The Red-Eye

Emmett and I are taking the red-eye to Georgia tonight, and I'm only just a little bit terrified. Here's the plan (what I have so far):

I'll put him to bed, as always, by 7. Once he's down, I'll finish packing our carry-on bag, get everything packed into the car, and take a few deep breaths. A little before 10, once everything else is ready to go, I'll turn off all the lights in the house, sneak in to Emmett's room, and oh-so-gently pick him up and carry him down to the car, white noise in hand. I want to avoid waking him at all costs, but I'm not sure if it's possible.

We'll drive to the airport, hopefully with Emmett sleeping soundly in the back seat. Once we're there, Ray will unload the car, pack the carseat up into a travel bag (ahem, black trash bag) so we can check it, and I will do my best to get Emmett into the ERGO I borrowed from Corinna. The ERGO is black, so I'm hoping that if he's still sleeping, the head cover will block out most of the light as we walk through the airport. I'll have to take him out for security, so he's bound to wake up then, but after that it's back in the ERGO, and a little discreet nursing will hopefully help him back to sleep.

Because it's an overnight flight, I'm hoping the airport will be relatively quiet, and the plane mostly empty. I'd love a full row to spread out in. I plan to only bring the necessities:

• Stroller
• Diapers
• Wipes
• A few easy changes of clothes
• A couple pairs of slip-on shoes in case he wants to walk
• Books
• Snacks
• A new toy and a new book
• A pillow, a blanket for me, and a couple of blankets for Emmett
• White noise via our Kindle Fire
• Chargers for the Kindle and my iPhone

I want to carry as little as possible with us, as I'll certainly have my hands full with Emmett. The stroller will help to lug the diaper bag, and if he tolerates it, the ERGO should be a lifesaver. I plan to dress him in warm pajamas, and have a pair of slip-on shoes handy in case he wakes up and wants to roam.

We have to change planes at 6:30 a.m. Georgia time, 3:30 a.m. AZ time. That should be interesting. I plan on using my boob to keep him asleep/drowsy/in the ERGO. We have about an hour layover in Charlotte, then it's a short flight to Savannah where we arrive at 8:30 (5:30 AZ time). It's going to be a long night. I don't sleep well (read: at all) on planes, but I'll be able to nap to my heart's content once we arrive in Savannah. Emmett has always slept pretty much the entire flight when we've travelled in the past, but he's so much older now, so we'll just have to see.

Do y'all have any last minute advice for me? I'm trying to be really thoughtful and deliberate about the things I bring with us on the flight. Do you think my list is complete? Am I bringing too much, or too little? I'd appreciate any help you can give me!

Keepin' It Real: Bad Blogger

Linking up with Corinna over at Track 8!

I've been MIA on the blog the last few weeks y'all. I haven't felt like I've had much to say, so rather than whine or complain or just babble on about nothing, I've been sitting back and just.. not saying anything. I love this blog, and I love to write about our lives at the end of every day, but this month has been tough and I just haven't had it in me.

Work (I know, blah blah blah about her work again..) has been at the peak of the craziness the last two weeks and I think (knocking on wood) it's finally starting to quiet down. I've been so tired after each day at work that I clinb into my pajamas right when I get home and then climb into bed right after Emmett goes down. At like 7:30 most nights.

Part of that is sheer exhaustion but another part is I'm addicted to a book series! I'm sliiiiiiightly (but more than slightly) obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. The books- Amazing! The tv shows- all of them Amazing. The movies- SO AMAZING! Top two movies of all time status. Just before Robin Hood and then all the Twilights and don't even roll your eyes you know it's true.

I can't reread all of the Sherlock Holmes stories again because my husband won't let me, so I've been on the lookout for a similar series. Something British, centered around a detective, with lots of interesting who (or what!)-done-its. I've hit the jack pot ya'll, with the Inspector Rebus novels by Scottish Writer Ian Rankin. Oh man, am I hooked! I've been dying to jump into bed each night with my iPhone to read and read and read until I pass out. Some of the earlier novels aren't available on Kindle so I haven't read all of them, but so far, so so good.

I know this isn't an interesting post but this is my life right now. Work, my family, and Inspector Rebus. Ain't life grand?

Keepin' It Real: Working Late

Linking up with Corinna over at Track 8 for another installment of Keepin' It Real Mondays!

I had to work late today. Things are crazy at work and it was 5:40 before I finished answering emails for the day. That left me about an hour with Emmett before putting him to bed tonight.

Ray is working early and late this week, which means he gets maybe 15 minutes with Emmett in the mornings and he'll be asleep before Ray even comes hom in the evenings. I can't imagine what it would be like if long(er) hours were the norm for us.

Some days the hard/crazy/chaotic part of parenting isn't parenting at all. It's everything else. Oh, to be JUST a parent! To have no worries or cares or struggles except for making sure I'm the best parent I can be to my baby boy.

Keepin' It Real Y'all

Linkin up with Track 8! Have y'all entered Corinna's Freshly Picked giveaway yet??

Today was a long and exhausting and rough day for all of us. By the time we got home from work, no one wanted to cook, so we threw in the towel and went out for burgers. We try really hard to make sure Emmett eats well balanced, healthy meals, but tonight, we just didn't have it in us. He shared our burgers, fries, and even some ranch dressing.

Part of me was mortified. All I could think is What must all these people think of us! Any second someone is going to walk up to our table and call us out. "How old is that baby!", I kept hearing them say in my head. "French fries?! Are you kidding!?" Instead everyone in the tables around us just oohed and aahed and chatted with him while he played with his food. The rest of me was just relieved to be sitting down to a meal as a family that we didn't have to work for. We'll give him an extra helping of veggies tomorrow!

Some days we just do what we can to survive, and we pat ourselves on the back for getting through the day.

Travelling With Baby

I haven't been to Georgia since Christmas! It's been way too long. My parents and siblings visit us pretty often, but we have a huge family and tons of friends there who haven't seen Emmett since he was 6 months old. Ray and I will go for a week over Thanksgiving, but now that the Summer's winding down, I'm starting to yearn for a vacation. So, I've decided to fly home with Emmett over Labor Day weekend in a couple of weeks. Wooohooooo!

Here's my dilemma: I have Monday off and I'm able to take Tuesday and Wednesday, but that only leaves us with 5 days, two of those being travel days. So I'm considering flying overnight... alone... with Emmett.. Have any of you mama's tried an overnight flight? We would have one layover, which means changing planes at 4 am AZ time, 7 am Georgia time. Am I crazy?!

It's risky- Emmett never ever sleeps when I'm holding him, except on airplanes. I'm not sure if it's the white noise, or the movement, but he has slept like an angel every flight we've taken so far, so I'm hoping a night flight will be perfect for us. But I'll have to wake him up, get him to the car, drive to the airport, go through security, wait for the flight, then change planes in the middle of the night and do it all over again. It could be awful! But it would mean an extra full day with my family on Saturday so I think it's worth a try. 

I'd love to hear your travel stories- good and bad. What works for you? I'm thinking one bag, full of books and snacks, and an ERGO carrier to snuggle him to me all night.

Also, these buns!:

Happy Friday!

I was ready early this morning, so Emmett and I spent half an hour outside before I went to work. What a fun way to start my Friday! The weather was cool, or at least it wasn't super hot, so we walked and walked and walked around the neighborhood. Emmett is happiest just walking around outside, and I'm happiest watching him be happy. I'm thinking about waking up early every day now!

Anyway it was a really nice morning and not a terrible day, and now it's the weekend so woohoo! I hope ya'll have a great weekend!! 

Life Is Good!

Things are good right now y'all. 

Not perfect, never perfect, but good. Work is slowing down, and I see an end to the busy season in sight. Yesterday we got some rain and the temperature never hit 90. We had dinner outside for the first time all Summer. Such a treat! And Emmett, oh Emmett. He's at a really great age right now. 

The last couple of weeks he's really changed and grown up. All of a sudden there's a little boy walking around our house, talking and laughing and interacting with us. He's a little human with a little (big) personality, and we're loving it so much. He seems bigger and taller this week too! It's crazy how that happens every couple of months.

Some new things he's doing lately:

• Reading. Devouring books, all day every day!
• Animal sounds. Cows, dogs, cats, ducks, and more and more dogs. Our house sounds like a zoo!
• Walking better and faster and steadier each day.
• Talking! He says mama and daddy and up, and making so many noises, having conversations with himself and with us. He's able to tell us what he wants and needs now.
• Reaching for me when I come in the door. He runs to me and reaches his little arms toward me. It's awesome!
• Sleeping through the night! Okay, it only happened twice, and he's been waking up at 5 every day, but he's never slept straight through before so I'll take it!

Every night Ray and I go on and on about how much we love that little boy and how great he is. We're smitten and so proud of him. 

So anyway I'm feeling good and life is good and it's nice to feel this way. It's been a long tough Summer but things are peaceful and joyful and sweet and I'm content. 

Keepin' It Real: No TV!!

I'm linking up with Corinna at Track 8 today for Keepin' It Real Mondays! On Monday! So proud of myself! ;)

My husband is on a no TV for Emmett kick right now. Okay I shouldn't say right now.. We try really hard to limit Emmett's screen time all the time, but the boy loves Veggie Tales and Sesame Street and after a long day at work we find ourselves snuggled on the couch with him for an episode before dinner. So this weekend Ray got fed up and we became determined, once again, to keep the TV turned off when Emmett is awake.

Meanwhile, Emmett is obsessed with books! Corinna and Evie gave Emmett a box set of Sandra Boynton's most popular books for his birthday, and we read them over and over and over again all day long. He makes all of the animal noises in Moo, Baa, La La La!, and goes crazy for the "Aaaa-ooooooooo" in Doggies. It's really funny. Over the weekend he re-discovered his basket of books and one by one he pulled them out, squealed in delight as he recognized the covers, and ran them over to Ray or I to read to him 10 times in a row.

Listening to his daddy read "Moo, Baa, La La La!" before bed.

Reading in his teepee. Those buns!

Sunday morning Ray got up with Emmett at 5:30 (new wake-up time... suuuper fun for everyone) and let me sleep in until almost 8. When I came downstairs, I found the two of them cuddled on the couch watching Harry The Bunny episodes, surrounded by books strewn all over the floor, the couch, and the coffee table. So much for that anti-TV resolve!

I can't blame him though. You can only read "Blue Hat, Green Hat" about 1200 times before you crack and run for the remote.

A couple of photos from our weekend:

These two are inseparable.

Baby boy found a tunnel in the shelves at Gap. He had so much fun running back and forth!

Last Weekend: Justin Timberlake & Jay Z at the Rosebowl!!!

OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS I SAW JT!!

Last weekend I took my first girls' trip since Emmett was born. My sisters, our friend Rachel and I drove to Pasadena for a JT & Jay Z concert. It. Was. Amazing.

Our weekend, in iPhone pictures:

Playin in some puddles before saying our goodbyes. :(

Goodbyes are the worst!

Quick Starbucks run on our way out of town! Green teas for everyone!

I sent selfies to Ray and Emmett all day erryday so Emmett wouldn't know I was gone.

Windmills in Palm Springs.

The beach!! Crescent Beach in Laguna Beach, CA.

All the single (and married) ladies!

Post-picnic, pre-concert posed shot. Love these girls!

Somebody's happy to be at the Rose Bowl! Isn't she cute?

We be on our suit and tie!

Please excuse that enormous beer in my hand. Waiting for the show to start!

We had such a good time! I missed my boys so much, but mama needed a weekend away. The show was amazing and now we're all dying to see JT on his own when he's here in Phoenix in December. More JT please!