To NY and Back

Monday
Adam and I woke up at 1:30 to the alarm in the building across the street wailing. The power had gone out, leaving us with clocks blinking 12:00. We set our cell phones then tried to get back to sleep, but Lily woke to eat at 1:50. I nursed her, put her back to bed, and attempted sleeping until 3 o'clock, unsuccessfully. We woke Lily, packed the car, and got on the road to Mississippi where we boarded a plane by 6. The entire morning and part of the afternoon was spent traveling. We drove an hour to Gulfport, flew through Atlanta to Syracuse, then drove an hour and a half to Fairport, where my mom lives.

Lily was a fantastic little traveler. She slept most of the time and didn't fuss much. I carried her around and sat on the plane with her in the sling, and it worked wonders. (I recommend anyone having a baby get a ring sling to carry your baby around. Lily loves ours and even fell asleep in it while I was vacuuming last week. Seriously.) The downside to our travels was that Lily got majorly overtired and wouldn't nap that afternoon. Somehow, when kids get overtired, it's nearly impossible to get them to sleep. But she slept almost eight hours in a row that night, a first. I spent the evening catching up with my mom, stepdad Mark, and brother Alex, while Adam went to a meeting in Syracuse (three more hours of driving).

Tuesday
Adam and I went for bagels while Lily slept. We did little more than sit outside and chat. That afternoon we went on a little date to an Irish pub for a brew and walked along the Erie Canal. Dinner was fajitas and quesadillas on the patio at my mom's house. The air was cool and the conversation was a mix of hilarity and candor. Adam left early to pick his dad up from the airport in Syracuse (seriously, more driving), and Lily and I stayed behind. It was a nearly perfect day.

Wednesday
We went to breakfast with my dad at a restaurant called Simply Crepes. It was amazing. I had a strawberry crepe and French vanilla coffee -- not a bad way to start a day. Our next stop was my mom's work so all of her coworkers could dote over Lily before we went to Adam's parents house. His mom watched Lily while Adam and I ran a few errands, then we picked up his dad from work.

That night, Adam's brother Shawn and his wife Laura brought their kids over for dinner. My friend Amy joined us. It rained but we had all the windows open. Everyone talked and ate and drank. No one in Adam's family had met Lily yet, so she was carried around and kissed and missed more sleep, but it was worth it.

Thursday
Up at 4. On a plane at 6. Home at 11:30. Naps from 1-5.

The trip was too short and left all three of us dead tired yesterday after returning home. I love upstate New York, especially when the weather is cool enough to stay outside all day and into the evening. We returned to temperatures in the high nineties in Alabama. Our air conditioner literally ran all day. It's going to be a long, long summer.

January 2010
We already have another visit to Rochester in the works, in January when Adam is done with school. We'd like to spend two weeks and see all of our friends (in addition to our families), so mark your calendars.