Saturday, June 5, 2010

First Road Trip: Check!

Sorry for the delay in posts. It was one of those weeks, ya know? I was lucky if I got to take a shower... which I didn't a few days : ) So when my husband reminded me on Tuesday that we was going away on a business trip until Friday night, I thought I was going to lose it. 72 hours, stuck in the house, with no relief? That's enough to make any mama cry. So I made an executive decision - ready or not, we're coming with you! Daniel was actually excited about the idea. We live in Atlanta, and the biz trip was in Nashville - which is only a few hours car ride away. So once Paige was down that night, we packed up my car with all the essentials - diapers, bottles, food, clothes, entertainment (bouncy chair, books, toys), bathtub... the baby had more gear than my husband and I multiplied by three! So the next day we were off - I actually planned it a little (I know... I surprised even myself with that one) and made sure to feed Paige before we left so we could get 2-3 hours down before we would have to stop again. I have to say, the drive was pretty enjoyable. Paige slept 75% of the time, and I was able to listen to the radio - something I haven't done in 5 months. When Paige started to pip around at 2.5 hours into the trip, I figured it was time for a food break anyway. Unfortunately, 2.5 hours en route from Atlanta to Nashville is pretty desolate. I got off one exit, and immediately pulled back on the highway... the lone gas station was straight out of a Hitchcock movie. No thanks. The next exit was marginally better, so I pulled into the gas station, changed Paige's diaper in the car, gave her a bottle still inside the car with the doors locked securely (yes, I checked multiple times), and then it was back on the road. My husband had plans with his colleagues both Wednesday and Thursday nights, so Paige and I explored Nashville on our own. It's a a much smaller place than I imagined. Paige LOVED the hotel - you could tell she really felt like she was on an adventure. She slept in her pack-n-play pretty well considering it was a brand new environment. Thursday we checked out the zoo (in the blazing heat) and then I took Paige swimming for the first time. She was in HEAVEN! She just kept squealing and laughing. Seeing her so happy was the best part of the trip. On Friday we packed the car back up and headed back to A-Town. And even though traveling with a baby isn't the easiest, we really had a blast doing it! It was just the break we needed away from the regular routine. I definitely recommend it to all the mamas - sometimes a change in scenery is all it takes to refresh the spirit. YAHHHHHHHOOOOOOO!