Fort Worth Stockyards

Gavin proposed visiting the stockyards.  I declined.  The idea of looking at a bunch of cows.... no thanks.  He swears that he told me it wasn't just cows, but I'm not so sure.  The best way to describe it to a Californian is that it's Old Town San Diego for Texas.  And it was really cool.

The only problem?  The crazy heat!!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Traveling to Texas

A fully solo adventure in flying with baby!  After our last trip I made a few minor modifications to my system and I was prepared as I could be.

Still, it was a rough journey.  Much like every thing so far with parenting, it seemed impossible to survive another second during the trip, and in retrospect doesn't seem that bad.  I suppose that explains why after landing in DFW and swearing to Gavin there was NO way I was getting back on a plane with Colin, I flew home 10 days later!

To be fair, it wasn't horrible.  Colin didn't scream the entire trip or have ear pain, or any of the things that probably immediately come to your head when I talk about a difficult flight with a baby, but it was exhausting.  Keeping him entertained and happy in the 2 square feet assigned to each coach passanger was one of the most tiring things I've ever done.  I think my mistake was spending so much time and energy trying to get the child to sleep.  Colin loves action and he won't close his eyes and risk missing it.  I think it may have been easier for both of us if I'd given up on the sleep route and focused more on playing and entertaining him.

On our flight there, I was in a middle seat.  It.Was.Miserable.  I was sandwhiched between two other solo flying passengers.  Colin thought kicking, poking and prodding said passangers was a good pass time.  So I had to keep him primarily upright for the entire flight.  Nursing was nearly impossible and he gulped down all of the emergency forumla in about 15 minutes...I did pay to guarantee an aisle seat for my return flight which was still not ideal, but much better.  I was also seated with a father and his son (about 4) which was much easier.

Colin kicking back at the airport 'bar'

I thought the airport naviagation would be the difficult part, but that was simple.  I had a good system for getting all of the stuff loaded, unloaded, through security and onto the plane.

Once we arrived, Colin was a trooper about his lack of routine. We didn't have much a schedule to adhere to, so I just feed him when he was hungry and put him down when he seemed tired.  For the most part it worked out well.  Nights were a bit more difficult than at home, especially at my sister's house where Daddy had to walk him around in the stroller for a while each night, but overall, he did really well.

We spent the first part of our trip in the dorm.  We then spent a few days at a Homewood Suites (which was awesome!) before heading down to my sister's house.  The homewood suites was similar to the dorm in layout but without the walk in closet (aka baby bedroom).  It was also slightly less convienet because the bathroom was in the bedroom.  After baby went to sleep, we ended up using the lobby bathroom rather than risking waking him.

The trip to New Braunfels went fairly well.  The car was completely loaded down, but Colin slept most of the trip (a little over 3 and a half hours).  I did have to wedge myself into the backseat for the last half hour of our journey to keep the melting down to a minimum.

Auntie Cheryl's house

A very special thanks to Auntie Cheryl for opening her house for us.  I know from experience going from your normal routine to having kids around can be quite overwhelming.  Thank you so much for sharing your home and showing us your world!  It was so much fun getting to hang out with Auntie Cheryl and meet her doggie Ani.  We miss you already!

By the way, if you are wondering where the train from the title fits in, it was a short jaunt between terminals as bustling DFW airport. :)

Overall, we had a survivable travel expereince, but there is no place like home!

Dorm Life

Our primary reason for our Texas Adventure was for daddy to go to school.  When we started comparing living options, the cheapest by far were the on campus apartments; dorms.  I had several ackward exchanges with the renting director before we were able to commit.  Primarily, I wanted to know if Colin and I visiting would be super weird and awkward. (In my head I saw scenes from Animal House playing out around me as I tried to rock him to sleep...) In the end we determined that very few students would be around anyway and we had a solo unit, so we decided to go for it.

Colin's first meal in a dorm room!

It took some planning (and many lists, of course) to make sure our trip would be doable.  We sent some of the necessities with daddy in the car and had him pick up others there or via Amazon.  We love the travel high chair we got.

The apartment was nice.  One room, living room, bathroom, kitchen, and even a 'room' for Colin!

Colin's Room

I doubt sleeping in a closet will have any lasting affects, he slept just fine!

The biggest problem with the dorm, or any place away from home really, was lack of baby entertainment.  While daddy was in class, mommy and baby made do with what we had!

Most expensive baby toy on the block.

Less expensive, just as fun.

At night, Colin helped daddy study.

Baby Dorm life certainly had it's challenges and funny moments, but overall it worked out just fine.  I'm glad it will be quite a while before anyone in our family is living in dorms again!

Schlitterbahn!

When my sister decided to move to Texas, she told me she was moving to a little town with a German name. Coincidentally, I'd already been to the town when Gavin and I visited Schiltterbahn in 2007!

While I wasn't sure about the particulars of visiting a water park with an infant, we all really wanted to visit the famous park, so we went for it.

I was fairly certain we'd last a few hours and Colin, Grandma, and I would find ourselves relaxing at my sister's place.  But Colin's love of adventure stayed strong and the little guy made it from opening to closing, a solid 10 hours of outside fun!

Daytime hangout

Rare nap.

Floating the lazy river

Adult Suerpvision not lacking.

"Mama Shark, doo doo do doo..."

Hippo with Aunt Cheryl

Mommy's Happy Summertime Baby

A very special thank you to Grandma for hanging out with Colin so mommy could catch a few slides!

My all time favorite was the wave river.  It's just like the one at Atlantis except you are permitted to swim without a tube.  I could have spent the entire day there!

Fort Worth Zoo

Hello!

We are back from our Texas Adventure and I have lots to share!  Let's start with our first zoo trip!

We don't love zoos as much as as aquariums, but the zoo was close to campus and seemed like a good adventure. In order to stay sane traveling, Colin was back in our snap and go for this trip.  I was a little disappointed at the zoo, but most of the time that he was awake he was the carrier anyway.  

He spent a decent amount of our time at the zoo napping!

At the back of the zoo, there was a little "Texas" zone.  We watched a Wild Texas presentation that had a very different spin than the environmental protection message we are used to in California!  Throughout our trip, my sister would remind me "They do things differently in Texas."  Indeed they do!

Texas

Texans are quite proud of their state.

A few of the highlight's, according to Colin:

Baby loves turtles.

The pizza box at lunch

The stork

Giraffes, of course!

Giraffes up close

Snuggles with mommy in the reptile zone.

Thank you Fort Worth Zoo!  

Stay tuned for more Texas Adventures!

Three Whole Years

I can believe it's been three years.  Three years since a day that I was sure could never happen, happened.

I love you.

8 months

Two thirds of the way through his first year!

8 Months

1 month

This has been and a busy and hectic month (more on that later) but it's been a super fun and sweet month with Colin.

This age is so much fun.  Colin is really starting to show his personality.  He learns new things everyday and is so much fun to play and interact with.

This month Colin spent lots of times with his Grandmas and he took his first airplane ride!

This month Colin also acquired two new teeth! (top front)

Sleeping is going great and despite being very difficult to put down to sleep, Colin sleeps through the night.  He's also a champ at eating.  The child will eat anything, anytime, any temperature, any texture.  I am having so much fun making new foods for him to try.

Our monthly photo shoot was a bit rocky this month, and keeping a sticker on this child is getting harder and harder!  Oh well.

Happiest Eight Months, little man!