I'm having a bad day. Kate has decided that sleeping isn't necessary. She's my first baby to not need much sleep. I've heard friends talk about their baby not needing much sleep, and I thought they just hadn't tried hard enough. Kate must be my punishment.
She is sleeping 7 pm - 6 am each night. That's a total of only 11 hours at night! (My other kids did a minimum of 12 hours at night.) It boggles my mind that she can get by on that little. Unfortunately, those 11 hours are far from being uninterrupted. Every night for that last couple months, she's been up at least once (usually between 1-3 am), and last night she was up at both midnight and 4 am, and then she was chipper and ready to roll at 6 am.
As far as her napping, I usually get about 20 minutes out of her sometime in the morning, and then about 1-2 hours in the afternoon. And that's it. She just doesn't sleep. Her room is dark and the house is as quiet as I can get it. She's pretty smiley and happy too, but I need a break sometimes! (My other kids would nap 2-3 times per day for about 2 hours each at this age.)
For a comparison, Ethan (who is 2 years older) sleeps 7pm-6:30am non-stop every night, and then naps every afternoon for at least 3-4 hours. That is many, many more hours than my much younger baby.
I feel like I'm going to die. I took two Tylenol this morning for the headache, ate a cold slice of pizza for breakfast, and drank a Sprite for lunch. My new calling is taking over my life. I am the secretary in the Young Women's (girls ages 12-18 years). I didn't think it'd be that hard. I was wrong. Our president has a full-time job, and both of the counselors do lots of volunteering. Everyone travels A LOT. I haven't been home for one bedtime since last Tuesday (YWs activities every night). Ryan is giving Kate baby food at bedtime instead of milk (she doesn't take a bottle or sippy, and I'm not here to nurse here).
This morning I was in tears. I exploded on Ryan (who took out the trash, emptied and loaded the dishwasher, got me Tylenol, and started a load of laundry all before taking Collin and his space project to school this morning) ranting about wanting my blessings for taking this calling NOW. Really, I just want my baby to sleep. She used to sleep; what's her deal?! Shouldn't I get what I want?
Anyway, I know it isn't rational. I haven't slept decently in months (I do YWs stuff during Ethan's nap time most days, and as I mentioned Kate's nap is sketchy at best). Oh, and it doesn't help that my woman hormones have started up again, and that means my insomnia is back a few nights every month with my cycle. BLAH!!!!
Ok, I needed a good whine today. I'm done now.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
If You Give a Mom Laced Shoes...
If she sits down to tie them,
she'll probably sit on a plop of oatmeal.
If she sits on a plop of oatmeal,
she might have to go upstairs and change her pants.
If she goes upstairs to change her pants,
she'll probably see herself in the mirror.
If she sees herself in the mirror,
she might need to brush her hair, fix her ponytail and put on a bit of mascara.
If she sees the overflowing laundry basket she added her oatmeal-ed pants to,
she'll probably have to collect all the laundry from all the bedrooms.
If she tries to collect all the laundry,
she'll have to venture into The Boy Room.
If she goes into The Boy Room,
she'll probably start turning all the wadded pajamas on the floor right-side-out, straighten the beds, lay out jammies for the coming evening, check the "clothing squares" to make sure everyone has things to wear for the week, and straighten the pictures above the crib.
When she's comes downstairs, she'll realize she was supposed to bring down the laundry she was collecting. She'll go back up to get it all.
She'll put the laundry in the washer, and sit down to tie her shoes.
And chances are, if she sits down to tie her shoes, she'll sit on a plop of oatmeal.
THE END
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Friday, March 25, 2016
March Wrap-up
This week was our two-year anniversary of moving to Colorado. That means we officially no longer have to repay our moving expenses to Ryan's company if we decide to leave. But, I'm happy to report, a move doesn't seem likely!
SPRING BREAK
Last week was Spring Break. Despite being in the 70s for the two weeks prior, it snowed and was windy and bitterly cold all week. We attended a St Patrick's Day party at the cultural hall of our old chapel one morning (complete with a bounce house, decorating green cookies and party music). Another day during the week, I hosted a play-date in our chapel's gym. The boys rode their scooters and did coloring pages. I think everyone had fun.
Ryan took the Friday of Spring Break off work, and we headed to Denver under a Blizzard Advisory. It took us almost twice as long to get there, and we saw lots of cars in the ditches. Lucky for us, we enjoyed a few hours at the Children's Museum with it almost empty and then checked into our hotel. While Ryan went to the temple, I took the kids swimming. He brought back brick-oven pizza and cheesecake for dinner. We ate and put the boys to sleep. Then we waited in the lobby with Kate for her to get tired. After tossing and turning all night, I got up early on Saturday and went to the temple while Ryan tackled the continental breakfast all by himself with all the kiddos in tow. But they got a compliment for good behavior, so I guess it was a success. After I got back, we checked out and went over to Krispy Kreme. We watched them make donuts for awhile, grabbed a dozen to take home, and started the trek home. The roads were totally clear, and it was an easy drive. We earned it after the trip there!
KATE
Kate is seven months old on Monday. She is still a smiley little girl and a complete joy in our home. I couldn't ask for an easier, happier baby.
My favorite time of the day is getting her dressed each morning. She has the cutest clothes, and I love matching her shoes and bows to her leggings and tunic tops. She wears a lot of skirts, even not on Sundays. It is just too fun!
She now has four teeth - two on top and two on bottom.
She can sit on her own for about 20 seconds now. She is getting stronger and stronger, and she loves to roll and roll and pivot to get to anything that interests her. We are so grateful to have her in our family.
ETHAN
Ethan has had a cold for several weeks now, and just when I thought I couldn't take any more nose-wiping and whining, he FINALLY got better. His speech is still limited to nouns, but it is amazing how he can string so many words together and tell a whole story.
He'll be 2-1/2 at the end of April. He loves choo-choos, wee-oos (everything with lights and sirens) and "dumps" - typical boy there, for sure. He loves to run, jump and kick. He particularly loves the trampoline and scooting on the plasma car. He still loves to escape out the front door and run down the middle of the street, and he only rides his scooter in the street too. It is a good thing we don't have much traffic on our road.
BRENNAN
Brennan is finishing up his last year of preschool and really looking forward to going to school with Collin next year. I've signed him up for half-day kindergarten for the fall. He has had a good string of days this last week, and I dread it coming to a close. He can be such a sweet, kind helper... and he can be such a little obstinate, mean devil. He really thrives on one-on-one time, and I'm trying so hard to spend more time with him. It seems to make a difference, but there really is only one of me to go around, and I feel really stretched thin most of the time. He still loves to draw, and currently he is creating a book of Pokemon characters which he has me write the names for.
COLLIN
Collin is finishing up first grade. He seems to have landed right in the middle of the pack academically. He's a decent reader, and he enjoys math class. But it is all I can do to get him to read at home (usually only as a consequence) and do his math fact practice. He doesn't seem to naturally make connections with numbers. He doesn't like to do hard things, and he gets frustrated very easily. He does seem to be a really speller though. I'd say he does best with things when they are specifically taught but doesn't really enjoy figuring things out on his own.
He did a St Patrick's Day creative writing at school. He wrote, "If I found a pot of gold, I'd get a job as an engineer at Woodward." When I asked him why he'd get a job if he already had money, he said that he would pay for the job with the gold. Guess we haven't explained finances much to him.
He has started taking piano lessons again, this time from a boy teenager in our old ward. It has only been a month, but he is doing well and loves to practice and go to his lesson each week.
RYAN
Ryan has been really busy at work. He has at least one late phone call each week with China, and he's been helping with interviewing for new positions too. It's been a little crazy.
He is also in the middle of remodeling our front room. We decided to move the last three stairs and the middle landing and remove our coat closet in order to open up the entryway and create a formal sitting room. He's also doing board and batten on the walls. It is going to look awesome, but we started in mid-December, so I'm just hoping it is completed in time for our temple open house and dedication. We are also going to lay hardwood flooring throughout the main floor, and it is already stacked all over the house to acclimate to our humidity. We are living in a construction zone! He is still serving as the Sunday School president in our ward, which seems to be pretty easy. He mostly just deals with staffing challenges and substitutes.
LINDSEY
I am getting SUPER excited for the Fort Collins temple. I'm excited to live only 12 minutes away and be able to go during preschool/kindergarten hours. I spend all my time cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and running kids here, there and wherever. I am currently (until Sunday, hint hint) serving as the Laurel advisor in the Young Women's. I love teaching every other week, and I love the girls. I am still reading like a crazy person, sometimes many books per month. I absolutely love my book club, which meets once per month. In January, I organized a monthly Brunch Bunch for women with small children to share a dish and chat while their children eat and play. Each month, I ask for a host, and now we are rotating homes. It seems to have really taken off. I also have started a craft group, where the women meet once per month at someone's home without children in the evening. Everyone brings their own craft and supplies, and we chat and eat a treat while we work. It has been fun.
CONCLUSION
And there you have it. We are busy and happy and looking forward to warmer weather. I'm terrified to have ALL four kids home ALL day this summer. I've bought the older boys workbooks to do each day as part of their morning chores. We are also planning to visit Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July week, and of course we'll be at the pool almost every day too. Hopefully, they won't kill each other... and I won't kill them!
SPRING BREAK
Last week was Spring Break. Despite being in the 70s for the two weeks prior, it snowed and was windy and bitterly cold all week. We attended a St Patrick's Day party at the cultural hall of our old chapel one morning (complete with a bounce house, decorating green cookies and party music). Another day during the week, I hosted a play-date in our chapel's gym. The boys rode their scooters and did coloring pages. I think everyone had fun.
Ryan took the Friday of Spring Break off work, and we headed to Denver under a Blizzard Advisory. It took us almost twice as long to get there, and we saw lots of cars in the ditches. Lucky for us, we enjoyed a few hours at the Children's Museum with it almost empty and then checked into our hotel. While Ryan went to the temple, I took the kids swimming. He brought back brick-oven pizza and cheesecake for dinner. We ate and put the boys to sleep. Then we waited in the lobby with Kate for her to get tired. After tossing and turning all night, I got up early on Saturday and went to the temple while Ryan tackled the continental breakfast all by himself with all the kiddos in tow. But they got a compliment for good behavior, so I guess it was a success. After I got back, we checked out and went over to Krispy Kreme. We watched them make donuts for awhile, grabbed a dozen to take home, and started the trek home. The roads were totally clear, and it was an easy drive. We earned it after the trip there!
KATE
Kate is seven months old on Monday. She is still a smiley little girl and a complete joy in our home. I couldn't ask for an easier, happier baby.
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| If mom neglects her, she takes matters into her own hands |
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| St Patrick's Day (she had matching socks too) |
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| She wasn't so interested in showing off her four teeth today. |
ETHAN
Ethan has had a cold for several weeks now, and just when I thought I couldn't take any more nose-wiping and whining, he FINALLY got better. His speech is still limited to nouns, but it is amazing how he can string so many words together and tell a whole story.
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| He face-planted after church on Sunday, so he has a fat lip in this picture. I took this picture when he said, "Picture, Dada, hop, bunny" and handed me my phone. Doesn't everyone know that means, "Take my picture to send to daddy. I'm a hopping bunny!" |
BRENNAN
(He won't let anyone take pictures of him, and I literally don't have any of him from this month. You'll just have to imagine his handsome self here.)
Brennan is finishing up his last year of preschool and really looking forward to going to school with Collin next year. I've signed him up for half-day kindergarten for the fall. He has had a good string of days this last week, and I dread it coming to a close. He can be such a sweet, kind helper... and he can be such a little obstinate, mean devil. He really thrives on one-on-one time, and I'm trying so hard to spend more time with him. It seems to make a difference, but there really is only one of me to go around, and I feel really stretched thin most of the time. He still loves to draw, and currently he is creating a book of Pokemon characters which he has me write the names for.
COLLIN
Collin is finishing up first grade. He seems to have landed right in the middle of the pack academically. He's a decent reader, and he enjoys math class. But it is all I can do to get him to read at home (usually only as a consequence) and do his math fact practice. He doesn't seem to naturally make connections with numbers. He doesn't like to do hard things, and he gets frustrated very easily. He does seem to be a really speller though. I'd say he does best with things when they are specifically taught but doesn't really enjoy figuring things out on his own.
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| After climbing the structure at the Children's Museum |
He has started taking piano lessons again, this time from a boy teenager in our old ward. It has only been a month, but he is doing well and loves to practice and go to his lesson each week.
RYAN
Ryan has been really busy at work. He has at least one late phone call each week with China, and he's been helping with interviewing for new positions too. It's been a little crazy.
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| Super Dad! |
LINDSEY
(I guess I don't have any pictures of myself either. Brennan and I both avoid the camera.)
I am getting SUPER excited for the Fort Collins temple. I'm excited to live only 12 minutes away and be able to go during preschool/kindergarten hours. I spend all my time cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and running kids here, there and wherever. I am currently (until Sunday, hint hint) serving as the Laurel advisor in the Young Women's. I love teaching every other week, and I love the girls. I am still reading like a crazy person, sometimes many books per month. I absolutely love my book club, which meets once per month. In January, I organized a monthly Brunch Bunch for women with small children to share a dish and chat while their children eat and play. Each month, I ask for a host, and now we are rotating homes. It seems to have really taken off. I also have started a craft group, where the women meet once per month at someone's home without children in the evening. Everyone brings their own craft and supplies, and we chat and eat a treat while we work. It has been fun.
CONCLUSION
And there you have it. We are busy and happy and looking forward to warmer weather. I'm terrified to have ALL four kids home ALL day this summer. I've bought the older boys workbooks to do each day as part of their morning chores. We are also planning to visit Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July week, and of course we'll be at the pool almost every day too. Hopefully, they won't kill each other... and I won't kill them!
Sunday, February 28, 2016
And she's SIX months!
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| My team on Valentine's Day before enjoying our chocolate fondue tradition (Ryan is behind the camera) |
First, as you noticed in the Wedding post, she really is a wonderfully easy baby. She just goes with the flow, even if it includes flying on an airplane all night or being woken up for security checks at 2 am.
CHANGES
My kids always go through a huge change at 3 months and again at 6 months, and Kate is no exception. Prior to this past week, she always slept swaddled (even in her car seat), and she nursed to sleep when napping in her crib. This week she decided she'd no longer nurse to sleep (violently pulling off when she's finished or screaming instead of latching on if she's not hungry), and she will not under any conditions remain swaddled. It's been a rough week of learning her new habits, especially since Ryan has been gone on a business trip all week and I've been flying solo.
To nurse every three hours (no closer or farther apart), eat baby food (only fruits! pears, peaches, apples, and mango) with baby cereal stirred in (super thick) three times per day (with one right in the morning and another right before bed).
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| Sucking on her toes... naked :-) |
To hold a blanket while falling asleep. There's some crying, but she insists on being awake (no rocking her to sleep or singing or cuddling), and definitely no nursing to sleep. She also will NOT be swaddled or even entertain the idea of a binky/pacifier. Sometimes I can trick her into falling asleep in a swing or in her car seat, but these are usually short cat-naps. At night, she is sleeping about 7:45 pm-6:30 am. Then she'll take about 3 naps per day, but I never know when or for how long.
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| With no more swaddling, she gouged her cheek :-( |
To have the freedom to move. She loves rolling! Kate can roll again and again to get to where she wants to be. She loves her Jumperoo and the play gym with the toys hanging over her head. She no longer likes sitting in her high chair or bouncy seat or DayDreamer for any length of time. She just arches her back and tries to wiggle out. She'd rather be on the move. She loves putting her toes in her mouth, and she loves to suck on her fingers and straws. She sometimes chews on small stuffed animals too.
* * *
All in all, Kate really is so smiley and happy. She got two little teeth on the bottom at four months, and you can see them so well now when she smiles. It is adorable. She is weighing in at about 20 pounds now, so she should be able to hold her own with all these brothers soon enough. Nine-month clothes at six months is right on par with my other giant babies.
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| My two babies playing together |
Other than the sleeping-changes of this week, she really is a wonderfully easy baby. I know she'll be easy again as soon as we have a routine down again.
Love you, Kate! Slow down this growing stuff, ok? Mom's not ready for more timeouts and talking back just yet.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Jared's Punta Cana Wedding
Ryan, Kate and I went to my brother Jared's wedding this past weekend in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Ryan's mom came and stayed with the boys so we didn't have to haul them across the nation, get them passports and have them miss a week of school.
Here's a very long rundown of the festivities... Feel free to just scroll through the pictures.
TUESDAY
Fortunately, we flew Lori in on Saturday, because Denver got a foot of snow and 35 mph winds all day. Collin's school was canceled. I ran around like a crazy person trying to get the last of our things bought for the trip. I highly recommend running errands in the snow - I got all the best parking spots, there were no checkout lane lines, and I was the only one in all the dressing rooms. It was great, and the roads weren't really even that bad.
We left about 8:30 pm, and Kate fell right asleep in the car. We parked in long-term parking and took a shuttle to the airport. We checked our bag, and Kate slept. We had to wake her for TSA screening, and she was pleasant and cheerful getting to our gate. I nursed her on the plane before we even left the gate, and she slept until we landed in Miami four hours later. Score!
WEDNESDAY
We landed in Miami at 6 am local time, and despite Kate's absolute perfection, neither of us had slept more than 15 minutes. We walked for an eternity to our connecting gate and started our 4-hour layover. Lucky for us, Jared and his fiancee Charlotte were also on our connecting flight, so we got to chat while waiting. They both were absolutely glowing with joy.
Right when it was time to board they switched our gate back to where our first flight came in, and we had to truck across the airport again. Sigh. Kate was absolute perfection again, nursing and then napping in her car seat. We checked her stroller and car seat and boarded. I nursed her most of this flight, and she slept (albeit more fitfully than before) the whole flight. I didn't sleep at all.
We arrived in the Dominican at 1:30 pm local time. We paid our "tourism fee," showed our passports at immigration, turned in our declarations paper, and picked up our bags. We stood in line after line, but the Dominicans kept pulling us to the front to fast-track us because of Kate. It was awesome. Everyone we met thought she was so beautiful, asking to hold her and everything. They REALLY wanted her to say "hola" since she looks about the size of a one-year old. Unfortunately, she's only 5 months and could only flash her toothy grin. All week we heard, "Hola, bebe!" They just loved her.
Meeting up with our shuttle to the resort took a while, and we were so wasted tired. Kate got pretty grumpy in the van, and there wasn't anything I could do to calm her. I think more than anything she just wanted us to stop holding her so she could wiggle.
We got to the resort, and Ryan waited to check us in. I wandered over to the balcony to look at the ocean. I heard someone say, "Are you a Morello?" Charlotte's family was all waiting in the lobby for her and Jared to arrive (they were on a different shuttle than us) and recognized me as a sibling. Her family is wonderful, and we immediately felt welcomed to the group.
While we chatted, Ryan was told the resort didn't have our reservation, and that we had been booked with the Diamond Club. Basically, this was an upgrade to special accommodations, personalized butler services, free spa services, private beach cabanas, etc. We totally didn't pay for it, but since they didn't have any reservation for us elsewhere, we went with it.
After lots of talking and a tour of the resort, we FINALLY made it to our room about 5 pm. Have I mentioned how absolutely tired we were? Anyway, I nursed Kate again, put her in her car seat for a nap, threw on our swimsuits and headed to the pool.
Charlotte's family was all down there, and we discovered our personal butler had left out many important pieces of information - towel cards, wifi password, television access (all resort info was on the tv). We headed back to the room to figure it all out. I was soooo tired, hungry, frustrated and worn out.
In the end, we ate a quick buffet dinner with a fussy baby, and all tried to go to bed. About 11:30, my sister emailed to say that they had just gotten to their room and invited us over. Kate, having slept great all night and all day, was as happy as can be, so we headed over to see them. She didn't get tired until 1 am, so we stayed in their room until then. It was a long, long day.
THURSDAY
We woke late on our first real day of vacation. In fact, we barely made it to the breakfast buffet before it closed at 10:30 am. My uncle Ron and his wife Kristie met us there, as well as my Aunt Geri and her husband Danny. I was in a MUCH better mood now.
We ate and then headed to the beach. We decided to check out our private Diamond Club beach, and it was pretty awesome. Cushioned lounge chairs, lots of shade, and very attentive drink servers.
We really lived up the all-you-can-consume environment of the resort. We drank as many virgin (non-alcoholic) drinks as they offered. Our favorites were Dirty Monkeys (chocolate, coconut and banana), Mango Margaritas, and of course Pina Coladas.
Kate slept. Sometime that afternoon my brother Rob and my mom and dad arrived at the resort too. The reunion had begun!
We spent the whole day on the beach, until about 4:30, when we came in to shower and cleanup. Ryan got us dinner reservations at the steakhouse for 6 pm. Right as we were headed in, my Aunt Kristie showed up and offered to take Kate so Ryan, Rob and I could have an adult conversation. Just as we took our last bite of dessert, my Uncle Ron hurried into the restaurant saying Kate was shrieking and asking, "Where is the pacifier?" (They took her so suddenly that I didn't get a chance to tell them important things... like she doesn't take a pacifier.)
Anyway, I rushed out and she was SCREAMING outside. Everyone was turning and looking and wondering what was wrong with this "bebe."
My sister came just then (hearing the commotion) and let me hurry to her hotel room since it was the closest, and the only thing that was going to calm her down was nursing. I sat on the bed and fed her and she was asleep in seconds. I carried her back to the restaurant, and Ryan and Rob were out front with all my family.
The resort had set up pirate decorations in the center plaza, and this evening there was dancing and pirate costumes. It was pretty fun. Kate slept nearby, and my dad kept an eye on her carrier while we danced. It was great fun, but then she woke up and was happily awake until 1 am again.
FRIDAY
We went together to the hotel gym, but we got in trouble for bringing Kate inside. We were going to take turns working out, but then my mom showed up in the lobby and took her to a pre-wedding meeting with her. After working out, we decided to skip breakfast so we'd have room for lunch. We headed to the neighboring resort (our wristbands worked here too) where there were water slides. My sister's in-laws came too, so they watched Kate's carrier while she slept, so Ryan and I could do some slides together.
We ate at a buffet in that resort, and then headed back to the beach. After getting Kate asleep again, Rob and I checked boogie boards out from the hotel and tried our luck in the waves. I only caught two, but Rob did great. It really was just like when we were kids vacationing in the Outer Banks. Boogie boarding with Rob took second place in my all-time favorite parts of the vacation.
About 4 o'clock, we headed back to the room to shower and get dressed for the rehearsal dinner. We got a few pictures before the meal started, but then Kate got tired and needed a nap. She slept through the meal.
Right as we ate the last bite of our baklava, it started to trickle. We rushed to the nearby martini bar, and the clouds opened up in a deluge! I fed Kate her oatmeal while we waited 5 minutes for it to end.
The resort entertainment this evening was a jazz concert in the theater. Diamond Club members got special seating and better treats. Ryan and I shared our better treats, but we sat with my family. It was AWFUL. We thought it was going to be jazz music, like the Blues, but really it was girls barely-clothed pretending to be Beyonce. Our whole family got up and left in the middle of the second dance. Kate slept.
After that failure, we sat in the downstairs lobby playing cards as a family until Kate woke up and needed to eat. She played on our bed in the room until 1 am again.
SATURDAY
Because the wedding was in the middle of the afternoon, we opted not to get sandy and salty and skipped the beach today. We had breakfast and took the camera to go for a walk around the resort. We found lots of fun plants, flowers, trees and animals. The Dominican is truly a beautiful place. Kate slept in her car seat.
About noon, we headed in to get all fancied up. I couldn't get Kate to nap until 1 pm, and then we had to wake her at 1:30 to get her into her dress.
BAD CHOICE. She screamed and screamed and screamed, and all I wanted was for her to be awake and happy for the wedding and pictures. Her dress was designed and handmade by Ryan's mom to match the other flower girls' dresses, but we didn't get a single picture of them all together. We put her in her car seat to nap, and she slept through the whole thing.
The wedding was beautiful. It was hot, but the ocean was in the background and was a perfect turquoise, bluish green.
The sand was sparkling, and Jared and Charlotte were gorgeous. My dad "performed" the marriage (they actually got legally married in Ohio over Christmas vacation, but this was their ceremony), and he gave them wonderful advice. They each wrote vows that they read, and it was beautiful.
There were a bunch of pictures afterwards too, but Kate slept.
Then we all headed back to our rooms to change for the reception. We changed into more comfortable clothes, and I fed Kate. We headed to the lobby and met a bus to take us to the reception boat. Kate slept.
The bus drove us to an alley that we walked down to get to a fishing boat. We had to wade into the water, climb into the rocking canoe, and then it motored us out to the dinner and dancing boat. It was a little scary handing the car seat where Kate was sleeping, but Ryan and my uncles and brothers were a big help.
The reception was awesome. We saw the sun set over the palm trees, we ate a delicious dinner (lobster, fish, chicken and steak kebabs, fries and cucumber salad), and then the tables were cleared and we danced.
Kate ate her oatmeal and I nursed her, and she fell asleep in her car seat so Ryan and I could slow and fast dance together. The boat reception was my favorite part of the whole trip.
Taking the fishing boat back to the beach in the pitch black night, and then walking down the dark alley to the bus was the worst part of the whole trip. We even saw a guy in full military clothes with a GIANT gun in the alley. Everyone else said he was there so I'd feel safe, but I decided that if he needed THAT to make me safe, that I didn't feel safe at all. I also fell when the little boat almost capsized when I was climbing out, and I've got some fun bruises to show for it.
When we got back to the hotel, we played cards as a family in the lobby of the hotel. It was a pretty great day.
SUNDAY
This was our last day of vacation, so after breakfast at the buffet, we spent the whole day on the beach.
At one point, my mom watched Kate's carrier while she slept, and all my brothers and their wives and Ryan and I all went into the ocean and rode waves together. This was my third favorite part of the whole trip. Spending time with your grown siblings without your/their children around is pretty close to heaven to me. We also stopped in at the water park one last time to do our favorite slides again. Kate slept.
That night we had reservations for our family (21 people in all!) at the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. I love the places where they cook with fire in front of you on the grill. We enjoyed steak, chicken and shrimp with fried rice. I love that it's entertainment and eating at the same time. Kate slept.
After dinner, we changed into our Broncos clothes and headed to the resort's sports bar. The hotel actually threw a huge party in the theater with lots of food and drinks.
It was fun to watch the game with fans cheering for both sides. Kate slept.
I left after the first quarter to play cards with the rest of my family in the lobby. The mosquitoes were horrible this night though, so I headed back to the room and fell asleep while Kate played next to me. I woke up at 1 am to put her to bed, and Ryan came back from the game to say we'd won. Go Broncos!
MONDAY
This morning I spent with my sister Kim. We had breakfast just the two of us, and then walked the beach. We did some gift shopping together, and then I headed back to the room to get all packed up. Ryan had gotten Kate to sleep and already done most of the packing, so we headed to the lobby to get checked out.
Our shuttle came to get us at 1 pm, and while Kate slept, the the traveling nightmare began again. The Dominicans fast-tracked us through each of the airport lines because of Kate in the stroller, but even then... it was lots of lines and waiting and hassle. Kate was perfect, sleeping in her car seat and letting us wake her for security checks. We got to our gate an hour early and ate Wendy's. By some miracle, we had an empty seat in our row for the 2-hour flight to Miami, and Kate was great.
Our 2-hour Miami layover though was awful. We had to stand in FIVE different lines, and they only fast-tracked us because of the stroller once. We had to have our passports checked twice, pick up and drop off our checked bags, and go back through TSA screening again. The airport was totally overwhelmed, and as soon as we'd get in a long line, then they'd tell us to go somewhere else because they were opening another line to try to get us through faster. We traipsed over and around the airport for the whole two hours, and we got to our gate just as it was boarding. It was exhausting, and it was the middle of the night again. Kate slept and was perfect.
We boarded our final flight to Denver, and arrived about 30 minutes late (midnight) local time - 3 am Dominican time. I hadn't slept at all but had nursed Kate again and again while she slept fitfully in my lap.
TUESDAY
Arriving in Denver at midnight, we had to take the shuttle to baggage claim. Everyone was wearing orange, and the airport was buzzing with the win. We got our luggage an hour after landing. Then we had to get the shuttle to long-term parking. There was snow on the ground still, and it was bitterly cold. Lastly, we had to do the 1-hour drive home to Fort Collins. Kate slept through the whole thing.
We finally walked through the door at 2 am (5 am Dominican time). We collapsed in bed. Kate woke two hours later to nurse, and then the boys were all noisily up 2 hours after that. I dragged my fat butt out of bed and showered.
Collin was the guest reader at school at 8:45, and I really wanted to be there. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open, smile and clap. By 9:15, I was back in my jammies and in bed. I slept until 1 pm, when I got up to say goodbye to Lori, since Ryan was driving her back to the airport. Whew. And then it was back to real life.
And that was our amazingly, awesome February beach vacation and wedding. We did lots of fun stuff, and Kate slept in her car seat wherever she was hauled.
Would I ever choose to go to the Dominican again? No.
1 - Everyone had bouts of diarrhea and throwing up. Ryan and I did pretty well, but many of the others were sick at least one day. Charlotte was even sick on her wedding day!
2 -The Caribbean really is VERY far from the Rocky Mountains. A four-hour flight plus a two-hour flight, plus awful layovers made the travel time much, much too long.
Was it beautiful, warm and awesome? Yes. Was the wedding wonderful? Yes. Was seeing all my family together great? Yes. Would I have missed it? NEVER. But I'm voting for Hawaii or another US territory next time.
Here's a very long rundown of the festivities... Feel free to just scroll through the pictures.
TUESDAY
Fortunately, we flew Lori in on Saturday, because Denver got a foot of snow and 35 mph winds all day. Collin's school was canceled. I ran around like a crazy person trying to get the last of our things bought for the trip. I highly recommend running errands in the snow - I got all the best parking spots, there were no checkout lane lines, and I was the only one in all the dressing rooms. It was great, and the roads weren't really even that bad.
We left about 8:30 pm, and Kate fell right asleep in the car. We parked in long-term parking and took a shuttle to the airport. We checked our bag, and Kate slept. We had to wake her for TSA screening, and she was pleasant and cheerful getting to our gate. I nursed her on the plane before we even left the gate, and she slept until we landed in Miami four hours later. Score!
WEDNESDAY
We landed in Miami at 6 am local time, and despite Kate's absolute perfection, neither of us had slept more than 15 minutes. We walked for an eternity to our connecting gate and started our 4-hour layover. Lucky for us, Jared and his fiancee Charlotte were also on our connecting flight, so we got to chat while waiting. They both were absolutely glowing with joy.
Right when it was time to board they switched our gate back to where our first flight came in, and we had to truck across the airport again. Sigh. Kate was absolute perfection again, nursing and then napping in her car seat. We checked her stroller and car seat and boarded. I nursed her most of this flight, and she slept (albeit more fitfully than before) the whole flight. I didn't sleep at all.
We arrived in the Dominican at 1:30 pm local time. We paid our "tourism fee," showed our passports at immigration, turned in our declarations paper, and picked up our bags. We stood in line after line, but the Dominicans kept pulling us to the front to fast-track us because of Kate. It was awesome. Everyone we met thought she was so beautiful, asking to hold her and everything. They REALLY wanted her to say "hola" since she looks about the size of a one-year old. Unfortunately, she's only 5 months and could only flash her toothy grin. All week we heard, "Hola, bebe!" They just loved her.
Meeting up with our shuttle to the resort took a while, and we were so wasted tired. Kate got pretty grumpy in the van, and there wasn't anything I could do to calm her. I think more than anything she just wanted us to stop holding her so she could wiggle.
We got to the resort, and Ryan waited to check us in. I wandered over to the balcony to look at the ocean. I heard someone say, "Are you a Morello?" Charlotte's family was all waiting in the lobby for her and Jared to arrive (they were on a different shuttle than us) and recognized me as a sibling. Her family is wonderful, and we immediately felt welcomed to the group.
While we chatted, Ryan was told the resort didn't have our reservation, and that we had been booked with the Diamond Club. Basically, this was an upgrade to special accommodations, personalized butler services, free spa services, private beach cabanas, etc. We totally didn't pay for it, but since they didn't have any reservation for us elsewhere, we went with it.
After lots of talking and a tour of the resort, we FINALLY made it to our room about 5 pm. Have I mentioned how absolutely tired we were? Anyway, I nursed Kate again, put her in her car seat for a nap, threw on our swimsuits and headed to the pool.
In the end, we ate a quick buffet dinner with a fussy baby, and all tried to go to bed. About 11:30, my sister emailed to say that they had just gotten to their room and invited us over. Kate, having slept great all night and all day, was as happy as can be, so we headed over to see them. She didn't get tired until 1 am, so we stayed in their room until then. It was a long, long day.
THURSDAY
We woke late on our first real day of vacation. In fact, we barely made it to the breakfast buffet before it closed at 10:30 am. My uncle Ron and his wife Kristie met us there, as well as my Aunt Geri and her husband Danny. I was in a MUCH better mood now.
We ate and then headed to the beach. We decided to check out our private Diamond Club beach, and it was pretty awesome. Cushioned lounge chairs, lots of shade, and very attentive drink servers.
We really lived up the all-you-can-consume environment of the resort. We drank as many virgin (non-alcoholic) drinks as they offered. Our favorites were Dirty Monkeys (chocolate, coconut and banana), Mango Margaritas, and of course Pina Coladas.
Kate slept. Sometime that afternoon my brother Rob and my mom and dad arrived at the resort too. The reunion had begun!
We spent the whole day on the beach, until about 4:30, when we came in to shower and cleanup. Ryan got us dinner reservations at the steakhouse for 6 pm. Right as we were headed in, my Aunt Kristie showed up and offered to take Kate so Ryan, Rob and I could have an adult conversation. Just as we took our last bite of dessert, my Uncle Ron hurried into the restaurant saying Kate was shrieking and asking, "Where is the pacifier?" (They took her so suddenly that I didn't get a chance to tell them important things... like she doesn't take a pacifier.)
Anyway, I rushed out and she was SCREAMING outside. Everyone was turning and looking and wondering what was wrong with this "bebe."
My sister came just then (hearing the commotion) and let me hurry to her hotel room since it was the closest, and the only thing that was going to calm her down was nursing. I sat on the bed and fed her and she was asleep in seconds. I carried her back to the restaurant, and Ryan and Rob were out front with all my family.
The resort had set up pirate decorations in the center plaza, and this evening there was dancing and pirate costumes. It was pretty fun. Kate slept nearby, and my dad kept an eye on her carrier while we danced. It was great fun, but then she woke up and was happily awake until 1 am again.
FRIDAY
We went together to the hotel gym, but we got in trouble for bringing Kate inside. We were going to take turns working out, but then my mom showed up in the lobby and took her to a pre-wedding meeting with her. After working out, we decided to skip breakfast so we'd have room for lunch. We headed to the neighboring resort (our wristbands worked here too) where there were water slides. My sister's in-laws came too, so they watched Kate's carrier while she slept, so Ryan and I could do some slides together.
We ate at a buffet in that resort, and then headed back to the beach. After getting Kate asleep again, Rob and I checked boogie boards out from the hotel and tried our luck in the waves. I only caught two, but Rob did great. It really was just like when we were kids vacationing in the Outer Banks. Boogie boarding with Rob took second place in my all-time favorite parts of the vacation.
The resort entertainment this evening was a jazz concert in the theater. Diamond Club members got special seating and better treats. Ryan and I shared our better treats, but we sat with my family. It was AWFUL. We thought it was going to be jazz music, like the Blues, but really it was girls barely-clothed pretending to be Beyonce. Our whole family got up and left in the middle of the second dance. Kate slept.
After that failure, we sat in the downstairs lobby playing cards as a family until Kate woke up and needed to eat. She played on our bed in the room until 1 am again.
SATURDAY
About noon, we headed in to get all fancied up. I couldn't get Kate to nap until 1 pm, and then we had to wake her at 1:30 to get her into her dress.
BAD CHOICE. She screamed and screamed and screamed, and all I wanted was for her to be awake and happy for the wedding and pictures. Her dress was designed and handmade by Ryan's mom to match the other flower girls' dresses, but we didn't get a single picture of them all together. We put her in her car seat to nap, and she slept through the whole thing.
The wedding was beautiful. It was hot, but the ocean was in the background and was a perfect turquoise, bluish green.
The sand was sparkling, and Jared and Charlotte were gorgeous. My dad "performed" the marriage (they actually got legally married in Ohio over Christmas vacation, but this was their ceremony), and he gave them wonderful advice. They each wrote vows that they read, and it was beautiful.
There were a bunch of pictures afterwards too, but Kate slept.
Then we all headed back to our rooms to change for the reception. We changed into more comfortable clothes, and I fed Kate. We headed to the lobby and met a bus to take us to the reception boat. Kate slept.
The bus drove us to an alley that we walked down to get to a fishing boat. We had to wade into the water, climb into the rocking canoe, and then it motored us out to the dinner and dancing boat. It was a little scary handing the car seat where Kate was sleeping, but Ryan and my uncles and brothers were a big help.
The reception was awesome. We saw the sun set over the palm trees, we ate a delicious dinner (lobster, fish, chicken and steak kebabs, fries and cucumber salad), and then the tables were cleared and we danced.
Taking the fishing boat back to the beach in the pitch black night, and then walking down the dark alley to the bus was the worst part of the whole trip. We even saw a guy in full military clothes with a GIANT gun in the alley. Everyone else said he was there so I'd feel safe, but I decided that if he needed THAT to make me safe, that I didn't feel safe at all. I also fell when the little boat almost capsized when I was climbing out, and I've got some fun bruises to show for it.
When we got back to the hotel, we played cards as a family in the lobby of the hotel. It was a pretty great day.
SUNDAY
This was our last day of vacation, so after breakfast at the buffet, we spent the whole day on the beach.
At one point, my mom watched Kate's carrier while she slept, and all my brothers and their wives and Ryan and I all went into the ocean and rode waves together. This was my third favorite part of the whole trip. Spending time with your grown siblings without your/their children around is pretty close to heaven to me. We also stopped in at the water park one last time to do our favorite slides again. Kate slept.
That night we had reservations for our family (21 people in all!) at the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. I love the places where they cook with fire in front of you on the grill. We enjoyed steak, chicken and shrimp with fried rice. I love that it's entertainment and eating at the same time. Kate slept.
After dinner, we changed into our Broncos clothes and headed to the resort's sports bar. The hotel actually threw a huge party in the theater with lots of food and drinks.
MONDAY
This morning I spent with my sister Kim. We had breakfast just the two of us, and then walked the beach. We did some gift shopping together, and then I headed back to the room to get all packed up. Ryan had gotten Kate to sleep and already done most of the packing, so we headed to the lobby to get checked out.
Our shuttle came to get us at 1 pm, and while Kate slept, the the traveling nightmare began again. The Dominicans fast-tracked us through each of the airport lines because of Kate in the stroller, but even then... it was lots of lines and waiting and hassle. Kate was perfect, sleeping in her car seat and letting us wake her for security checks. We got to our gate an hour early and ate Wendy's. By some miracle, we had an empty seat in our row for the 2-hour flight to Miami, and Kate was great.
Our 2-hour Miami layover though was awful. We had to stand in FIVE different lines, and they only fast-tracked us because of the stroller once. We had to have our passports checked twice, pick up and drop off our checked bags, and go back through TSA screening again. The airport was totally overwhelmed, and as soon as we'd get in a long line, then they'd tell us to go somewhere else because they were opening another line to try to get us through faster. We traipsed over and around the airport for the whole two hours, and we got to our gate just as it was boarding. It was exhausting, and it was the middle of the night again. Kate slept and was perfect.
We boarded our final flight to Denver, and arrived about 30 minutes late (midnight) local time - 3 am Dominican time. I hadn't slept at all but had nursed Kate again and again while she slept fitfully in my lap.
TUESDAY
Arriving in Denver at midnight, we had to take the shuttle to baggage claim. Everyone was wearing orange, and the airport was buzzing with the win. We got our luggage an hour after landing. Then we had to get the shuttle to long-term parking. There was snow on the ground still, and it was bitterly cold. Lastly, we had to do the 1-hour drive home to Fort Collins. Kate slept through the whole thing.
We finally walked through the door at 2 am (5 am Dominican time). We collapsed in bed. Kate woke two hours later to nurse, and then the boys were all noisily up 2 hours after that. I dragged my fat butt out of bed and showered.
Collin was the guest reader at school at 8:45, and I really wanted to be there. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open, smile and clap. By 9:15, I was back in my jammies and in bed. I slept until 1 pm, when I got up to say goodbye to Lori, since Ryan was driving her back to the airport. Whew. And then it was back to real life.
***
And that was our amazingly, awesome February beach vacation and wedding. We did lots of fun stuff, and Kate slept in her car seat wherever she was hauled.
Would I ever choose to go to the Dominican again? No.
1 - Everyone had bouts of diarrhea and throwing up. Ryan and I did pretty well, but many of the others were sick at least one day. Charlotte was even sick on her wedding day!
2 -The Caribbean really is VERY far from the Rocky Mountains. A four-hour flight plus a two-hour flight, plus awful layovers made the travel time much, much too long.
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