Trip to Utah

            Lydia and I ventured home to see my family in Utah this past month. Unfortunately, Austin was unable to join us as he had school. The prospect of traveling solo with my wriggly and demanding toddler bouncing on my growing pregnant belly absolutely terrified me. (Especially since the last time I flew alone with Lydia she choked on a cheese nip and threw up all over the place). However, the Lord answers prayers and she did surprisingly well and even slept during the entire second flight!

             After all of the stress and hours spent on blogs getting ideas on what to pack and how to entertain Lydia, I did learn a few valuable tips. Sticker books and magnet boards worked like a charm. Lydia seems to love coloring utensils and simply holding up individual crayons, saying the color, and letting her put them back in the box kept her entertained for longer than I thought possible. I even bought a portable DVD player (which I didn't even need on the trip out).

             Despite what I read online, I don't think I would recommend giving a toddler a sucker on a plane. While it is a great way to keep your child swallowing to prevent his or her ears from popping, it is such a mess - especially if your child is like mine and likes to rub the sucker in her hair and wave it around like a magic wand. Luckily, the guy sitting next to me in his nice business suit was more than supportive. I love that he kept reminding me that "it's ok, I'm a Dad!" There really is a secret support network of parents out there who understand. Still, the stress of trying to keep the sucker mess contained was not worth it. Teddy grahams work just as well and I think I'll stick with those in the future.

I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to go out and meet my sweet little nephew, Blake, who is only a couple of months old. Lydia was intrigued by the baby, although at times she didn't quite know what to make of him. When she wanted Uncle Andrew to read her a story, she was startled when little Blake, who was asleep on Andrew's lap, slumped forward and rested his tiny head against her shoulder. She gave him a few weird looks, but stayed very still to not disturb him. The more I see her around babies, the more convinced I am that she will be a great big sister.

Grandma and Grandpa Hebdon spoiled Lydia silly by bringing out all of the baby toys that they've accumulated throughout the years. The kitchen and living room were literally converted into a magical toyland. Lydia especially enjoyed playing with the Little Tikes table with the plastic dishes and fake food. Sometimes she would refuse to eat real food only to sit down to a pretend meal.


            Lydia had her first real McDonalds experience while we were in Utah. Her 'happy meal' consisted of chicken nuggets, fries, and apple juice - which she actually ate! You can imagine her delight when she discovered the toy that came with her meal. To top it off, she got to play on the jungle gym with Aunt Eliza after dinner. Nothing can beat that!

Lydia and Eliza coloring a picture together - they are officially Bff's now :)

Mom and I did our nails and watched a chick flick. There's nothing like having some good quality girl time!

My cousin Shanna's baby shower - it was so good to see everyone!

We had an early Thanksgiving dinner as a family and played Curses

Aubrey is exceptionally talented at photo bombing

             We met up with Lydia's aunties at the University Mall in Provo. It was so nice to catch up, shop, and grab some lunch at the Spaghetti Factory. Aubrey is turning in her mission papers soon, so this might have been the last time I see her before she leaves. During this outing we also learned never to leave a potato masher on the windshield - it will get stolen, even in Provo.

I'm gonna miss this little man

             

         










            The day before I headed home was very eventful. My family brought us to the Hogle Zoo. We pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. It was freezing that day, but there are some definite perks to being at the zoo when it's not busy. The animals always seem more relaxed and active when there's no crowd. Despite our frozen limbs and rosy cheeks, we had a wonderful time. Dad even treated us to a steamy cup of hot chocolate afterwards, which really hit the spot! Later that evening, the family celebrated my birthday early with a delicious ice cream cake. We also went to see "Catching Fire" in theaters, which was amazing!

Lydia loves tigers

This picture is for you Eliza!

              The trip back home was much harder than the trip out. The night before our journey Lydia and I were in the same room together, which means that every time she coughed, moved, or breathed too hard I would wake up. In other words, I did not sleep. I thought it would be hard to wake up at four to catch an early flight. As it turns out, it was hard to force myself to stay in bed and try to sleep. I finally gave up at three-thirty. Starting out a long trip with a sick toddler while being sleep deprived and pregnant is not ideal.

               Lydia refused to nap and got bored with the same books and movies. She also had a pretty bad cold, which made her ears hurt during the landings. I tried everything to keep her swallowing, but she got frantic and even refused to put the sucker in her mouth. I'm still trying to block out the memory of Lydia screaming and all of the angry and sympathetic looks. Our plane home got delayed by an hour, and when we finally got into Milwaukee, Austin was so excited to see us that he left the keys in the car while it was running, and locked us out. I just kept reminding myself that one day we'd look back and laugh. We will, right? By the time we made it home, I was ready to collapse. The rest of the day is a blur in my mind. It was good to see Austin again and catch up on some badly needed rest.

It's always nice to be home sweet home!