Out and About

Baby pilgrim?

It didn't take long to realize that leaving the house with a baby requires a suitcase full of things, an extra hour of prep work, and the patience of a saint.  Ok, a bit of an exaggeration, but that's how it felt the first time.  By now, we've gotten into a bit of a groove, and I now know what needs to be thrown into the diaper bag for an outing out and what's safe to leave at home.  Although I still err on the side of caution - who knows what new conundrum can come up while out and about.  We try to make it out of the house each day, whether it's to Target, on a walk, or to the grandparents' house.  Sometimes we even get a little crazy and go out to eat.  Walking on the wild side, I tell you.

When we had the opportunity to go to the lake during Labor Day weekend, thanks to our dear friends Kacy and Mikey, we were a bit hesitant but decided to go for it.

I say I've learned what to bring - but hadn't learned the hat lesson yet.  Luckily a little bonnet was on hand, protecting our baby's scalp and setting her up for a life of building log cabins, planting corn, and surviving harsh New England winters.

I packed nearly every baby gadget we have into the car, all 20 burp cloths, enough clothes for both her and us for a week (she's a spitter!) - I figured, we are driving, who cares if our trunk is packed, we have the room, it's better to have it rather than not.  I thought I was being crazy, but we used every item and even did laundry.  

I didn't take long to realize that all of the packing was worth it, especially when you get to wake up to this view, on a crisp Saturday morning that hints at the coming fall.  Even with low lake levels, the scene is so soothing.

We were also excited to hang out with Harper's birthday buddy Jack.  Little Jack was born on the same day as Harper and he is such a cutie!  

Don't worry, we were parked.  She wore her lifejacket for the ride (which lasted all of 2 mins!)

 Morning hair and spitup stains?  Harper seems to be judging me, arms crossed and all.

 We spent a lot of time lounging around, playing with babies and puppies.  The dogs are so cute at the lake - there were only 6 there this time, unlike in trips past.

The best part of all??  Harper did GREAT!!  She slept better than she does at home, rarely fussed, and wasn't phased when her routine was shaken up a bit.  That went a long way in showing Tony and I that yes, you can still have a life, even with a little baby.  You have to change things up a bit, and the process takes a little more thought and effort, but it's worth it to get out a live a little.  We were getting quite sick of our couch!

I love when he's happy.

And of course, we got to hang out with our favorite twinsies, Marlee and Parks.  These kids are at such a fun age, and I don't think they are capable of taking a bad picture.

While it's unfortunate the water levels are so low, it has created this little sand bar in the middle of the lake, right down from their dock.  We took the boat over there (hence the 2 minute ride!) and everyone was able to get out and play.  The kiddos were able to run around and get in shallow water while the adults enjoyed the festiveness.  Since it was evening, we took Harper out for a bit and walked her around, but mostly she just enjoyed hanging out on the boat in the shade with us.

Harper even survived a bit of a monsoon.  Clouds began rolling in while we were down on the dock, but that quickly turned to crazy driving rain.  Luckily we were under shelter and had lots of blankets.  The babies actually were really calm during the whole thing - the rain hitting the metal roof was like a giant white noise machine.

So, overall, successful trip!  It was fun to get away for a while and hang out with some great friends.  It was also a major confidence booster for a paranoid, worrier mom like me.  With a little tweaking, life can still go on post-baby.  And honestly, it's even better.