Trip Home to PA

It all started when I forgot my toothbrush....

SUNDAY
I packed everything, washed everything, and cleaned everything so that I would be all ready to leave Kentucky in the evening. Jeff watched the baby while I took a nice long nap (thanks to some Tylenol PM and blackout shades) and when I woke up, we bathed her, fed her and put her to bed in her car seat. Travel-wise, the easiest part of the trip was going from Owensboro to Columbus. It took us 5 hours, without stopping, and she stayed asleep the whole time.

MONDAY
We arrived in Columbus around 2:30am and met Emily, who was going to help me feed Mckenna while we ate a VERY early breakfast at a diner, and then follow me back to Pittsburgh. After a few unsuccessful tries, we finally found an all-night Waffle House that wasn't too scary looking, ate, peed, fed the baby, then got on the road again. Except, I got on the East-bound road, and Emily went West! We eventually met up at the next exit, and away we were. A few more stops (MCKENNA'S CRANKY MOMENT #1), some rain, and head-lights that blended into all the other head-lights behind me put us a little behind but the baby and I finally arrived in Butler at 7:15am. Whew!

We cleaned up, ate a morning bottle, and then visited Grammy in the hospital for a little while. Then we went back to my mom's apartment to attempt to nap, but I was so pumped up on enough caffeine to kill a small horse and just stared at the ceiling. After unpacking and showering, we went back to the hospital to pick up my mom from her treatment but it took a while because Mondays require more tests. (MCKENNA'S CRANKY MOMENT #2).

After dropping Mom off at her apartment to sleep, MK and I went up to Slippery Rock to visit with Deanna and Baby Ellie. How cute to see those two theatre babies together! (MCKENNA'S CRANKY MOMENT #3) She also got to be held by Reba, until we had to fly out of there to meet my in-laws for a very early dinner (I'm still on central time, mind you).

Oh, and I haven't slept.

Dinner with in-laws at Snack-n'-Pack. (MCKENNA'S CRANKY HOUR #4) She really needed to nap but just didn't want to close her eyes with all the people and noises and lights around her! Oh my.... Then back to Grammy's for a nap, bath, bottle, then bed! Whew! I've been up for more than 36 hours!!!!!

TUESDAY
Take Mom to hospital bright and early, then go back to bed! I think we're both still exhausted! Pick Mom up and then drive over to visit the girls that I used to babysit (who are now 8 &12!). Back to Grammy's for dinner and a visit from Aunt Julie and Baby Cousin Ava.

WEDNESDAY
Hospital. Shower then run errands to Wal-mart, Verizon store ($42 for a battery?!?!), then breakfast at my beloved Sheetz. Oh how I've missed you.....

Then a short jaunt up to Slippery Rock to visit with Sonya, Anna, & Monique at Airport Orbit, a travel-extraordinaire company that I used to work for (and live above). They just ate her up! Back to the hospital to pick up Mom, and I see Vanessa and two of her 3 kids, Victor and Naomi, about to get on the elevator! We stand and talk for a while and Victor says, "Excuse me, I have something very important to tell you...." How polite! (You'll find out the important thing later....)

Take Grammy home, then it's a much needed nap time for all. In the evening we drive out to my sister Julie's house and visit with Ava, Mark, and Julie. Two huge trash bags full of baby clothes, and a sack full of Rice Cereal later, (plus another Sheetz run) we're back home and ready for bed!

THURSDAY
Hospital. Back to bed. Hospital again. Then Mom gets her hair finally cut and colored by the mother of the girls I used to babysit (Follow that? I just saw them all on Tuesday). It was so long and so gray and thinning and in dire need of some help. What a pick-me-up, what a nice boost for my mom! It's colored and highlighted and cut and styled and so refreshing!! It took us a while because Mom was so exhausted, but it finally got done!

After that, we rested and took a bath, and went over to Hope's house so Mckenna could meet her new boyfriend, Baby Bekk. We took pictures of them laying on a couch, "holding hands," and "in love." We're going to show them at their wedding, 20 years from now!!

On to dinner at Chili's with Becca and Emily, while the baby ate and fell asleep in her car seat. At least it was nice and dark and quiet in there!

FRIDAY
Mom's last treatment at the hospital! She graduated! Yay!!!!!

After we dropped her off, we went to Katie's house and met Baby Nicco. We drink coffee, eat doughnuts from Stanley's, talk Mommy-stuff, and take some pictures that I can't wait to see! I think Nicco fell in love too.... when it rains it pours, little girl!

Then we do laundry at the laundro-mat and pick up Grammy at the hospital for her last treatment! So exciting! I run and pick up some prescriptions for her, while the baby tries to eat lunch but ends up screaming through it instead. It takes a while to get on the road to Jeff's grand-parents house, and when we finally do, I realize that my mom's cell phone has been left behind in my car.

Turn around. Back to Butler.

Once we get to Gug and Pap's, we eat dinner and I try to nap but I can hear her screaming in the other room from too much stimulation. FREAK OUT!!!! Then I realize that I don't have the right cell phone charger... I have my mom's. My phone dies and I haven't napped, so I just decide to get up, help calm Mckenna down, and leave their house in the very early morning after her middle-of-the-night bottle.

For the first time in her life, she sleeps nine hours! Needless to say, we didn't end up leaving until around 9:30. Then we stop in Somerset to buy a car charger, make a few other pit-stops, and by 11:00 it's time for her to eat and we're going past my in-laws house. After two other failed attempts to get them to see her again, at least we get a few more minutes to spend with them while she's changed and fed.

Actually leaving Pittsburgh at noon. After that, it's a crazy blur. All I know is that around 7 we were past Louisville when I got pulled over for doing 60 in a 55. It was an obvious speed trap (from 70 to 55 in an instant?!? Come on!) but as soon as the cop saw the SCREAMING HUNGRY BABY in the back seat, he let me go. I told him I was looking for a place to pull over with her, which I was, and was in a hurry to feed her, which I was. I had a feeling he would have just warned me anyways, but I gave the baby extra kisses for being such a good girl and saving Mommy hundreds of dollars!

Finally arrive home at 9pm CT and I can't wait to get home, eat, relax, unpack, and clean bottles (sick huh?). It was a whirl-wind trip that sounds busier than it actually was, but I was glad I was able to spend time with my mom, meet all of my friends babies, eat some good food, and try to schedule in short visits where I can.



There are two very hard things about being a new mom. One is trying to appease everybody and make sure they all get their chance to visit. God forbid someone spends 20 minutes more with the baby! It's so frustrating and I tried so hard... but I can only do what I can do. The second thing is listening to other people tell you how to raise your baby. I am the expert in my daughter, that's the end of it. I know when she needs to nap, needs to be held, wants to look around, needs to eat and is still hungry. It's very frustrating too to have to listen to people say, "Let her scream, it's ok." No, it's not!!! AHHHHHH!!!! But we'll get through this.... someday!!!


( I need to inject that my in-laws are otherwise know as Gramma Dede and Grampa Bill, Cookie and Bill, Coleen and William. Is that specific enough? But to me... in my narrative... they're my in-laws)