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Archive for December, 2008

Things that Work

Monday, December 29th, 2008

Bottle Warming: From MUCH experience, we finally discovered that the best thing for bottle warming on the go is actually a thermos full of boiling water (obtained from obliging coffee machines) added to a cool bottle to warm it up just a bit.  When it’s new, 2 oz. hot to 3 oz. cold seemed to yield the perfect temp.  At home, we got this handy little electric kettle.  I remembered my England days and how everyone had one and used it for everything.  Nighttime bottles are quick, just about 1 minute to boiling, and then add to cool water and WA LA.

Teething Toys: Yay for the soothie teether!  He loves it!

Swaddles:  I am sad to say that Camper has started to Houdini out of his miracle blanket, but it has been the best swaddle, by FAR.  Many precious nights of sleep gained from this nice little device.

Cozy Carseat:  The OH SO HANDY Bundle Me.  I gotta tell you, not having to wrestle Camper into a baby coat contraption in a car before a pit stop in Kansas with temps below freezing and crazy winds was nice.  Very very nice.

That’s all for now…just wanted to share the things we love!

Mommy Life

Monday, December 29th, 2008

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The new contents of my “purse.”

Who Said You Can Never Go Home Again?

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

My brother just locked me in the basement laundry room and made me cry.

John said, “Why didn’t you just turn the light back on?”
Me: I couldn’t find it.
John: How long were you in there?
Me: Just a second. I started to cry and he opened the door.
John: Do you want me to go down there and take that latch thing off so he can’t do it again?
Me: No. It’ll be ok…..I have to change the laundry in an hour.
John: I’ll go with you.
Me: Thanks.

Gingham

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

I think gingham should just go away. For ever.

One Zebra

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

Anonymous 1: Yeah, I always ask him to tell me when I get that hair on my chin.
Anonymous 2: I have to say…there’s no good way to tell her that.
Anonymous 1: What if it were something ridiculous, like, “The zebra’s out of the pen!”?
Anonymous 2: Or, “The chickens are loose on the Arizona highway!”
Anonymous 1: What!? No! There’s only one Zebra!

Peaceful Sigh

Friday, December 26th, 2008

My baby is sleeping peacefully in his crib after getting cuddled to sleep by Grammy Lee and then by Daddy.  My husband is busy baking chocolate chip peppermint cookies.  We have our own bedding and towels unpacked and pictures on the walls and almost all of the boxes of stuff are unpacked.  We still have a ton of stuff in the “lair” to unpack, but that will come.  Tomorrow I get to take Camper to visit a friend and then continue unpacking.  Fingers still crossed for a phone call from one of the million of applications John has filled out for a job.  But we are here.  We are here.

Outline of New Life Thus Far

Thursday, December 25th, 2008

Friday- Left Provo, accompanied by The All American Rejects “Gives You Hell.”  Camper slept all day, was up during the evening, slept all night in a beautiful hotel (in bed with Mommy and Daddy) with a morning breakfast buffet consisting of many wonderful sausages and yummy eggs.  And good juice.  And lots of skiers.  Sleeping place: Veil, CO.  Said goodbye to the beautiful western mountains.

Saturday- Left CO, drove over scariest mountain summit of life so far.  Super serious weather demanding super skilled winter driving and use of the Subaru’s Sport Shifting.  All drivers and passengers handled it like champs.   Long day of driving, much catching up with my Auntie.  Camper slept all morning, was awake all evening, and then slept all night in a so-so hotel in bed with Mommy.  No king beds available, so we split up.   Breakfast was disappointing. Sleeping place: Salina, KS.

Sunday- Coldest day of the whole trip.  Temperatures so low it hurt to pump gas, lots of wind through KS.  I recall a nice lunch in a Subway…unless that was Monday. Still no snow!  More bonding with my Auntie (taking turns driving while John and Jon were in the moving truck), Camper slept all morning, was awake in the evening, and slept all night in a rather interesting hotel that seemed pretty fancy, was super-affordable…and turned out to be a windy death trap with door 4 frozen shut.  More on THAT later.  Sleeping place: Terra Haute, IN.

Monday- Decided to GO FOR IT.  Had a really good meal at a Cracker Barrel and then just DROVE.  No hotel that night! More quality time with my Auntie ending in hilarity as everyone in both cars quickly got uber tired.  Went through good old Scranton, although it was too late to stop and visit.  Arrived home around 5am after missing our exit and going through Connecticut by accident.  Everyone did the bare minimum upacking the cars to allow ourselves to fall into bed and sleep for a couple of hours.  Sleeping place: HOME.

Tuesday- Slept, ran errands, sat around like zombies.

Wednesday- Unloaded truck and returned it.  Worked on unpacking.

Today- CHRISTMAS! Wonderful day in which Camper got more presents than anyone else, and we all loved it.  Worked on unpacking a bit more, but mostly just rested and visited.  Oh yeah.  And napped.  Napping was good.

So those were the bare bones of our trip.  I’m sure I’ll update more on the way it was easiest to travel with Camper…keeping a 7 to 7 schedule and hitting a hotel before his bedtime, or the things Auntie and I got to talk about and how amazing it was to get time away from the world with her and just spend time together, or about how hysterical things got in Wilkes Barre with my brother saying he was going to call the cops on my Aunt who was loitering outside a gas station or how fun it was to talk over walkie talkies the whole trip….but I’m tired.  John is tired.  There is still so much to do, we’re just glad to be here and settling into our newest phase of life.  I’ve been forgetting to check my cell phone and taking naps with Bubby whenever he falls asleep and eating lots of good food.  Tomorrow it’ll be back to real life, cleaning and organzing and more job applications for both me and John, I’m sure.  But for now we’re just chillin’, enjoying the holidy.

Merry Christmas everyone, hope it was a good one!

Auntie, if you remember anything I need to write about, just leave it in the comments, I’ll work on the long post/recap later.  With pictures!

And the person who lets the baby lick the taco gets to sit with him as he farts in the back of the car.

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Day 3?  Have we really been driving for three days already?  I’m loving visiting with my Auntie, Camper is still dream baby traveller.  I’m getting really excited for the end of the road, not unpacking that truck though.  Yuck.  And also…it is VERY cold outside.  Like 1 degree.  Windchill -1384.

I am also turning into my mother, muttering to myself about “trashola” cluttering up the back of our car.

All bottle heaters aside, the get boiling water from gas stations and keep it in a thermos plan has been working pretty well.  We’re eating snacks in the car, still too much fast food during the day.  Our hotels have been nice so far- and I think the skies might hold out for us at least one more day.

All that said, time to clean up and try to get some sleep.  Night all.

Remind me to write about Saint Mary of the Woods and the gator boys later.

Nuf said.

Not Your Mamma’s Roadtrip

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

I don’t know what that title means.  Anyway.  We’re sleeping in Kansas tonight- so far this trip has been really good.  I love catching up with my Auntie who is helping me drive with Camper in our “Bubaro” as I’ve started calling it.  We had a treacherous morning in which I drive like a mad skilled woman over a crazy blizzardy mountain in CO.  White knuckles the whole way.  Kansas is boring, but I am so grateful for boring after this morning.  Onward and upward.  Perhaps more later, but I must sleep.  And Camper is being incredibly considerate of our need for sleep by the way.  I have the best baby ever.

Our status: Tired but good.

Holy Crap

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

That’s all I have to say.  This is hard.  Packing my whole house is hard.  Doing it with a 3 month old is hard.  Trying to organize my brother’s life at the same time is hard.  I just can’t wait to get to New England.  Thank goodness for sane Aunties who fly across the country to help and Mom’s and Dad’s waiting on the other side.  But I just hope I’m sane enough to enjoy it once I get there.

For shiz.

Oh.  And I love my husband and baby.

And don’t like little old ladies that yell at me in the post office line.

And Provo can…