I couldn't resist this picture of the cup holders in my car... Ah, the joys of traveling with a baby!I'm not sure if Ellie even recognized her room and crib by the time we arrived back home Saturday night. But I was sure happy to see my own bed!
We had an amazing adventure, capping off our trip to Minneapolis with a visit to Maggie, Chris and Jason, Genny, Ila and Izzy in Chicago this past weekend. Genny organized a trip for all of us to the Shedd Aquarium. And even though Ellie slept through much of it, she seemed excited to see the bigger fish and the penguins. It was a little tough to tell, though, because she spent a lot of time in dad's arms — where she was very happy! (Maybe her mom-phase is ending?) Brian missed Ellie a ton last week and had to give her extra love over the weekend :)
So, how was our trip?
It was great! I was so happy to get some dedicated time with my mom. I really enjoyed our long car rides because I got to hear some stories about her grandparents and parents, and my dad's family. And we had some good (heavy) talks about the stuff that doesn't come up in everyday conversation. And we had some major laughs, most notably when we tipped the stroller backwards from hanging too many clothes on it at the Mall of America! Ellie was already out and in my arms... but she didn't seem to mind when we did something similar upon checking in to our hotel because we had so much stuff to juggle. Ellie was unfazed :)
My visits home tend to be fairly chaotic (even more so with Ellie on the scene now), so I saw this trip as a good opportunity to spend a few quality days together. Though it was somewhat exhausting traveling with an 8-month-old! My mom and I spent a good portion of the trip just tending to Ellie's needs and schedule. It seemed, at times, like all we did was feed, change and allow for nap times... but such is life with a baby!
Without Brian there, I was so happy to have my mom on-hand to pitch in on all of the work it takes to care for Ellie. It was tough at the start of the week because Ellie didn't want anyone but mom to hold her... but she warmed to her grandma, aunts and uncles after some time. And I can't say enough about how well Ellie did with all of the car time and changing locations! She's a champ.
Sadly, my camera stopped working at the start of the trip. What's Ellie going to do without me as her constant paparazzi?!
I used my mom's camera to get pictures during the trip, but I don't have it with me to upload pics from the second half of our adventures... so I'll have to wait on getting those images. I do have some pics I took with my cell phone camera. They're not the best quality, but they'll do for now.
Grandma Jerrianne and Ellie checking out the penguins at the aquarium.
We squeezed in a visit with my friend Meghan while we were in Chicago. So good to see her!
And here's a great picture of us with my friend Sarah while we were still in Rockford. Ellie is so lucky to have extra aunts!
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On a much more somber note: I'd like to ask for prayers for good friends of mine, Rob and Mary (Nutter) Anderson. They are dealing with the sudden loss of Rob's dad, and I can't stop thinking about their whole family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
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