opportunity to open our home, after so many years of being welcomed in others. It's nice to give back. I'm so glad our families live close enough that we can all gather together; I'm glad my parents and Matt's parents are friends and can share the day with us (because eating two turkey dinners in one day just isn't that appealing anymore). I am thankful for the opportunity to take on so many different roles in my life, from wife and hostess to mom. Each comes with its own challenge, but each pushes me to be a better person. And now that I think about it... maybe this Thanksgiving wasn't as off as I thought it was!

Life of the Party

Violet had fun hanging out with some friends last weekend during JR and Rebecca's wedding shower. It's such a different experience going to a party with a kid in tow. First off, I have to say props to our friends for welcoming Violet to such an occasion. No one else in the group really has kids, certainly not a wriggling, exploring, whining baby like ours. But these days I really think we'd be sent home if we showed up sans Violet. They all seem genuinely pleased to see her and want to play with her and hold her and love on her, which makes this Mama feel good. I was worried that we'd become hermits after the birth of our child, either by choice (too scared to go out with her) or default (people would just stop inviting us out). But neither has happened.

 Party girl!

Granted, events are a little different now that Violet is in the world. I spent most of my time at the shower either holding Violet so we could join the group outside for games (can't put her down because she's in her grass/leaf eating phase) or watching her like a hawk inside (she's in her 'eating everything else' phase). She would toss a toy, I would fetch the toy. She scooted around on the rug, I kept pulling her away from the coffee table and other dangerous edges. If I was eating, she wanted some. And forget drinking anything. She whined, I worried that she was ruining the party for everyone else. Violet has a schedule to keep, so that meant feeding her and missing one of the couples' games. (And feeding her without a highchair is a two-man, all hands on deck, brace for impact kind of job.) All in all, we had a good time, but I was exhausted by the end.

 Jenny rescued us at the end of the night by hanging out with a rapidly fading Violet. But with paci, the remote and a friend, Violet was good to go.

Violet shares a moment with a random lumberjack who wandered into the party. (Just kidding, it's JR, the groom-to-be!) Remarkably, she didn't seem that freaked out by the bushy beard (unlike her Mama).

What I didn't realize is that this was pretty much the last time Violet felt good for the rest of the week! She started coming down with something on Monday, and has been out for the count ever since. Poor thing. It has certainly made for a different Thanksgiving break than I planned. But hopefully things will look up soon.

Thankful

What are you thankful for this year?

I'm thankful for my little girl, who shows me every day how challenging and fantastically rewarding it is to be a mother.

I'm thankful for my mom, who has left her footsteps for me to follow, however imperfectly I may stumble in them.

I'm thankful for my husband, who makes this life possible for me. Without him, this roof would not be over my head, this food would not be on the table, this little girl would not be sitting beside us, squealing into her green beans.

I'm thankful for coffee, for a good bottle of red wine, for Diet Coke after a long afternoon. Oh, and dark chocolate. Let's not forget the dark chocolate.

I'm thankful I have a job. And it's a job I happen to enjoy. A job that pushes me each day to be better than I was the day before.

I'm thankful that I love to read. Some people don't, and I feel sorry for them. Reading is a way to escape into another world, a reminder that the world is bigger than the four walls I'm surrounded with each day.

I'm thankful for my family, and my friends and neighbors who have become like family.

What are you thankful for?

Eating Her Words

I love it when I issue a challenge, and you all rise so hilariously to the challenge! I cracked up reading  your titles for this picture of Violet. I love knowing such witty and clever people! Pat yourselves on the back, one and all. However, since there can only be one winner (and one runner up, since there were so many worthy entries), may I present the winning title:

"Eating her words before she can even speak an entire sentence!"

- Natalie 

Natalie wins because she read my mind when it came to this picture... I love that the book is called "Words" and Violet is eating her "Words"... oh, you all are smart enough to get the pun.  Anyway, Natalie nailed it on the head and so, congrats, she wins! 

Alas, as I mentioned in original post, I have no prize. But I can do something I think Natalie would appreciate. The lovely Natalie creates and sells the most adorable cards you have ever seen, and her Christmas collection is now up, so go check it out! I particularly like the Christmas Weenie. And of course, who wouldn't Wanna Hippopotamus for Christmas?

And the Title Me runner up (because it was too funny and I just had to give it props):

"Oh! I thought you said EATING is fundamental!" 

- The Violet Archer

This one had me laughing out loud when it popped up on my phone. Again, so punny! I love it! Ah, your wit is a treasure to behold. Thanks for playing, everyone!

To My Brother, on the Occasion of His Birthday

This post is dedicated to my brother Lukas, who turns the ripe old age of 28 today. Happy birthday, Lukas!

It's a wonderful thing to have a sibling you can also call a friend. Lukas and I are 22 months apart, so we've always been close. We've shared a bedroom as little kids, shared vehicles as we got older, shared friends in high school, shared adventures (and misadventures) when my parents were out of town. For a few years there he was "Kristine's little brother" but quickly I became known as "Lukas' older sister" and I'm just fine with that.

Lukas and I once staged a debate about which was better, creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter. (I took the side of crunchy, although I've since reversed my position). It was very serious business, lasting a good couple days, if memory serves. I don't, however, remember who won. I'm pretty sure we both refused to concede, forcing a stalemate. We also staged many a rendition of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" in our youth. Not sure why that song, but we sang with gusto.

Lukas is one of those people who doesn't just talk about going out and changing the world. He actually goes out and does it. He and his wife Danielle are missionaries in Chile, South America, where they minister to a crowd of students on a college campus in Santiago. I'm enormously proud of him, even if all his do-gooding makes me feel like a slacker sometimes.

Anyway, he's my brother, and I love him. Have a wonderful birthday, Lukas. See you guys soon!

(Lack of photo due to the fact that a) Lukas and Danielle live in Chile so no recent ones of us together have been taken, b) I've already posted all the ones from their last visit to meet Violet, and c) digital cameras weren't invented back in the good ol' days of our youth and I'm too lazy to scan anything. Must remember to remedy this at Christmas when they visit.)

(Of course, on second thought, I might as well just steal a few of his FB photos... you should at least see what the guy looks like!)

My dear brother and his lovely wife Danielle.

Seeing as I took this photo, I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to post. From my bowling birthday party extravaganza a couple years ago...

From their last visit stateside... (On a separate note, look how little Violet is! They are going to be shocked when they see her this Christmas!)

This photo sums Lukas up pretty nicely - music, smiling, good times, going places.

This one, on the other hand...

(All photos used without permission.) 

Title Me Tuesday

That's right, folks, Title Me Tuesday is BACK! Post your best caption in the comments below and the winner gets.... okay, the winner gets nothing. Except RESPECT! And I'll post your winning title on the blog. Have at!

Nine Months, Monday's Child!

Nine Months! (aka 39 Weeks!)
 

Happy nine months, child o' mine! You have now been in the world exactly as long as you were in the womb, 39 weeks. 

Violet and I are currently enjoying our Thanksgiving break from school, and to be very honest, it has been a bit of an adjustment seeing each other all day long again. All you SAHMs, here's a big hug for you and all you do. Taking care of a kiddo is hard work! Almost harder than taking care of the 200+ kiddos I see at school each day. But far, far sweeter and more precious.

Violet's nine-month well check is tomorrow, so you'll have to wait for the official stats. But suffice to say, this little stinker is moving around more than ever. No, she's not crawling yet, but she can scoot herself something fierce, especially when a prized object is just out of grasp, such as the remote. Or mommy's cell phone. Or anything else with buttons that can cause havoc and/or would be expensive to replace. Why do babies always go after the things you don't want them to? Violet has her own play phone with buttons that light up and play music. Is she swayed? Not one bit. Nope, she wants my phone, even though it doesn't have buttons, even when the screen is dark and the thing just looks like a blank, black inanimate object. Who cares! Mommy seems to like it, so it must be awesome! Gimme that!

 

The hilarious new face Violet has taken to making, usually after I ask her to say "mama". She is such a tease!

 

Violet has started an awesome new habit of taking a two hour nap each morning. This from the girl who previously wouldn't go down for more than 45 minutes at a time! So I am making the most of my new free time by finishing up the last paper I'll ever need to write for graduate school (!!) and trying to get this house in shape for the holiday hosting we'll be doing in the next few days. I actually managed to get a few Christmas decorations up this weekend (felt a little sacrilegious putting up the garland before Thanksgiving has even arrived, but hey, you use the time you've been given) and I'm really hoping Matt and I will get to start a new Loughman family tradition this year by going to chop down our own Christmas tree sometime this week. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First up, we really need to buy a turkey. So with that, I leave you (for now).

Svenska Flika

Check out my little Swedish girl! How sweet does she look in this outfit from my Mormor in Sweden? (The hat is actually from the good ol' U. S. of A. (ahem, made in China) but I think it fits the overall look we had going on.)
 

So I was talking to my mom the other day and she mentioned how she's been chatting with my Mormor (Grandmother in Swedish). Now, my Mormor raised seven kids, so she knows a thing or two about this whole child-rearing thing. Apparently she's been reading the blog and finds it gently amusing that I will get so worked up about various things, like making sure Violet is hitting her milestones or learning to crawl. After seven kids, I guess you've seen it all and you realize pretty quick that each child is different and going to do it their own way. One of her babies, for example, was perfectly content just sitting calmly and watching the action around her, no real need to jump into the crawling stage.

And once again I'm reminded that Violet is her own person and has her own path to walk (or crawl, or scoot). I'm just so excited and blessed that I get to be a part of her journey. Here's hoping she still loves me when she's fifteen and hormonal.

It's weird, lately I've been thinking about what it will be like when Violet is a teenager. She's just so sweet and innocent and thrilled to see me each time I walk in the room now, I have a hard time imagining things won't always be that way. I was fortunate to always have an awesome relationship with my mom, so I'm just assuming it will go the same way with my daughter. But who's to tell? There are plenty of horror stories out there, too. I know it's a little early to start worrying about this stuff, but the holidays are approaching, we're marking the passage of another year, and I'm getting a little sentimental.

(I've also been thinking a lot about baby number two, but that is another story for another day!)

Bucket O' Toys

Violet's latest quest - empty the toy bucket. Not to play with the toys, mind you. No, those are quickly discarded with disdain. The hot ticket item is actually the empty bucket! Thus confirming my suspicion that Violet will be receiving lots of empty boxes with plenty of wrapping paper for Christmas this year...

 Aha! This bucket shall soon be mine!

 Maybe I'll just stop for a little snack...

 No! I must continue in my quest! I think I can see the bottom!

Be gone from me, useless toys!

Dude, what gives? Is this Mary Poppins' magic bucket? Are the toys multiplying like loaves and fish? Sheesh!

Sitting Pretty

One of Violet's new favorite toys. She loves to dance when the music comes on (which happens any time she pushes the lamp... so it happens a lot). Rumor has it there is a matching kitchen set. Hmm... Santa? (Or more likely... Grandma?!)

Happy Family

 Remember when I was all stressed out about getting our family pictures taken? I was worried Violet wouldn't smile, or none of them would turn out. Well, our photo session ended up being wonderful. The day was just beautiful and the location our photographer picked was perfect. The light had that golden afternoon shimmer to it and Violet really loved being outside.

I can't say enough about our photographer either. Working with babies can be challenging, but Alex was on his toes, even jumping through bushes to capture the moment. I wanted something fast and simple that would still give us great results, and he delivered. In 20 minutes, we had a fun, relaxing time and ended up with 30 shots that will make for some beautiful Christmas cards and framed pictures. On top of that, we got all the pictures just a few days later (although it's taken me five times as long to put some up on here). But without further adieu, may I present (some of) our family pictures!

See what I mean about the beautiful afternoon though? It took Violet a while to warm up, but by the end, she was smiling like she always does. So this is just a small taste of what we took (I gotta save some for the Christmas cards!) but I did want to share a few. I'll put more up in some future posts.

Monday's Child

 38 Weeks

Violet's teachers complimented her today on how well she is doing. They also agree that she is thisclose to crawling, based on the way she is already able to scoot and move and how motivated she is. That's my girl! Now if only she would learn to say Mommy. She's got her Da Da's down pat!

Busted mid-blahb blahb blahb.

And a special shout-out goes to Miss Layla Embry, the newest addition to the Dukes family! Welcome to the world, Layla!

Prelude to Thanksgiving

 Dude, is this day over yet?

Well, we made it to another weekend. I needed this Friday. Somehow, the shorter work weeks (I was off on Monday) end up seeming the longest. Do you experience that as well? Unfortunately, my weekend is already half gone as tomorrow I'll spend all day in Athens, my next-to-last grad school class before my Masters degree. But it's next Friday I'm really looking forward to - the start of Thanksgiving break!

 

Another class?! Will this never end?

 

Hopefully I can be super productive on Sunday to make up for it. My to-do list has been growing ever longer these days. Order Christmas cards, print our family photos, put away Violet's too-small clothes, get out her bigger sizes, buy wedding gifts and send thank you cards, clean this house, write two papers, start Christmas shopping, figure out how to host our first ever Thanksgiving meal (I'm feeling the sudden pressure for linen napkins and tablescapes).

 I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

As for Violet, she is doing great. She is officially on the other side of the wall at daycare and I keep getting such positive reports. She has really responded to being with the crawlers and walkers, not to mention all the new toys and activities. She has also started eating table food at school as a way to continue the practice we're giving her at home each night. She is really rocking the self-feeding. Her new favorite - mashed potatoes! She cut her first top tooth this week, and we head back to the pediatrician the week of Thanksgiving for her nine month well-check.

 Gotta... work off... some of those... potatoes!

Oh, and remember how I've been so concerned with Violet's lack of motivation when it comes to crawling? Well, the girl is stepping up! It is so obvious that she really wants to crawl now. She can push up onto her knees and scoot herself backwards and in a circle to chase down an elusive toy or the beloved paci. And while she hasn't got all the moves down yet, I'm relieved that at least she wants to try. I think it's just a matter of weeks. So add babyproofing this house to my to-do list. (Sigh. I see my relaxing Thanksgiving holiday disappearing before my eyes...) Hang in there, folks, the holidays approach!

Did someone say "paci"?

There and Back Again

So I've told you about getting to Texas, and a bit about our time there. But now it's time to tell the story of our journey home. This was absolutely the part that had me most concerned (er, terrified). While Matt and I would be traveling together to our destination, I would be flying home alone. Plus Violet. Every fear that I had about getting to Texas was magnified ten-fold by the thought of doing it solo on the way back.

Here's the thing about traveling with a baby. You have to ask for help. It's impossible not to. There was no way I would be able to hoist the stroller onto the x-ray machine while holding Violet. So I asked the nice gentleman behind me, who graciously obliged. But I still hated having to ask. I feel like I'm inconveniencing someone who is probably already annoyed to be at the airport standing in the security line anyway. And now there's a crazy woman with bags and babies dripping off of her, asking for a hand. Ugh. He was nice, though.

Flight delayed. Attempting to convince our fellow passengers that we are not a threat.

 

After navigating security, I stopped to double-check the gate and departure time, only to see that dreaded word - delayed. Not even an updated time, just delayed. Awesome. We were only 30 minutes behind, but it was still 30 minutes for Violet to make an impression on our fellow passengers. I tried my best to make sure it was a good one, seeing as I forgot my "I don't want to sit next to you either" shirt. I put Violet on her blanket in the most remote corner I could find and plied her with food and cheerios. She thought it would be fun to see how far she could throw her pacifier across the terminal, but basically behaved.

Because our flight was late, we were rushed getting aboard and I didn't get the courtesy "traveling with small children" early boarding. Sheesh, what's the point of taking your kid if you can't get on the plane before the crush?! Then I had to find an airline worker to help me lock up the stroller. Then finally we got on the plane.

Who needs toys and snacks when you have the Hertz rental car brochure to play with?!

Thank the Lord (seriously, I thank Him) that I ended up with a row to myself! Well, I'm pretty sure Jesus had the seat next to me. Violet has no concept of personal space. And unlike our journey to Texas, she was wide awake for nine tenths of this trip. I stayed busy making sure she wasn't chucking the sippy cup at the people behind us or trying to grab the sleeves of the people in front. I was fully stocked with drinks, food, toys, the works - anything to keep her occupied. Naturally, the only thing she really wanted to play with was the Hertz rental car brochure from the seat pocket. We experienced another first when I had to change her diaper in the airplane bathroom (at least she's still small enough to fit on the changing table). Violet passed out about 20 minutes before we landed, but at least we made it with no meltdowns.

 Get me out of here!

But the best part of the trip came on the train between terminals at the Atlanta airport. Quick aside: navigating an airport with a stroller, looking for elevator access, etc, turned my home airport into a completely different place. Anyway, back to the train. I wheeled Violet on and followed the instructions to "hold on, the doors are ready to close". And here's where it gets cool. There were two men nearby. Without really looking at me or each other, they both casually stuck their feet out and each braced one of the stroller wheels so Violet wouldn't go sailing across the train when we took off. Then as the train slowed down, they shifted their feet so now they were bracing the stroller from being thrown backwards. All done without communicating, without being asked, without making a production out of it. People are nice. It was absolutely my favorite moment of the entire trip.

And then we were home sweet home.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

So we Loughman's took our first ever family vacation this weekend! I would have posted all my anxiety leading up to this trip, but I didn't want any blog stalkers breaking into my house while we were gone, so I kept it on the DL until we arrived home. Sorry! Needless to say, I had plenty of first-time mommy freak outs leading up to this.

I was worried about Violet's ears (what if an ear infection was a'brewing?) What if she screamed the whole way? How would we manage without all our baby equipment? Was it physically possible to get through the airport with luggage, a stroller, a car seat, a baby...? But namely, I didn't want to see the dirty looks from the other airplane passengers as I toted my child and all her belongings aboard.

 My friend Julie, who I queried for advice, brilliantly suggested that I wear a shirt reading "I don't want to sit next to you either". Several of my other friends had helpful hints as well, such as drugging the baby with some Benadryl pre-flight or simply not going. (Thanks folks.) There was some definite fear involved. But this trip was too good to pass up. Matt's portion was free, thanks to the fact that work was paying to fly him to the conference in Dallas. Our accommodations were taken care of because we'd be bunking with our dear friends Shelly and Jeremy. Besides, I'd like to be one of those parents that takes my kids everywhere. I was on a plane to Sweden at six months old. Plenty of other people can do it, and I didn't want fear to keep Violet from exploring the world. 

 Violet's first plane ride! Having a row to ourselves certainly made the flight a little smoother. On a side note, look at that belly! Good grief!

So we did it! Long story short, our flight there was excellent. Violet took a bottle on take-off and slept most of the way there. She woke up happy, just in time to play peek-a-boo with the woman sitting behind us. She even got her first set of "wings"! (I didn't realize airlines even gave out the wing pins anymore.)

And then we were finally back in Texas. The visit at the White house was lovely. Violet loved playing with Shelly and Jeremy's three girls. (She doesn't get much girl time around our neighborhood.) And of course, the girls loved her. Jeremy also seemed quite taken with Violet, and she let him have quite a few cuddles.

I love the way these friends just fit us into their lives as though we have always belonged there. Our visits are very natural. We tagged along to church on Sunday for a super fun family service where parents and kids just plop onto the floor and enjoy a kid-oriented show. We hot tubbed. We ate and cleaned up and let Violet romp around on the floor and watched tv and did all the normal weekend activities that we would have done here in Georgia, only we got to do them with some wonderful friends from afar. It's nice when you go back to visit a place you used to live, because there's not pressure to sight-see or really do anything in particular - you can just focus on catching up with each other. And as a bonus, you already know where the closest Starbucks is.

 Our first night in town, we walked to a little Mexican restaurant (duh, we're in Texas! Best Mexican food eva!) across the street from the White house. Violet's face cracks me up. If I ever saw a Title Me picture, this is it! Feel free to weigh in below.

 She crashed on the way home from the restaurant.

 

Violet also discovered dogs. At first she seemed a little freaked out, but her anxious cries quickly turned to shrieks of joy. And she was loud, perhaps the loudest I've ever heard her! Those long-suffering animals put up with her, though, even when she got a little grabby.

Violet and Jack Frost - BFF 4 Eva!

 

Another highlight of our visit was reuniting with some of my friends from back in the good old days. In particular, Amanda (hey girl!) who just had a baby of her own. The two kiddos got to meet and let me tell you, her son Miles is just perfect in every way. I can't wait to have a boy next if he can be as fun and full of personality as that Little Man.

 The old and new crew - Miles and Amanda, Violet and me. Miles is three months old... I canNOT believe Violet was ever that little! It is shocking how quickly babies grow.

 

Our hostess with the mostest - Shelly.

 

The only downside to the trip was the time change. First we changed time zones; then daylight savings struck. Our poor girl didn't have a clue what time it was supposed to be. One morning she was up at 4 (we ignored her, and to be fair, she seemed quite content just hanging out in her pack n' play) and then up again an hour later. Even once I got her home, she was still awake a full hour earlier than she normally is.

And speaking of getting home, our journey back (sans Matt) is a story unto itself. Stayed tuned!