Ahah! Proof many of you are skimmers out there! I do it to, don't feel bad. I did mention in my last post I was taking off to Nelson for 2 weeks for a vacation, yet many of you wrote to me with great concern that I was dead or something, so next time try to not let the pictures distract you too much and read the whole post! hee hee.
Yes I was here:
View from our cabin front yard, that is our dock!
Our cabin. It was rented for 2 weeks, we don't own it or anything, but it was paradise.
Doesn't just looking at this make you more relaxed?
So Nelson British Columbia was amazing. Beautiful. Stunning. 8 hours away.
Now 8 hours away is nothing really, considering the countless 14 hour or more drives I have taken in my life.
But those were before this:
I will admit I was cocky.
Ivy and her car seat have always had a positive relationship. Many fluids have been exchanged, well mostly it goes one way. Endless hours of sleeping, car rides, stroolering have been accomplished in her beloved orange chair. A 8 hour car ride with a few breaks in between totally seemed doable.
And it was. The ride to Nelson was picture perfect. My sister joined me and Ivy in the car and us sisters chatted the entire way. 8 months of not seeing each other was a recipe for many stories to share. She fussed only minuetly when we were about 15 minutes from the cabin, no big deal.
So naturally when it came to embark upon on ride back home I approached the 8 hours of car travel with confidence, with a I am the best mother ever attitude, cause dudes we made it here with no issues at all. I am best mom. I have best child.
We drove for about 2 hours before the drama began. I need to remind you the amount of THINGS this child needs when traveling:
All this in one little car. Which meant Ivy was surrounded on each side of her car seat with things, with bags and baby toys and chairs and suitcases. So when the melt down began it became not just a fit of tears on Ivy's part, but a crazy, desperate me trying madly to rearrange the car while speeding down the highway. I was throwing bags and pillows and crap all into the front seat while I was sprawling myself over top of the car seat in the middle back seat. At one point I was basically doing the splits spreading myself over the entire car trying to maneuver my way back to her. In the midst of my lounging towards the back Keith hollers that there are cops ahead. And I scream back at him something along the lines of "Well they will just have to hand cuff me and drag my ass out of this car if they want to arrest me!" I made my way to the back seat. With room only to curl up like a ball and was able to begin operation soothe the wailing baby.
It ended up with us needing to pull over on the highway anyway. But the baby was calmed.
I stayed in that cramped ball position for the remainder of the trip. Placating her with plastic toys and my fingers to suck on. It was a long, cramped ride home. But we made it home.
Just remember the happy times baby, not the torturous car ride home.
And now some of the trip highlights, enjoy friends!
Together at last!
Ivy discovered her hands. She understands that they are hers and that she can use them to obtain things and then eat those things!
First time swimming! We tried the lake, it was freakin cold. So a kiddy pool was purchased and enjoyed!
She grabbed the toys on her chair for the first time, and made the puppy sing by pulling the red bone! We all screamed with excitement when she got it to sing for the first time!
There were lots of evenings spent in the hot tub!
Many card games played!
We ate like queens and kings! My mom brought hundreds of recipes she wanted to try and she made many of them! She made this feast! Amazing! We were never hungry.
We did tons of swimming! The lake was cold, but it felt sooo nice on those hot days.
We gazed at many sunsets in this spectacular scenery.
Ivy grooving her shades and sun hat. AHHH too cute.
Awed by the campfire.
We had a spa day and I got a sweet pedicure!
More swimming with Daddy!
Ivy giggled! AHH I know! She laughed when Grandpa lifted her up for airplane rides! She spent lots of time with only a diaper on.
All dolled up for our fancy night!
I dressed up the table all special like! I love table decorating, my favorite part of fancy dinners!
The fancy evening started off with my dad opening a $800 bottle of champagne he got as a present when one of his employees won the lottery. It tasted as amazing as you would think a $800 bottle of alcohol would taste!
The gang! We were celebrating many things! Ivy's birth and her turning 3 months old while on this trip! My sister finishing law school and coming home from a long trip! And my dads new job (which I will talk more about later, like new post later).
Ivy is constantly smiling now and talking (well gooing!) up a storm! It is so amazing to see her communicating with us, I love it.
The feast! The power went out while we were cooking as we experienced some serious freaky lighting storms while there, but we managed to get the lobster tails, steaks with blue cheese topping, horseradish potatoes and basil, cilantro carrots all cooked up. Yes it was as amazing as you are thinking and yes I did eat a steak. Sometimes even a vegetarian needs to break the rules when a piece of meat smells this good.
Our last morning. The sky was hazy with smoke from surrounding forest fires.
Ivy crammed in the car ready for the 8 hour trek.
It was a super awesome vacation. I loved spending so much time with my family in such a beautiful place. It was incredible seeing Ivy grow so much in such a short period of time. She plays with toys now, can almost roll over, is giggling and smiling lots, she is 2lbs heavier and is recognizing people and favorite things. Shes a new baby and I love watching her little personality develop. I'm a lucky momma!
