Update On The Parnells!!

Lets start with some random pictures of Emma that were taken before Christmas and that absolutely crack me up! She had a little diaper cover on that said Santa's Little Helper. So cute!!









I have been quite remiss in updating this precious blog. In my newly found addiction to Facebook, it seems all my “online time” has been spent posting pictures there instead of sharing the stories here. So I am thinking this will perhaps be a lengthy blog as I attempt to catch all of you “non facebookers” up with the lives and times of the Parnells.
Where to start…

Halloween
Little Emma was an Aggie cheerleader for Halloween, and a cuter Aggie cheerleader you have never seen! Nanna came over and so did Gammy and we handed out candy to our sweet neighborhood children. It was one year ago on Halloween that Jeff and I found out we were pregnant. How much has changed!


The Induction of Rice Cereal
Let me set the stage: Emma is growing quite nicely, and the pediatrician suggested it Was Time. Time to add to my little girl’s palate. We were ready. Mamma was over to help me make it (Seriously, those directions stink. They aren’t even really directions!! Like basically they are good directions IF YOU’VE HAD A BABY BEFORE AND KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!!!) Back to the drama that unfolded. Nanna was there, Uncle Darren was there, and so was Aunt Mary Beth. I put Emma in her highchair and Uncle was poised with the camera, Daddy had the video camera pointed at Emma and we were all waiting with baited breath…..and she screamed. She had no idea what to do with the goo that we put in her mouth. None. She was just looking at us with confusion and as her little belly got hungrier and hungrier, she cried harder and harder. I tried making all the silly noises to get her to open her mouth but when she did and I shoveled food in there she was just dumbfounded. She didn’t spit it out, she didn’t push her tongue around in the food, she just sat there with her mouth open, crying. So after a few more attempts of Mamma making “Yummy” noises, we resorted back to the bottle and all was well in the little world of Emma Parnell. Side note: she now loves her cereal as well as carrots. The carrots did not make a good impression the first time she tasted them (silly Mamma didn't warm them up - cold carrots - YUCK!)






Thanksgiving
She also had her first Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. I remember last year, being newly pregnant, overly ravenous, and eager to eat as much food as possible in a short amount of time. This year, Jeff and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. Several members of my family were out of town, and Jeff’s family had a myriad of plans so we only had my mother and his cousin Valarie over. The turkey was my first and it tasted pretty darn good if I do say so myself! We had dressing and peas and cranberry sauce (both kinds!) and mashed potatoes and squash and rolls and pies….we had a mighty good spread that looked and tasted delicious. We pulled Emma up to the dining room table with us so that she could experience the holiday at the grown up’s table. After dinner, my best friend Laura came over with her niece Kate and we managed to visit with enough enthusiasm to ignore the slaughter that was the A&M t.u. game this year.





The New Christmas Tree
Shortly before Thanksgiving, Jeff and I bought our Christmas tree. When we got the boxes home (yes it came in two boxes and yes, we went artificial this year. Too many renegade pine needles from years gone by to have another real one. Those suckers get harder and harder with age!!) We put up the tree immediately upon returning home (OK really I wanted to wait but those boxes were calling my name) and it was gorgeous. Let me just say that 12 feet of tree is quite different when you see it at SAMS Warehouse, compared to, say, in my living room! It is so big but beautiful. We have red, silver, and pink glass balls and I just love it. My Grandmother Cameron would have loved it as well.




Aggieland

At some point, Jeff and I drove up to College Station to take Emma to go watch March In. We missed them step off by about 30 minutes. Sigh. So instead, we walked around campus and took all the typical pictures. Emma at the statue of Sully, Emma at Fishpond, Emma under the Century Tree, at Kyle Field, in front of the Reveille graves, and…EMMA WITH SOME CORPS BOYS!! Jeff stopped a group of fish on their way to the game and asked if they would pose with Emma.
Best picture of the day! I was on cloud nine and floated all the way back to Katy.

Katy Holiday in the Park
OK it’s probably not really called that, but Katy hosted its first annual Holiday Party which was really neat. Nanna and Aunt Mary Beth and I took Emma to see Santa. Jeff was in Canada, so it was just us girls. Admission was free – just some canned goods – and we got to see a live nativity scene complete with real frankincense and myrrh. Myrrh stinks. Really. It’s gross. But there was a petting zoo and pony and camel rides, a carnival and, the much anticipated arrival of Santa. ON A FIRE TRUCK!! It was so cool They also had some snow, but with the balmy weather (that day) it didn’t seem to last very long. Santa was lifted on top of the hook and ladder truck up and over the crowd to light the Christmas tree that was about 20 feet up in the air. He was then supposed to come down and take pictures with the crowd (for free – yippee!) but alas, the fire department got a call and Santa and his fellow firemen had to go put out a fire. When we got back to my truck, it did start. After a few seconds, I tried again and it finally started (Roadside Assistance came out the next day and replaced my battery in my driveway. Nice.)

Bear
In addition to all that has gone on with us, we have also made the hard decision to let Bear Parnell go and live with another family. His sweet temperament was unfortunately too overshadowed by his incessant barking (when the schoolbus comes 6 times a day, when the garbage man comes, when a leaf blows across the yard - you get the picture) so he is in foster care. I made sure I was at work when the girl came to get Bear because as much as he irritates me, I didn't think I could stand to see him go. He is, I'm sure, much happier living in a house with three other shelties (Lord help this foster mommy!!) and I have found him on the internet and continue to monitor his progress. I do miss the little boy, but the quiet at home (especially during Emma's nap time) is wonderful.



So that should catch you up on the Parnell household. We are anxiously awaiting Christmas and have plans to go caroling this weekend as well as to try to get a picture with Santa. Heather doesn’t do malls at Christmas time, so we’re hoping to avoid the SERIOUS crowds and drive up to College Station for the Santa’s Wonderland land of a bazillion lights. They also have a resident Santa, so hopefully Emma can get some lap time. (ask for new jammies Emma!!) I still have presents to make, a stocking for Emma to make…this list goes on and on. I am way more ambitious than my real life lets me actually be.

**note: I started this alleged "update" back before Christmas. It is clearly after Christmas. And New Years. Whatever. I'll work on actually getting Christmas up soon. AT least Jeff's side of Christmas. that was just last weekend!! LOL.

City Girl vs Country Girl

This weekend was an eye opener for me. I have always fancied myself (yes I used the word "fancied") a country girl. I love all things country. Music, the land, horses and livestock, and I'm most at home in a pair of jeans and tank top. I like to rock the occasional cowboy hat but give me a baseball cap and I'm good. I love to hunt and go four wheeling in the mud and I think my truck can overcome any obstacle or climb anywhere. And, Hello! Lets not forget where I went to college. Texas A&M is hardly a "city" school. I used to drive the long way to the health club where I worked, just so I could drive past Fiddler's Green where Parson's Mounted Cavalry kept the horses. I'm not sure if I thought a Cav guy would stop me and ask me to ride a horse or what, but I loved to drive past those horses. And if the guys were out on the horses, forget it. I had to stop myself from pulling over and watching or pulling over and going up to the fence to "commune" with the animals. I would love to own some land and spend my days shoveling hay and riding my horse across the wide plains. [Yes I realize this is hard work and perhaps I have glorified it but it does my heart well to be outside and with animals. Land and the ocean has that effect on me] I had a good friend in college who took us to his friend's farm a few times. And more than a few times I had to be talked out of hugging the cows. For some reason, I always wanted to hug a cow and couldn't understand why they wouldn't want me to hug them.
So back to my weekend adventures. I packed the Hummer with scrapbook supplies and Emma supplies (forgot wipes and had to turn around and go back home for the big tub-o-wipes) and headed to Bellville for a day of scrapping with friends. [note: once there, I was more interested in what everyone else was doing and chatting with them and I think the only thing I did was to stamp the word "meeting" on one page. Not very productive and now I have about 5 bags to unpack into the scrapbook room. Whatever. LOL]
So on my way to Bellville, I had to pass through Sealy, TX. Home of the Fighting Tigers and football state champions in 1997, 1998, and 1999, according to the side of one of the buildings on Main Street.

I almost ran over three men crossing highway 36 just as slow as you please on Saturday. I couldn't imagine what was worth crossing the highway for and then I saw the massive parking lot. FULL of trucks and trailers and people everywhere. People, I had found the Sealy Stockyards. Remember my desire to hug a cow? haha. Here was a gathering place for, I assume, livestock auctions, tractor purchases, and a general good time to be had by all. If I hadn't had Emma and been on my way to scrap, I might have stopped. OK, so I wouldn't have stopped, I'd have been too embarrassed, but I was curious to see if there were cows to hug! After making my way past the stockyards, I came to yet another "different" sight for me. The All Around Cowboy Church. I kid you not. A cowboy church. I believe their tag line is "Worshipping God Western Style". I am immediately flooded with images of spurs and those bolo ties and pearl buttons and folks in their Sunday best yee-hawing their way into God's heart. I couldn't help it. That's what came to mind. I love the idea of living on wide open land and being surrounded by animals and children. But these few things that I saw this weekend - a slower and simpler lifestyle made me realize that, unfortunately, perhaps I am just a city girl whose heart belongs in the country.

More Adventures of the Parnell Clan

A mere week after Emma and I returned from our travels, Jeff had arranged to take me to New York City for a night. Originally it was supposed to be a surprise, but my sweet husband keeps secrets like this.

Jeff: giggle giggle
Heather: sidelong glance, thinking, "he must have a secret from me but is busting to tell me"
Jeff: Ahem! Giggle giggle. *big grin*
Heather: [I know something is up but refuse to let him know - I love surprises and would love for him to pull this - whatever this is - off]
Jeff: I have a surprise for you. Would you like to know what it is?
Heather: no
Jeff: It's a good one! Wouldn't you at least like a hint??
Heather: Nope
Jeff: Are you sure? Because this is really good.
Heather: DO you want to tell me?
Jeff: Only if you want to know
Heather: Well I would rather be surprised but if you really need to tell me, go ahead.
Jeff: I thought you'd never ask!!

And then the secret is told. In his defense, I'm rather glad he did tell me as it involved not only packing a suitcase (which he had been prepared to do himself to perpetuate the surprise) but leaving Emma behind. Rewind. Not so sure I'm ready to leave her overnight. He's arranged for his mother to come stay at our house and watch Emma while we are gone. My mother in law insists everything will be fine and I try to say that I'm not worried about Emma or the care she will receive, but about how I will react to being without her.

Jeff ends up telling me that his plan is for us to fly into Newark, take a helicopter over to Manhattan, have dinner at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, see Wicked the musical, and fly home the next day. Thankfully I have some time to digest the part of the trip that includes leaving Emma at home.

We take a 6:30am flight to Newark and land about 10:30 or so. The helicopter doesn't start flying until about 1:45 and I am in need of some relief since the last time I fed Emma was at about 3am. We stopped by the gate for the helicopter and confirmed the flight left at 1:45 and asked if they knew where I could find an outlet and some privacy at the airport. Since there is apparently no place to pump in an airport and we were stuck there waiting for the helicopter, we bought President's Club passes and hung out there. We ate lunch at McDonald's (you can't bring outside food or drink into the P Club) and finally made our way back to the gate for our helicopter ride. Truthfully that was what I was looking forward to the most. I know, with theatre tickets that is sort of backwards, but I REALLY wanted to fly in a helicopter!! We attempt to "check in" about 30 minutes before it was supposed to take off.
The same guy who confirmed our flight was checking the computer. It was taking longer than I expected, but I hadn't done this before, Jeff had. Finally, he says to us, "That flight has been cancelled."
WHAT????
This guy has got to be on crack.
Apparently ALL the flight for the day have been cancelled.
Note to reader: Remember with me, if you will, earlier in this post when we went to the gate and verified the flight time. With the same gate agent.
AT WHAT POINT WAS HE GOING TO LET US KNOW THAT ALL FLIGHTS HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND WE COULDN'T GET TO THE CITY VIA HELICOPTER?????????
I am boiling. We have spent a hundred dollars on President's Club passes, eaten at the trendy McDonalds in Newark airport, and not to mention spent an additional three hours at an airport! In New Jersey! We could have taken the train hours ago and been in our hotel or out on the town having fun. But no, we were patiently waiting in Newark airport for a helicopter that was never going to fly. I can tell that Jeff is livid, so I keep my emotions in check and try to remain the calm one while he leads us to the tram to get to the train platform. Oh yeah, now we have to purchase train tickets to the city. And did I mention how much I hate the train?? It takes you to Penn Station which is under Madison Square Garden. Heather doesn't like getting off of the train underground and fighting with 5000 of my closest friends to get up a narrow escalator to the next highest level. Then you still have to take some stairs to daylight. Not my favorite part. But we did it. It was not an 8 minute trip and it was not a scenic view of the city. It was a scenic view of "New Jersey's finest" let me tell you.
But we finally get into Manhattan and find a cab to take us to the Radisson. We get to the hotel and when we are called up to the desk, they say they may not actually have a room ready. Hmmm. Heather is exhausted after the morning's "activities" and ready for a little down time. The woman tells us she does have a room ready. With a double bed. One double bed. Memories of our honey moon come flooding back to me. At least there we had TWO double beds and could look at each other across the room. But this alas, was only one double bed. I look at Jeff and say there is no WAY we are sleeping on a double bed. I'm ready to go back to the airport and fly home. First the helicopter, now a double bed. That might not be available yet. We get a room with a queen size bed (I don't think Jeff and I EVER get a king sized bed when we stay at a hotel. The hotels have something against us I think) and make our way up there. It's a pretty room for NYC standards, but quickly I realize that the bathroom door doesn't close all the way. Sigh. The pillows are fluffy and the bed is one of those sleep numbers I've always wanted to check out. I jump on the bed and grab the remote (it was set on like 80 and was hard as a rock) and quickly attempt to lower the number and thus soften the bed. I'm not moving. But soon I realize that Jeff is sinking. Apparently the remote that indicates left and right has them backwards; I checked myself twice to make sure I wasn't the one backwards and it was really the remote. So I get Jeff back up to sea level and start adjusting my side. I find a comfortable setting and think about taking a nap. Jeff leans over to hug me and my side of the bed raises up. People, a sleep number mattress is nothing more than a glorified air mattress. Remember when you were younger and you would have slumber parties and sleep on air mattresses? And you and your friends would jump on the air mattresses to make the other person "fly" off of it? Same concept. Only I'm no longer wearing Wonder Woman Underoos and thinking this is fun. I'm tired but before I take a nap, Jeff calls his mother to check on Emma. She puts the phone on speaker phone and Jeff puts his phone on speaker phone. It is at this point that I must pass along some advice to any and all present or future new mommies. Do NOT, under any circumstances, call to check on your child the first time you are away from her and actually listen to her. Emma wasn't even crying, just making noises. And. I. LOST. It. Gone. Not just crying, I'm talking sobbing. It was an ugly cry. Like do not leave the room for several hours cry. I had mascara running down my cheeks, red swollen eyes, the whole nine yards. Just don't listen. Let your husband make the call and confirm what you already know - that the baby is fine - but don't let yourself hear the child. It's lights out and game over at that point.
I fall asleep after The Call and wake up hours later. We have missed any and all opportunities to do anything all afternoon. I must at this point get ready for dinner and an evening at the theatre. FUN! I get dressed and we take a cab to Central Park to Tavern on the Green. We are seated outside and it was beautiful!!
We ordered our food (which unfortunately was less than stellar - I took a chance and ordered lobster and it was way overcooked which is why I should remind myself to only eat lobster when my Uncle Vaughn cooks it EVERYWHERE else it is too overdone) but the scenery was beautiful as was my company. *wink* Jeff had arranged for a small cake to be delivered to our table that said Jeff loves Heather. So sweet. During dessert, the sky opened up and let out the rain. We rushed to finish our food and went to the front of the restaurant to wait in line for a cab to take us to Wicked. Unfortunately, there were about 10 people ahead of us and taxis in Central Park during rush hour on a Friday were few and far between. So we got in a bicycle taxi in the pouring rain and he biked us all the way to Broadway!
The driver reminded me of Miss Gulch from The Wizard of Oz with his raincoat flying out behind him as he biked us through the streets of Manhattan. It was kind of scary once we were on the streets. The ride through Central Park was fun but once we left the park, weaving through traffic was scary! But we made it to the Gershwin Theatre unscathed.
We walked around a bit before the show and I eyed every detail there was.





Once inside the theatre (the people working the doors were so rude - it was almost unimaginable how rude they were!!) I soaked up all the details in there as well!



I couldn't WAIT for the show to start and once it did it held Jeff and I captive the entire time. We sat on the edge of our seats and loved every last minute of it. I could have sat through it again immediately after it was done. It was SO GOOD! I highly recommend it; and plan on seeing it again and again!!
We walked to our hotel after the show and lookee what I saw up on a building....
Oh oh oh oh oh, Oh oh oh oh. Oh oh oh oh oh...The right stuff!! Man, it took me right back to being 12 years old and dreaming of becoming Mrs. Joe McIntyre.
Once back at the hotel, we packed and went to bed as we had to get up in 2 and a half hours!
It's 2:30am, we are packed and ready and leave the hotel for a cab to New Jersey. Once at the airport, I get stopped at security as I STILL don't have my new driver's license. The agent says it's probably OK he just needs to get his manager. I get through security with no problem and we head to the gate. Once there we hear the gate agents asking for volunteers to bump themselves to a later flight. It's not looking good for the home team. Jeff runs over to a computer and quickly sees we are going to have a hard time getting out of Newark. There are 4 other non revs trying to get out and Jeff realizes we are going to have to fly to New Orleans and then connect to Houston. But we have 13 minutes to connect! We get to the gate for the New Orleans flight and we all make that one easily. Once in NOLA, I rush off the plane to the next gate over to collect our boarding passes and alert the gate agent that there are 4 others trying to make the connection as well. Jeff shows up soon after me and the other people who were trying to make the flight all got on as well. We fly to Houston, drive home, and soon after Jeff and his mother head for La Porte so Jeff can get to his Fantasy Football draft and I get ready to take Emma and I to a baby shower. Home sweet home but on only 2 and a half hours sleep!!

So Many Adventures, So Little Time

Whew! What a whirlwind couple of weeks we've had! I have lots to blog about but I'm about zapped of any and all energy. Let me sum it up...the first weekend in August, Emma and I went to Maine for my family reunion. By ourselves. See? Good blog material! And this morning, Jeff and I flew back from New York having flown up yesterday morning. By ourselves. I seem to not be able to "vacation" with my entire family at once. I'm working with 2 1/2 hours sleep so we'll see how far I get.
Let's start with Maine.
Chapter 1
The Departure
Our Smith Family reunion is the first Sunday of August. Every year for the past 20 something years. I have missed more than I have attended, but I have been trying to rectify that in recent years. Jeff and I looked at flights to go, but Bangor is always SO STINKING HARD to get in and out of that we'd have to go during the week and Jeff was trying to save his vacation time for our NY trip (more to come on that one later...and it's GOOD!) So we looked at flying into Boston and renting a car. But again, Jeff wouldn't be able to make it. I didn't think I could fly, rent a car, and drive to Boston by myself with a not quite 4 week old, so the trip was off. Jeff was supportive of me going alone, but I didn't think it was smart. A five and a half hour car trip after a flight didn't seem realistic for a newborn so I put the idea to bed. Until I went to bed the Friday night of the reunion. I woke up Saturday about 9:00 and wanted to put myself through a wall because everyone was going to be in Maine except for me. OK, so not EVERYONE was going to be there, but the point was I was clearly NOT there and that was a problem. So I ran upstairs, checked the flights to Boston and there was an 11:00 flight that I thought I could make. I ran back downstairs and asked Jeff to check the flights and if he thought I could get on, to book me on the flight and reserve a rental car. In the meantime I would pack. Well, not really pack, because I couldn't deal with the reality of actually packing a bag to find out I couldn't go. So it was more like I had a suitcase out and I was putting things on the bed next to the suitcase that I would take if I were to go. Sort of like that "I Packed My Suitcase" game. Jeff comes back downstairs and says I'm booked on the flight, he has a rental car reservation for me and would I kindly get in gear because we needed to get me to the airport 5 minutes ago. Somehow I run around, manage to pack everything a newborn and a new mommy need and we head out the door. Jeff drives like a crazy person and we get to the airport in time for the 11:00 flight. The only problem was that I needed to check my bag and it was too late to check the bag. So I was now booked on the 1:00 flight to Boston. No problem. Jeff and Emma and I go down to the employee restaurant and have a nice lunch together. We get up to the gate where my flight was supposed to be and we wait.
Chapter 2
Non-Revs, Flying Standby, and Panic Sets In
As we wait for the flight to start boarding I have fed Emma (nursed for the first time in public - a bit tricky but with Jeff's help I managed) and changed her. Again with Jeff's help. It is at this point that I start to realize that my super helpful husband is not going with me. Perhaps I have jumped the gun. My baby is not yet 4 weeks old and I am waiting at an airport to take her (and me) away from Jeff. For a 2 day trip. By myself. Now is when my heart rate picks up speed. What had I been thinking? How was I going to do this by myself? I start firing questions at Jeff: If I am holding Emma during the flight, how will I buckle my seat belt? How will I manage my carry on? What if my arms get tired of holding her? Jeff had really good answers to all of my questions. Except I really started wanting the gate agent to NOT call my name. I was about to chicken out but Jeff had made the reservations for me, flown me to the airport, supported my decision to go, gotten my bag checked...I couldn't back out now! What an unappreciative wife that would make me! It didn't look good for me to get on the plane and we start playing the game of "If I don't make this flight, I'm done" I said I wasn't waiting until the 3:00 flight because that would put me into Boston too late and it was too far of a drive to make late at night. (A little ironic forshadowing, hee hee) After some mental celebrating my probable stay in Houston, the gate agent called my name. Gulp. Here we go. Jeff kissed us goodbye, I gave the gate agent my stroller to gate check, and Emma and I disappeared down the jetway.
Chapter 3
The Flight

One of my biggest fears was that Emma would cry for the duration of the flight, I wouldn't be able to calm her down, and I'd be that lady that I always detested on a flight who couldn't keep her kid quiet. I got one of the last seats on the plane, which naturally was a stinky middle seat, because let's face it, who likes middle seats? OK I'm used to getting a middle seat. Only I get a middle seat between two men. My first thought was how will I nurse my child smashed between two men? My second thought was how did Jeff say I could get my seat belt fastened again? Emma was a dream and slept for almost the whole flight. She woke up on the decent, fussed for about 20 seconds, I figured out how to feed her while holding the blanket between my teeth for privacy, and she fell asleep again. Better that I imagined or even dared to hope.
Chapter 4
The Great Debacle of 2008
The flight was what I was worried about. It was a dream. Here's where the story gets good. So having a reservation for a rental car, I take the shuttle off of Logan Airport property to the Enterprise office. When it's finally my turn, they start to create my contract and...wait for it...my licence expired. On July 7th. Seriously? How did my license expire? Every time I move (which has been every year since high school)and I change my address I renew my licence. So I don't think I've ever had to renew my licence because the time was up. The guy says my license expired. Matter of factly. Please understand that he was pleasant (as a matter of fact the ENTIRE staff of Enterprise employees at Logan was supreme) and somehow it comes up that on my birthday I was a little preoccupied having a baby and all the day before. SO now the panic sets in. Tears start to fall. One woman offers to drive me to a town in Maine if my family can come get me. I'm on the phone with Jeff and my mother alternately trying to check bus routes, train schedules, and flight from Boston to Bangor. I go back to the airport via the shuttle and the bus driver is trying to find the terminal where the buses pick up. I finally get my hands on a bus schedule and there are no more buses running. There is no train from Boston to where I need to go that day either. Emma is starting to scream, I am hungry, and I'm thinking "How did I make it through security and how in the world will I ever get home?" I head over to the Delta ticket counter. Mom said they have flights into Bangor until 11:00 pm. It's about 8:00 pm. I am now standing in line at Delta trying to buy a ticket for a flight. No one else has a line for their counters but Delta and there are about 10 sets of people ahead of me. And none of them are happy. I guess something weather related happened and all these people were bumped and relocated and given vouchers, etc. and had come to air their grievances. By the time I get to the counter, the agents are harried, short tempered, and eager to go home. No, they are sorry (once I explain I was clearly not a part of the weather bumped people and I was not going to take their heads off) but there are no more flights today and the two flights tomorrow are oversold. Phone call to Mamma again. She and Aunt Sheryl will drive to Boston and rescue us.
Chapter 5
The Rescue and The Big Freeze
I sit down near the Delta counter to wait for the troops to come rescue me. It's going to be a long 5 1/2 hours and I'm outside security. Not such a good idea. Especially when all the good food places are on the other side of security. I call Jeff and we decide that I'll get a hotel and wait for Mom and Aunt Sheryl there. I head back down to baggage (anyone need a tour of Logan? I've got that airport down pat. I've been to every remote corner that place has to offer and could give you a nice guided tour) to look for the great wall of hotel advertisements and I start making calls. Remember earlier when I said all those people were in line at the Delta counters? Screaming at the ticket agents? Well, apparently THOSE people had already booked all of the available hotel rooms so there was literally no room at the inn. I call Jeff back again and he manages to somehow get me a room on the north side of Boston. I now head out of the airport and look for a taxi. There was no shuttle to this hotel, so as I stuff myself and all of my belongings into this random taxi, terrorizing thoughts enter my head. As we begin the 10 mile journey I think to myself, what if this guy decides to take me somewhere else? How will I know we are going the right way? If he's a bad guy, I could just open the door and roll out of the taxi. Except for the fact that I have a sleeping angel next to me. Can't leave the baby behind. Hmmm. This is a new situation for me. As the anxiety mounts, I see the sign for the highway the hotel was supposed to be on. So we're at least going the right direction. But it's black as tar outside, I don't know anyone in Boston anymore, and I'm just praying that this guy is legit and Emma and I get to where we are supposed to be. And there's the Courtyard Marriott. Safe.
I'm starving. Emma's starving. I'm trying to feed her, order room service, tell Jeff I made it safely to the hotel and tell my mom where the heck I am so she can find me. Meanwhile, it's 58 degrees in the hotel. I bump the heat up, call room service, and start to feed Emma. Once Emma's fed, I get her in her jammies, swaddle her all nice and tight, and attempt to put her down. But it's still 58 and just blowing cold air to beat the band. I mess with the thermostat again and nothing happens. I put it on heat. Nothing. I put it on emergency heat. Nothing. I now go to the unit below the window and try every button there is. Off, temperature control, fan speed, still nothing. I can barely stand in front of the unit because frigid air is shooting out the vent at me. I have no sweatshirt or socks and somehow there are no blankets in the room. The pretty bed has only a sheet and a fake blanket (a strip of cloth made to look like a blanket) placed across the foot of the bed. I wrap this around my head, put on my baseball cap to try to keep my body heat in and snuggle with Emma in bed. (I'm halfway expecting Mike Rowe to start narrating as I "try to survive in frigid temperatures deadly to man") Room service arrives, and I ask her about the thermostat. She plays with it and leaves. Still it's 58 degrees. I call mom again and she said to go to sleep, they'd come up when they arrived. I'm frantic, thinking Emma is going to freeze to death and I have her snuggled against me with her face tucked up under the bill of my baseball cap. I thought perhaps that would help keep her warm. I am FREEZING. Finally at about 2 am, I hear a knock on my door and thankfully the troops have arrived. Aunt Sheryl had bought me a sweatshirt which I immediately put on. We decide to spend a few hours trying to sleep before heading back to Maine. All four of us snuggle in the king sized bed after Mom called the front desk, complained of the temperature, and then had to go down to the front desk for blankets. I am in bed in my jeans, shirt, sweatshirt, and baseball hat. I've got Emma next to me with Aunt Sheryl to my right and Mom to Emma's left. FINALLY once Aunt Sheryl snuggled back to back with me I started to warm up. Mom was snoring, I was so afraid I was either going to smother Emma trying to keep her warm, or she was going to freeze to death or Mom or I was going to roll over on her. Needless to say, I didn't get any sleep. At 6:00 am when we headed out for the long trip to Maine we saw that the room had warmed up to a balmy 62. Give me a break.
Chapter 6
The Reunion
So. Much. Fun. My grandma got to meet Emma for the first time and it was so nice to be met at the door by her as well as two of her sisters! All three of them got to see little Emma and I had barely crossed the threshold before handing Emma off to Grannie.
That meeting alone was what spurred me on to get to Maine with Emma and to get through all the drama surrounding my arrival. It rained like the dickens but we were safely inside. Emma was passed around from relative to relative and I had an opportunity to shower and try to get presentable for the family. I was ready in time for the arrival of the lobster so we all picked spots around the house and began to feast. And feast we did - I heart lobster. It was so good to see everyone. I had missed the reunion last year and was so glad to have made it this year. We did the obligatory generation pictures



and Mamma and her cousin got "The Newest Nanna" picture with their grandbabies. So cute. I think Emma slept through most of that though! Emma and I had our own floor at Aunt Roberta's! Talk about comfort! The bed was yummy, we had our own bathroom and even our own sitting area complete with a TV! There were doors that opened right out to the lawn so I could have walked down to the ocean without ever going upstairs. It was wet and I was worried I would miss something so I never did this, but I could have! Aunt Roberta gave Emma her first real bath now that the cord had fallen off which was fun to watch.

Chapter 7
The Aftermath

We did so many fun things while in Maine - I took Emma to Schoodic Point, we took a walk one morning and while Aunt Sheryl and I picked blueberries and walked to the ocean, Mamma, Grannie, and Emma saw a fox! We got to see more family
and I got to visit my grandfather's grave. I had ice cream at Jordan's, we played games during the day and at night, and Emma got to stick her feet in the Atlantic Ocean. I was Mean Mommy because it was stinking COLD but I wanted her to do it. It's like a rite of passage. When I told Jeff where we were going and what I wanted to do, his only response was, "Don't let her swim until her lips turn blue. That's not our rule!" (That had been the rule when I was a kid)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...er...home, a hurricane was forming in the gulf and decided to make its landfall right over Houston. So my trip was extended. (oh darn) Bangor is a hard city for non revs to get out of (or into for that matter, hence my flight to Boston) but Wednesday morning looked good. Jeff booked me on a flight out Wednesday morning and after a delicious dinner at Aunt Barbara's, I got to spend the night so that she could take me to the airport in the morning. How much fun was it to spend the night by myself (OK so I had Emma) with Aunt Barbara!! I felt like a little kid. The bed was so yummy and comfortable and I had had such a good visit and yet as I was settling down for a night of extreme comfort, Emma had other plans. She cooed and talked all. night. long. Really. I don't think I got much sleep and I was so disappointed. But we got up, got to the airport, made it through security and onto the plane to Newark.
Chapter 8
Non Rev Flying Again
I get a seat on the plane and this time, so does Emma! I strap her carrier in (it was a little plane so there were only 2 seats on the right side) and she settles in for the flight to Newark. It was a very uneventful flight, she slept the whole way (yay for me!) and didn't even wake up until we were off of the plane. Remember that hurricane? Well Continental had cancelled flights to Houston so Jeff had asked if I minded flying to Ohio instead and staying with his sister. Twist my arm, right? So happily Emma and I were waiting in Newark for the connecting flight to Columbus, my sister in law and brother in law and my nieces and nephew. While waiting, I had to feed Emma (yikes, that nursing in public thing again...I'm getting better but I'm no pro!) and consequently had to change 5 diapers while we waited the hour and a half. Yes, I said 5 diapers. I started to worry that I'd run out of diapers before I got to Sally's!!
Again, I get a seat and so does Emma and the flight is again uneventful.
Chapter 9
Southern Hospitality Moved To Ohio
My sister in law picks Emma and I up from the airport along with a car full of kiddos and we head to Chateau Kovalchin. I'm exhausted from the traveling and from Emma wanting to talk through the night and share her secrets and stories with me against my will (lol) so soon after we get to Sally's, I feed Emma and Sal sends me off to bed. She's got 5 kids and is the master of all child related situations, so knowing Emma is in the best hands possible, and at her urging, I head upstairs for a nap. I crawled into bed and thought I'd just rest...until I opened my eyes an hour and a half later in disbelief! It was a much needed nap.
I played with the kids, they took turns holding Emma, and we had fun. The girls had made cookies (my sister in law makes the BEST chocolate chip oatmeal cookies I've ever eaten) but my sweet niece Katherine turned the timer off so most of the cookies burned! It was so funny, Katherine thought the timer was for the Wii and when they switched turns, she figured the timer was no longer necessary and turned it off! LOL It was a hoot. My nephew John Patrick loves cookies and Jeff loves to hear him say "cookie" and there was enough dough left to try again so we all got to have some cookies! They were delicious. We had a yummy dinner of steak and chicken (I'm telling you, I stay at some swanky places when I travel - if you need hospitality in Maine or Ohio, I've got the places for you!) with ice cream sundaes for dessert.
Up again at the crack of dawn, Sally got me to the airport, Emma and I got seats again, and home we flew.
Chapter 10
Home

Jeff was waiting for us at baggage and the plan was for me to take him to work and drive home. I had told Sally the day before that I figured Jeff would take one look at Emma and I and take a vacation day. No way did I think he was going to actually go to work when his girls had been gone for so long. He met us in a sports coat and nice shirt, all ready for work, but by the time we got my bag and got to the car, he said he was coming home with us. Hee hee. The man is predictable!
Home we drove and Emma and I took naps and tried to recuperate from our traveling experiences. I figured out that at 4 weeks of age, Emma Elise has been to 5 states other than Texas.
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Maine
New Jersey
Ohio

My little world traveler.