Road Trip Baby

I was set to attend a conference last week in lovely Yakima, WA. I probably wouldn't have even went if it meant leaving Elyse. Fortunately, Aunt Sue was super excited at the opportunity to get to take a few days off, get catch-up time with me, spend tons of quality time with Miss E, not to mention not having to pay for travel expenses. It was truly a win-win for all of us.

I was a bit worried about being in the hotel. We had done this in January, but Elyse has gotten much more vocal since then. Honestly, she can be a very loud girl at times. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it. As a matter of fact - I love it! From squealing with delight when she is playing, to talking loudly in her crib, to letting her cry a bit to let her settle into a nap, I knew our routines would take some adjusting. Well, she did great. Things definitely didn't go as to our normal schedule, but it all worked fine. She didn't nap very well, considering the distractions of the hotel, one or both of us right in the room, on top of not letting her cry for more than 30 seconds. She also stayed up so late. One night she didn't go to sleep until TEN. That is crazy for her. Normally she is out between 7:30 and 8:15. But, the new environment, plus thinking it is party-fun-time with her Mom and Aunt, can you blame her? She slept well at night and Aunt Sue graciously took on all the early morning diaper/feedings. What a blessing!

Sue had a great time with Elyse. Sue has never had children of her own, however, when she met her husband he had a two year old and she helped to raise him. She has never been around small babies much and has always loved Elyse, but also been a bit nervous. I think the fact that Elyse is older, less "breakable" in addition to just the extra time together really helped Sue get comfortable. She had a ball with her and was an old hat in no time - changing diapers, making bottles, mixing rice cereal, bathing, you name it.

It was a great time. I met my Aunt when I was 13 and we had an instant bond. I'd visit her every summer and was so ecstatic when she moved here almost four years ago. We have opposite work schedules though, so we don't get to see each other much and mostly rely on catching up via phone. So, this trip was a rare opportunity for us to spend a lot of girl-time together, with our newest addition to the girl-party! Of course, Elyse fit right in. The best part? We're doing it again in June - FUN!

I am really sad I didn't take pictures of our trip. But, the lighting in our hotel room was pretty poor and so I didn't bother picking up my camera. However, I did capture this video. Elyse was fascinated by the closet door mirrors. We even started calling it "playing with the other baby." We caught this sweet little video of Elyse and her twin.