While Dan was away for golf in Oregon, my mother and I took Nicholas to Nebraska to meet my grandmother. This is the first great-grandchild on my mother's side so my grandmother was so excited to meet him! I nicknamed her GiGi since Great Grandma Leszcynski was a mouth full! It was a great trip - but not glitch free of course :)
Nicholas did great on the flights out there. I was able to bring his carseat on the first flight into Chicago and he slept for half the flight and played for the other. O'hare is such a pain to get around when going from a large plane to a regional jet. And with Nicholas, a stroller, a convertable carseat (which for the record is SO much heavier and more cumbersome than than the infant carrier) and 2 stuffed carry-ons, it was quite a long and painful walk. Throw in a pregnant woman still not feeling 100% and it was just plain pain! But we made it to the next flight and Nicholas slept again from the time the engines started to the moment the wheels touched down.
Unfortunately with Nicholas going to bed at 7pm at home and the hour time difference, we didn't have much time to visit GiGi the first night. But we got in a couple of hours and then just did take out and ate at the hotel before I put Nicholas to bed. And when Nicholas went to bed, that meant so do we so it was an early night!
The next day came extra early since Nicholas wakes up between 5-6AM at home, which is 4-5AM in Nebraska! I tried to keep Nicholas on his regular nap schedule as best I could so we tried to do things in between. We went to the park to play on the swings and then went to have our portrait taken. We had a 4 generation picture taken of us! And since Dad wasn't around and Nicholas was officially 9 months old, I finally had our first professional pictures taken of just him! I'll have to post them when I get them. He's such a cutie!!
Later after Nicholas' second nap, we headed back to see GiGi's apartment. I couldn't spend much time in there because she smokes and the permanent smell bothered me so much. But I was glad we got to see where she lived. We also headed down to the dining hall to introduce Nicholas to a couple of GiGi's friends. We decided to skip dinner and just hang out until it was time to put Nicholas to bed.
Unfortunately things fell apart Sunday night. My mother woke up at 10pm and started vomitting. She continued thru the night. So between her up every 20 minutes and then Nicholas waking up as usual in the middle of the night, not much sleep was had by anyone.
The next morning we made the decision that my mom would stay in Nebraska and Nicholas and I would make the trip back home alone. I hated to leave her but felt it was best to get Nicholas as close to home as possible in case he or I got sick too. I packed up my carry on with lots of changes of clothes for both of us and took towels from the hotels in case I needed them to clean up messes. My back up plan was if one of us got sick on our way back thru Chicago, I would call my friends Melissa or Sarah and stay put and 'weather the storm' there. I felt more comfortble staying in Chicago since they both have kids under 1 and trusted pediatricians that could direct me also if I needed it.
Luckily we made it all the way home without any problems. There was one seat left on our flight out of Lincoln so I talked the guy next to me into moving. Wasn't that hard since the open seat was in the exit row with more leg room and no crying baby! We were stuck on the runway for a while and Nicholas cried until we took off. He then slept for that whole flight. Not so lucky on the flight from Chicago to Boston. Completely full and we were stuck in a middle seat - last time I book my mother in the aisle seat!! I didn't expect to see so many business travelers in a mid afternoon flight, but there we were between two people vigorously typing away on their blackberry's! I offered to move to the aisle or window so Nicholas wouldn't be such a bother but nobody budged. So he spent the flight pretty much fussing the whole time. He tried to type on one ladies computer, put his feet up on the other guy's tray table. Grabbing at their watches and such. I finally just had to let him have 2 fists full of my hair and go at it to keep him happy!!
Once we were back at the car and I put him in his carseat, he had the biggest smile because he knew it was his car and he was home!
Nicholas did a great job on this trip. For constantly being held, put in a stroller or carseat and having to sleep in a pack and play. He really enjoyed looking around at all the people and new places but I think he's happy to be back home with all his toys again. And he was quite happy to see Daddy this morning now that he is back from his golf trip too!!
Unfortunately he came down with Grandma's stomach flu on Tuesday,
I got it on Thursday and Dan got it on Friday. So we have been one unhealthy bunch! It was so tough to see Nicholas with his first vomitting sickness :( Atleast we can't blame this sickness on daycare this time!
Here's our portrait of 4 generations on the Leszcynski side......
Nicholas and GiGi.......
Nicholas loved sitting on GiGi's walker and going for rides all over the complex .....
