Our First Family Vacation

Last week we got to go on our first family vacation.  We would have went earlier but Covid has still had us under lock and key.  We planned a time when we assumed the manor would be open so Quincey could meet grandma Esther.  It's obviously a really big deal when you have a baby for your parents to meet your new little one.  I think, especially if you are a daughter it's even more important for your own mom to see you as a mom and meet your little one.  Unfortunately, the manor was still closed.  

But, what's second best to your mom meeting your little one?  Your sister!  Dessa still hadn't gotten to meet Quincey either.  She was planning a trip to Albuquerque right after I gave birth but, alas, once again Covid played her hand.  So, even though we knew that we would have to deal with the heartbreak of being so close to grandma but not getting to see her, we were super super super excited for Auntie Dessa to meet her.

I started making lists two weeks before we left of things we would need to bring.  My, how traveling with a baby is different than traveling alone!  The pack n/ play, the bouncy seat, the breast pump, the diapers, the nose bulb.  The list seemed to go on and on.  But, we got all packed up and hit the road an hour and a half late!  (I'm never late to leave.  Another adjustment to having a baby.)

We made the long track to Greeley to Auntie Grace's house for the night.  Quincey did an amazing job!  She only got fussy a couple time.  

It was the first time EVER Quincey had been in someone else's house and, of course, she was a live wire!  She also got to be introduced to her first doggy and kitty cat.  But, what she liked most was their fish tank.  She was mesmerized with their live rock and clown fish.  She could have stared at it all night.  

The next day everyone loaded up, including the Logan's to head for Newcastle.  They were on their way to camp for the week in the Black Hills.  Dessa had left bright and early.  Well, I think she actully left before it was even bright because it was so early it was still dark!  Anyhow, Dessa and Sophia left from Coeur D 'Alane that morning as well.  Warren, Asher, and Uncle Chris couldn't come because they were in Alaska fishing.  

Finally, after a long day of traveling for everyone, we all made it to Newcastle.  How special it was to see my big sister meet Quincey.  I have always been in love with my nieces and nephews and cherished my role as Auntie but to see the tides turn and watch my big sister be the auntie while I got to be the mommy was super special.

We got to stay there for most of the week.  Each day we made our way up to Breaver Creek where the Logan's were camping to spend time with them and ended our evenings at mom and dad's house.

Dessa, Joe, my dad, and I got to play pinochle one night which was really fun.  We got smoked but had a good time giving it our best shot.  

Dessa got to spend lots of time snuggling Quincey.  And, Sophia, well, Quincey just loved her!  Sophia had her laughing like I have never seen her laugh before.  She loves her cousin, that's for sure.  

Joe and I took Quincey to the LAK to do some fishing one morning.  That was fun!  Quincey got to touch her first fish and saw her first crawdad.  I love the evolving expression on her face as she sees the fish and then touches it....

Of course I got sentimental sharing my home and places like the LAK with my new family.  I am so blessed to have grown up in essentially only one place and STILL get to go home to the same place.  I mean, I sit on the back deck and see the same view I've been seeing for 30 years, I sleep in the same bedroom.  I got to a place like the LAK and am flooded with memory after memory of that place and now, here I am, with my husband and daughter; sharing it with them.  I have may have been late to the party but I made it!

We also had our first babysitting experience.  We planned to drop Quincey off with Auntie Grace so we could have some quality mommy and daddy time.  We decided to go fishing.  I caught 2 fish!  We had an absolute blast and, although I thought about her, I wasn't worried at all about Quincey.  It was so nice to have some adult time alone.

I was glad that we got to spend time with my dad.  I had no false sense that it would not be hard to be in Newcastle with my mom literally just across town behind a cement wall and not be able to see her.  It was horribly hard. I cried many tears and start crying just thinking of it.  It wasn't just hard.  It was pretty gut wrenching.  I do not know how my dad has the strength to go every day that close to her yet unable to see her, hug her, or hold her hand.  I take comfort being this far away knowing that even if I wanted to see her I can't because of pure distance.  I don't know how he goes every day not having that physical distance keeping him away but still not being able to see her.  It just sucks.  There's no getting around that.  Anyhow, I was glad we could be there with my dad and provide him some quality family time during such a trying time.  

But, the week came to an end quicker than we wanted and we inevitably had to start our way back home.  As great as it was to get away, it was very nice to be in our own space and get settled back into a routine.

I hope that Quincey grows to love her trips to Wyoming just as much as I do it.  Wyoming will always and forever be "home" for this mamma.  

Finally, some lingering pictures that I just love.

4th of July Fun

So, the 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays.  The nostalgia I get when thinking about being at my parents house year after year brings a quick smile to my face.... My mom chatting it up with whomever happens to be in the kitchen at the moment while she makes her famous potato salad, marching me out to her flower garden to show me all her precious new blooms, my dad constantly yelling, "CLOSE THE SCREEN DOOR!" while taking in the chaos quietly as he tries to go about his business, and,of course, nieces and nephews running up and the down the stairs playing and running through sprinklers and begging parents to at least let them start the day time fireworks while examining and anticipating the excitement of the "night time fire works" yet to come brings such warm memories to the surface.  

Finally, our night would kick off with our small stash of strategically bought fireworks (because they're so darn expensive!) being lit in the driveway. Nieces and nephews taking turns lighting them of course.  Our small smorgasbord of fireworks never lasted long but never failed us either.  All the memories of all the small snafus that notoriously happened every year are so cherished.  Such as, the rogue firework that sends all of us flying from our seats or the suspected "dud" that goes off unexpectedly.  

These things have always made July 4th one of my favorite holidays but, until being a mother, I didn't realize how baby UNfriendly the celebrations of July 4th are!  

So this year, we spent the 4th of July enjoying time as a family around the house but no fireworks were purchased as I knew that we would be spending the time when fireworks are lit and enjoyed trying to get our little one to sleep.  

Quincey actually did quite well.  There were lots and lots of loud booms throughout our neighborhood that I thought would surely wake her but every time I ran up there to see, she was still asleep. But, I swore if one of those fireworks woke my sleeping baby I would have words with the perpetrator. Of course that was said out of desperation but I now have great respect for moms that have a toddler to entertain, a young child to help with fireworks, and a sleeping baby to maintain.  Those moms, on the 4th, are super women because it was enough work just to try to get Quincey to sleep.

4th of July's have definitely changed for me but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Someday not too far away, she will likely be running around asking papa to light her smoke bomb while throwing snap pops everywhere.  Can't wait!  

                          

The Sleep Situation

Oh the good old days when sleep was an actual thing that I actually got to do.  Those day are but a distant fond memory.

Look how she's holding my finger:)

Quincey has never been the typical baby that sleeps sleeps sleeps.  Everything you read on a newborn talks about how they will sleep for hours at a time and just sort of exist like a lump on a log for the first couple months.  This has never been the case for our little Quinney.  I remember her first appointment with the pediatrician who couldn't believe how alert she was and that she was awake and looking around during the whole appointment.  I told her that this was not abnormal.  She told me that soon her awake/alert time would stretch to approximately an hour.  I don't remember Quincey ever NOT having at least an hour of alert time between naps.  And speaking of naps, Quincey has never taken those long 3 hour nap stretches like all the books I read said she would.  All the sleep schedules, eating schedules and play schedules are written on the premise that your baby sleeps all the time and in 3 hour lump sessions.  So, given the fact that Quincey rarely sleeps longer than 45 minutes per nap, all those schedules were never able to happen.

And lets talk about HOW she sleeps.  Because she has always been extremely active and always moving, we have had to work very hard on getting her to slow down and quiet her body enough to sleep.  Which means swaddling her has been an essential sleeping aid for us.  Imagine trying to get someone to go to sleep who is in the middle of running a marathon.  There's just now way, so getting her in that swaddle means that she finally stops moving enough to relax and take that little 30 minute catnap. 

So you can imagine the daunting feeling that has been lurking around the corner as she gets closer and closer to not being able to wear a swaddle due to safety reasons.  Once they are able to roll over, you can't swaddle them because you don't want them to roll over and not have free hands.  Rolling over happens around 4 months.  Quincey is currently 3 1/2 months.  She has also gotten to the point where she will fight like hell to get out of that swaddle.  Thus, she is showing all the signs that it is ready to put the swaddle to bed for good.  But doing that has come with challenges and then add on to that the notorious 4 month sleep regression that's currently happening and we have quite the sleep deprivation situation in full bloom.

There's no way I can just completely do away with the swaddle.  I mean, I suppose I could but that just doesn't seem very realistic.  Let me tell you... the baby business definitely capitalizes on sleep deprived parents.  Last week I was willing to do whatever it took to garner some sleep for both me and baby but the swaddle wasn't working and she would spend all her time fighting and fighting to get out of it.  So, I went to the nearest baby store and picked up a "transition swaddle" which looks like a flying squirrel. It keeps her hands up by her face which they say is a more "natural" sleep position for babies and the arms unzip so I can transition her from complete swaddling to just one arm being free at a time.  It's got what are called "whisper zippers" so I can undo one arm without waking her once she is asleep. (Man!  What did they do back in the day to get babies to sleep! :)  It was $40.  It may seem like that's not too much but when you factor in the idea behind the swaddle *that it's only going to be used for the transitional period which, if you do it according to books, should last no more than a week* it's a pretty penny.  But, with the green light from Joe who has been dealing with the brunt of our sleep deprivation, I snatched it up.  And, what do you know... she hates it!  But, I can't return it because she peed in it and I had to wash it.

So, currently we are back to her original swaddle and just slowly trying to teach her how to self soothe while leaving one arm out at a time.

Sometimes she will fall asleep and other times her self soothing has consisted of fake crying for hours.  She did put herself to sleep after 1 1/2 hours of crying but was again awake in 2 hours to cry for another 2 hours before she slept for another hour. 

Last night was better.  Not perfect and we opted to completely swaddle her as she wasn't fighting it and we desperately wanted to get some sleep so, we have a ways to go but down that path we're going to keep on trudging. 

Here's a rare glimpse of one of the only times she has slept without being in her straitjacket, AKA swaddle.