When we left on holiday a few weeks ago, I was determined to keep blogging while we were away.
But, something happened. Well, a lot of things happened. It turns out, jet lag hits you a lot harder when you have a baby. I also had to work over the Christmas break – a lot more than I had expected. There was the Christmas thing, which was wonderful, but then there was stomach flu, which struck on January 1st. I broke my 20-year no vomiting streak and we were all miserable for about a week. Right in the middle of our holiday.
So, with all that going on, my poor blog suffered. A lot. Not a single post the whole time we were in America. I’m worried that a lot of the details about things I wanted to write about may have been forgotten… plus, my stats look really pathetic now.
The one thing I did manage to do during those three weeks, however, was to take photos and make my weekly collages. So, here’s a quick re-cap of each week that I missed.
Week 1: 21/12/14
1. Lunch at Morrison’s – we’re going to have to start working on table manners at some point, I guess. 2. My first nail polish since before I was preggers; 3. At the airport – she’s hanging on tight since Mummy was driving the pram; 4. Going to the Horrible Histories exhibit at the Imperial War Museum; 5. Getting on our plane in Iceland; 6. Trying to exhaust a jet-lagged baby by letting her crawl up and down the hotel hallway; 7. Examining an American-sized washing machine at the hotel; 8. Sitting in mummy’s suitcase; 9. Finally made it to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
Out and about
On the Sunday before we left for the US, we went to the Imperial War Museum to see the Horrible Histories: Spies exhibit.
Then, a few days later, we hopped on an airplane, hopped on another one in Iceland, and eventually stumbled off of it in Seattle. Then there was some driving, a hotel, more driving. It all goes a little bit blurry from there for a few days.
I know we went to visit family and had lunch at an Applebees – that’s when Pumpkin had a major nappy blow-out, which meant I had to wash her off in the bathroom sink, then run across a carpark with her in just a nappy under my coat in a downpour so we could buy her a new outfit at the discount clothing store.
Fun at home
Home – that is, my parent’s house – meant learning about kitties and dogs. Pumpkin was so good with them and there was only one tail-grab that I witnessed. The rest of the time, she gently poked them with one finger and occasionally got up the nerve for a pat or stroke.
Time for me
Before we left, I painted my nails for the first time since before I was pregnant.
My happiest moment was…
Getting to visit with family that I haven’t seen since August, and seeing Pumpkin with them.
Week 2: 28/12/14
1. We found a feather boa at Walmart; 2. My parents’ barn in the morning mist; 3. Christmas day: look at Daddy-man’s Christmas jumper!; 4. Her first ride in a supermarket trolley; 5. Christmas morning – resisting temptation!; 6. Christmas dinner, sitting next to Great-grandma; 7. Playing the piano at Great-grandpa’s retirement home; 8. Daddy-man and Pumpkin; 9. Visiting Great-grandpa on Boxing Day.
Out and about
We did lots of shopping in the few days before Christmas, since it isn’t easy bringing gifts with us in our luggage. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent with my mum’s side of the family, then on Boxing Day, We went to see my dad’s father and sister.
Fun at home
I baked a lot of cookies as Christmas presents, and Pumpkin hung out with her grandparents and the kitties.
Time for me
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Unfortunately, any down time that I would have had was spent catching up with work. Stupid work.
My happiest moment was…
Watching Pumpkin open her gifts on Christmas morning. She got pretty good at ripping paper by the end of it!
Week 3: 4/1/15
1. Playing kitchen with her cousin; 2. Two generations: me and my cousin when I was a baby – his son and my daughter; 3. Her new rainbow suit that Grandma bought her. 4. Coconut cream pie at one of our favourite restaurants in America; 5. Pumpkin had a bit of pie too; 6. Mount St Helen’s looking over Longview Washington on an unusually clear day; 7. Daddy-man enjoying a massage chair in the mall; 8. Pumpkin and Sissy-cat; 9. Triple-pumpkin-pie delight… or something like that. It should just be renamed to “heaven”. It was three layers: Cheesecake, pumpkin pie and whipped cream with pumpkin spice.
Out and about
In the days after Christmas, we basically did more visiting with family and a lot of eating. Unfortunately, the sickness bug struck on January 1st… so I didn’t get many pictures from the next few days (not that anyone would want to see them!)
Fun at home
We didn’t spent much time at home that week – until the plague struck. Then my days were not spent in a fun way… there was a lot of laundry and sheet-changing though. Blurgh.
Time for me
Well, I there was the quality time I spent with my head in a sink.
My happiest moment was…
When my two best friends arrived to visit, along with one’s husband and daughter. It was so good to see them… unfortunately, we were sick for almost their entire visit.
Week 4: 11/1/15
1. Bald eagles perched in one of my parents’ trees; 2. Playing with a new friend; 3. A snuggle from Grandma; 4. Look, mummy! No hands!; 5. Watching Icelandic children’s programming on the flight back with Daddy-man; 6. The required stop at Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland once we were feeling better; 7. Daddy-man and I found the *coolest* hats at Dollar Tree; 8. Four generations: Pumpkin, me, my mom and grandma; 9. My old-lady horse and her goat babies.
Out and about
Once the plague subsided, we only had a few days of holiday left. We tried to make the most of it with more visiting – but we really weren’t feeling 100% yet and had mostly early nights. We did make it into Portland one afternoon for a bit of shopping and some Voodoo Doughnuts.
Then there was the flight home. We left Seattle on Thursday and arrived in the UK on Friday (with another stop-over in Iceland, where we had to make our way through a hailstorm as we got off the plane.
Fun at home
Pumpkin figured how to stand without holding on to anything – and how to move around on her feet by switching what she’s holding on to, like moving from the coffee table to the chair, to the foot stool. I know it won’t be long before she’s walking now!
My mum also called me outside at one point to show me the bald eagles perched in a tree. I really wish I’d had my good camera with me with its good zoom lens, but the best I could get with my phone was two specks in a tree.
Time for me
Lots of visiting with my family.
My happiest moment was…
Watching Pumpkin practice her new standing skills.
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