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View Full Version : What I did this summer (and other musings by Finn)



jec2
09-08-2004, 04:50 PM
Well, we are home and completely exhausted. Finn's first real vacation was the most tiring thing I've endured. Oh, I dream of having a baby that napped and slept. A couple of times DH and I looked at each other and said "do you just want to call it and go back home?" Well, we toughed it out and just got back to Santa Barbara this morning.

We were in Portland, OR for the first two days where my parents and Sil's and nieces drove down from Seattle. Finn met his cousin who is 2.5 months younger and a very placid baby. I almost wanted to jab her with a fork ;) so that Finn wouldn't seem so difficult (errr, "spirited," righ?). DH and I could hardly function or move beyond the "tired" perma-grin to make conversation or have any fun. I think my family thinks I am on big be-yotch.

My mother pushes my buttons, of course, and we maintained an arm's length from each other. When she brought in three shopping bags full of toys and junk for Finn I thought she must be playing some cruel joke. How on earth were we going to get this stuff home and what were going to do with it once there. We flew and had already exceeded our luggage capacity (baby, carseat, stroller, DH's laptop, and three other bags one of which was already filled with toys we brought). Oh, I sent much of the toys back home with her so that she could send them to us, which is the compromise position I guess.

We slept better the second night which I thought to be a good omen for the rest of our trip. SO NOT A GOOD OMEN. We drove to the Mts. about 30 miles West of Bend, OR and stayed in a darling little cabin on the river where people were fly-fishing. Look out our cabin and there was a fisher walking in the river with his rod et al. Finn was up all night and the only way we could sleep was to put him in the car and drive. I am "so" glad we lugged the damn Pack n' Play with us ;) We made a daily trip (sometimes twice a day) to Sisters and then up to Bend thanks to the naps.

Anyway, we are home now and baby is sleeping, thankfully, in his crib :)

Now I know why parents go a) home to parent's for vacation; b) travel with extended family; c) take a nanny on vacation or d) NEVER VACATION!

steph2003
09-08-2004, 05:08 PM
Your post had me ROTFL :) I just had to burst out laughing at the "I'm sooo glad we lugged the damn Pack n Play" we just got back from a long weekend over Labor Day visiting our alma mater & friends. We too dragged the Pack n Play & do you think DS would have any part of it??! NO! After 2 nights of almost no sleep even with DS in bed with us (can you say little fingers poking at me all night & pulling my hair?!) we cut our trip short by one night. Thankfully we are all sleeping much better back home in our familiar environment & DS back in his crib! I think he was just as happy to see his crib as we were to see our big ole' king sized bed.

mudder17
09-08-2004, 06:11 PM
Uh oh, does that mean that lugging our Pack 'N Play on our next vacation is going to be useless? We've always used it before, but of course, that was before DD was sleep trained. We haven't used the Pack 'N Play ever since. Well, the first trip is going to be 6 days, and the next one is going to be 13 days, so she better darn well get used to it!

Welcome back, Juliet! Glad Finn is back in his crib and you all can get some rest! :)

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya
born 22 February 2004

http://lilypie.com/baby1/050222/2/16/0/+10/.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_garnet_6m.gif Breastfed 6 months and counting

http://www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya

papal
09-08-2004, 06:18 PM
Welcome back girlie!! We missed you in these parts!!

See, i think the whole point in taking a vacation is that your own home and routine seem SO MUCH better than anything out there when you return :)

Glad you returned back safe and sound! Kisses to Finn.

jk3
09-08-2004, 06:21 PM
Congratulations on sticking it out. We returned a few days early from our "vacation" since it turned out to be more work than being at home! I completely agree with your closing statements!

Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png

jbowman
09-08-2004, 06:28 PM
Sounds as if you need a *vacation* to recover from your vacation, Juliet! Glad to hear that you made it home safely.

And I totally hear you about wishing that you had a baby who napped! DH and I spend so much time driving around as Ellie naps. How many drive-thrus have I visited in the past nine months? Too many to count, LOL!

starrynight
09-08-2004, 06:36 PM
My pack n play is and has been for months a permanent toy box LOL. The only one of my kids that slept in it ever was Daria, the other two wanted nothing to do with it!

Sorry you had a mostly sleepless vacation. Welcome home!

jd11365
09-08-2004, 09:51 PM
>I almost wanted to jab her with a fork ;) so that Finn wouldn't seem so difficult

Now THAT is funny!

Glad you're back...safe and sound...and Finn is sleeping soundly. :)

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
May '03

miki
09-08-2004, 09:56 PM
Juliet--I need a vacation just reading your post! Makes me think I ought to test DD out in her Pack n Play before we decide whether to go to LA next month. Glad to hear you can relax now that you're back home!

LucyG
09-08-2004, 10:30 PM
Juliet,

How did your new Quest work out for you? I hope it was a high point of the otherwise stressful vacation!

jec2
09-08-2004, 10:47 PM
One of the best baby purchases I have made. We gate checked, didn't use the bag we bought and it didn't suffer one ding. Although, DH made me take it on a gravelly road from our cabin to the General Store. I was so nervous that I nearly picked DS up in stroller and carried them both there. DH found an alternate route where I would only have to stroll on pine needles & pavement :). But, I loved the stroller in the airport and around portland.

tina-t
09-09-2004, 06:05 PM
Welcome back! Reminds me of a friend with 3 kids, who whenever he came back from vacation, said that he was more tired then than before the vacation. I never understood that until I had my baby and went on vacation.

Hope you've all gotten some rest, after your vacation. :)