Trip out to Cape. Feverish Gavin means wet wash cloth on head for much of the trip.

When baby sleeps during the day, it generally means he’s gonna be active at night. Sigh.

Fever still raging means heavy naps.

Baby geared up for his first trip to the beach.

Gavin’s first encounter with sand.

Gavin and SoMi worked on their friendship during this trip. It was good for both!

This was not the only time Gavin was airborne during this trip!

My two favorite boys!

Oiy, my eye! And this wasn’t even at its worst!

Gavin cools off in an outdoor cold bath.

Sweets holds up the temporary shade while Gavin plays!

Gavin turned 9 months old while we were gone!

Midday naps became the norm for me, too.

We tried to stop in parks during our drive to and from the Cape, especially so
Gavin could practice getting ready to crawl.

S I G H ! ! !

Thank you, I needed that. You see, I haven’t been around these parts for a couple weeks now, because I was supposed to be on vacation. Sweets, Gavin and I, along with SoMi, were going to drive to Cape Cod. We were going to spend quality time with my family. Even Sweets’ folks were going to fly in to spend some time with all of us. There were to be mornings at the ponds and afternoons on the beaches. Shopping in Provincetown and art gallery hopping in Wellfleet. Running along the bay and biking along the Rail Trail. We were to reunion with Sweets’ family and celebrate at an open house with my parents’ friends. It was supposed to be two weeks of rest and relaxation.

And while there was definitely some of that (I mean, how can you not relax when you’re a thousand miles away from work and home responsibilities?!) … it was a really hard trip for me. It felt like one thing after another kept happening (sorry for the broken record, for those of you who followed my antics on Facebook). I’m sure you’re thinking it couldn’t be that bad … and I’ll admit, there are plenty of things that could’ve made it worse … but, check out my laundry list of follies and tell me I don’t have reason to whine:

• With two full days of driving ahead of us, Gavin decided to give us the present of two nights of not so good sleep before we even left, which means Sweets and I didn’t get much sleep.
• Gavin was feverish the two days of our drive. It was also really hot out. So, the poor guy was achy, intolerant, not eating well, not sleeping well and crying during a lot of our roadside hours.
• Once we got to Cape Cod, we were gifted with ridiculously hot and humid weather. I know – it has been like that across most of the country. Only we were on vacation and had no A/C. There was no retreat from the heat.
• Gavin’s fever continued for two more days. In hot and sticky weather. Without A/C. Sleep deprivation all around.
• Just as Gavin’s fever finally broke, I got an eye infection. Since I just had an eye infection a couple months ago, I thought I knew what I’d need to do to make it go away. But, each day, my eye continued to get more and more red and more and more swollen.
• During the height of the heat, we had a family portrait taken … Sweets, Gavin, me, plus both sets of grandparents. Lots of beaded upper lips were wiped during that photo shoot.
• A quick weekend jaunt back to Boston, where my parents’ A/C was on the rocks. Thankfully, they have zoned A/C, so we could situate ourselves in one of the zones where the A/C was working … and where the cold water was not. Seriously, their shower had tons of hot water, but no cold water. Scalding hot shower? I think not!
• I got a wee bit of a sunburn on my back, because I was more focused on lathering up Gavin with suntan lotion and forgot myself in the process.
• By the following week, when we were back at the beach and my eye still wasn’t better (in fact, it was worse), I went to a local health center, where the doctor prescribed me with an antibiotic ointment. Ever put ointment in your eye? FOUR TIMES A DAY? It’s gross and not sexy and didn’t make me feel instantly better.
• And I certainly didn’t feel better when I got a fever of 103.7 one night and another one the next night.
• In fact, by the time one of my besties who is an emergency medicine doctor arrived, she said if I walked in her ER, she wouldn’t have prescribed me that antibiotic ointment and would’ve chosen a different one that would’ve focused on the area around the eye, not just the eye itself. Time to start yet another round of 4-a-day medicinal attention, thankfully oral this time.
• Did I mention the flying squirrels that found their way into the chimney? The ones I heard while feeding Gavin? Yeah, there’s that and the ensuing entrapment, too.

You’d think all this nonsense would end at some point, right? And it did, it certainly did. For beautiful moments in time. Gavin got to spend tons of time with both sets of grandparents, which made the trip totally worth it. Grandparents were soooooo excited we were he was there and it showed. For all the many moments where I felt like ass, I could hand off Gavin and know he was having fun. We ate brilliant fish and fried seafood and meals that were grilled to perfection. Sweets got to play golf and go on some great long cycling rides. I got to meet a bunch of Sweets extended family and introduce Gavin to them as well as to a bunch of our family friends in Boston. The two-day drive home was mostly hassle-free.

But …

Right? A but … yes, there’s actually more.

We got home on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, SoMi did something awful to her leg. We hemmed and hawed over what to do, but Sweets eventually took her to the emergency vet. Three hours and $120 later, they came home with some muscle relaxers and instructions for a few days of strict rest.

And then … seriously, there’s still more.

Gavin gave us another night of awful sleep. Up every couple hours. (At one point, Sweets looked at me and said he couldn’t sleep, so he was going to shave – we were delirious.) And Monday morning? He felt super warm. All reminiscent signs of his teething a couple weeks ago. I took him to daycare, only to be told to take him home. Babies have to be fever free for 24 hours before they can return, regardless of reason for fever. So, yesterday? I stayed home from work (after two weeks of not being at work) to take care of a clingy, crying baby.

Needless to say, I’m tired. And I feel like mama needs a vacation. Maybe it’s time to cash in on a massage.

(BTW, for inquiring minds, I actually did take some photos. I took out my camera a whopping two times over two weeks. Photos to come in another post where I’m not so cranky.)

My first shopping excursion started when my gal pal and I visited this great little shack on the wharf in Provincetown, Blueberry Lane Pottery. There, we met Paul, the owner/artist and saw some of his lovely creations. I bought a thank-you gift for my aunt + uncle (ice cream bowls!), a spoon rest as a gift for our neighbors who took in our mail while we were gone (plus one for us plus one for the baby’s mamas), and this great olive oil dispenser (see photo below) that I would be proud if it was accidentally left on the counter instead of being put away.

We then went to a few touristy stores in Provincetown (also known as P-town), where I purchased salt water taffy (so reminiscent of Cape Cod) for our neighbors and a few shirts for my niece (and niece-to-be). I think the Mom’s shirt will either be loved or hated by the moms (wish me luck when I give it to them this Friday), but the others will be a big hit!

A few days later, Sweets, my mom and I headed into Wellfleet to do some more shopping. My mom was very insistent on buying a little something for Grasshopper. She showed me three options, but the one she wound up purchasing was far and away the winner. Also pictured here is a little something I bought for Grasshopper. Every baby needs a library of books and what better way to start it than with a Cape Cod version of a classic?!

My mom and I headed on to a couple galleries, leaving Sweets behind in this seemingly kids-only store. When we caught up with him later, I realized he got lost in music. And wound up purchasing, oh, five or six CDs for our ride home. It was perfect, though. We always talk about listening to more world music. And Putumayo has a series of really amazing CDs. The six or so he purchased only touches the surface and certainly made our 19-hour ride home much more relaxing!

And while I’m on the subject of purchases, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a couple of extraordinarily generous bloggers. The lady behind Life According to Mel Heth sent us this adorable Grasshopper onsie. And the lady behind Skrinkering Hearts gave us a pair of running shoes for the little one (never too early to start, right?!). I cannot thank these women enough. I only wish they didn’t live in LA and Boston, respectively. Though, I won’t hesitate to say that we should definitely meet in the middle (i.e., Chicago!!!!) from time to time. heheheh.

So, there you have it. We bought a few fun things on our vacation. Now it’s your turn to tell me about your shopping habits when you’re away on vacation. Do you tend to buy keepsakes at all? Are they specific reminders of where you traveled or do they fall into another category, such as things you need, clothing, etc???

Vacation, Part II

I hear ya on the wanting photos as proof that I went on vacation. I have a confession to make: I was lousy at taking photos. I mean, sure there was the one of the lake in Maine. And there might have been one of the harbor in Provincetown. But, I’m only in one photo. And well, you’ll just have to wait to see it.

Our stay on the Cape was really perfect. And I know you’ll certify me as insane when I tell you, I didn’t go to the beach. Not once. Who does that, right? Spends 19 hours in the car. Drives through 8 states. Spends a week at the beach. But, doesn’t ever go? Yeah, that’s me. Don’t get me wrong – it didn’t take away from the dreaminess that was my vacation. Let me recount the reasons why I never went to the ocean…

Friends. Two gal pals drove from Chicago to Cape Cod to join Sweets, my family and me. We spent many hours eating, drinking, chatting, cackling, reading, being. Sure, we could’ve done all those things at the beach, but the beach doesn’t have running water or convenient bathrooms. What, I’m pregnant! (Note: my friends did go to the beach without me – we may be besties, but we’re not tied at the hip.)

Family. It was easy to get wrapped up in conversation with my mom and dad. Whether it was while my mom was cooking dinner or while my dad was looking up baseball scores on his laptop. I really did enjoy these moments with my folks. These moments will be different in the future. There will be a baby to interrupt. To steal attention. To demand attention. To become the primary focus. So, I wanted to latch onto these last remaining moments where it was only two generations together.

Research. That’s right, this vacation wasn’t all fun. I mean, the research wasn’t for work (please – work never follows me on vacation!). But, there’s this lingering homework assignment known as our registry. I’ve been asked about ours and had to respond it’s non-existent. So, armed with my Baby Bargains book and my laptop, I did some major research into strollers, high chairs and other things maternity. We still don’t have a registry, but we’re getting closer to having a list for one.

Breeze. Normally, when we go to my parents’ beach house, the weather is in the mid-80s (on a good day) and the humidity is out of control. Without A/C, their house becomes a sweltering inferno. I started this trip with threats of spending afternoons in the local library to combat said heat. But, the weather? It actually cooperated this time. The temps might have broken 80 degrees only a couple times. All but one night was perfect sleeping weather. So, sitting on my parents’ deck or screened-in porch? It was actually enjoyable. I didn’t need the beach as a reprieve from their home.

Quiet. I love noise. C’mon, I live in a city. And I love kids. I wouldn’t be pregnant if I didn’t. But, this is sort of our last real vacation without children. Without noise. Without chaos. Without interruption. And I was quite enjoying the peace and quiet at my parents’ house.

SoMi. She’s not welcome at the beach before 5PM. There were days when I opted to take a 4-mile walk with her instead of joining my gal pals and mom at the beach. And by the time 5PM rolled around, the girls were returning from their beach excursion, giving me even fewer reasons to venture to the beach.

Clams. No, I’m not afraid of them. But, you try eating your fair portion of fried clam strips, complete with tartar sauce. And then you try fitting into your already-too-small bathing suit. And try feeling cute. Me? Not so much. The clams won (they were scrumptious). The tankini did not.

Massage. Let’s be honest, I’m getting to that point in pregnancy when I’m a little more achy than I used to be. So, I used vacation as an excuse to sign myself up for a little pre-natal massage. It was an hour of luxury. My massage therapist even said my body seems to be in good shape and is very not-stressed for this stage of pregnancy. Go me!

Shopping. My trips to Provincetown (about 20 minutes away from my parents’ house) are normally in a group. And the typical situation is the group disperses with an agreement to meet back up in an hour. And then, sometimes we disperse again for another hour. But, there’s always this looming time over our head. And it’s different. Than, say, the morning my gal pals and I went to P-town for breakfast. And dropped one gal-pal off at the ferry for her return trip to Boston. And the other gal pal and I began walking the streets. With no destination in mind. And suddenly, hours have passed and money has exchanged hands and we’ve got to drop one load of bags off at the car in order to continue our spontaneous shopping spree. And next thing you know, it’s the middle of the afternoon and we’re just thinking of heading home.

Exhaustion. Without pregnancy, I would take a walk, eat clam strips, go shopping and go to the beach all in the same day. My new reality is I do get tired more easily. I’m still not taking naps, per se (only took one nap during vacation), but I am slowing down more quickly. So, vacation meant one big activity per day instead of 5. And if that meant skipping the ocean, I was kind of OK with that.

So, there you have it. Some of the highlights from our time on Cape Cod, even though they didn’t include the ocean. And because you asked, I’ll share a few photos from our trip – trust me when I tell you there really aren’t many more than the ones that follow.

Maine — SoMi comfortably standing on my aunt’s and uncle’s dock.

Bear Pond — the pond where my aunt & uncle have a home;
this photo is taken across the pond from their house.

Fresh Veggies — Literally! My aunt is farming with a friend;
we went to pick some goodies for dinner.

Lobstah —  Fresh Maine lobster for dinner.
A side of corn on the cob. Perfect summer meal!

Wellfleet Bay — View from the back yard of a favorite pottery studio.
Even though I didn’t go to the ocean, I wasn’t devoid of water!

Clam Strips — A seafood market (owned by a high school classmate of mine)
was a destination for my gal pals and me;
order at the window and eat at picnic tables on the bay!

Sweets and me — the only photo of the two of us from our entire vacation.
We were heading out to a family dinner and my parents insisted on a photo.

It’s hard to believe our vacation is over. Because we were having such fun, we decided to extend our vacation by a day. The good news? We had an extra day on Cape Cod. The bad news? It made for a 19-hour day in the car on Saturday and a Sunday spent unpacking and organizing, which means no time for a proper vacation recap. So, instead, you get this … part one.

We left Chicago in July, which seems like ages ago. Our departure was delayed slightly when Sweets couldn’t find some key parts to our bike rack. If we didn’t find those parts, then (a) the bikes wouldn’t be properly attached to the rack (problem!) and (b) the bikes wouldn’t be locked to the rack. An hour and too many cuss words later, the parts were located and we were able to finally hit the road.

The trip itself was mostly uneventful. There was the Amish sighting at dusk … a buggy pulled by a horse … racing through the night … only shadows apparent to us as they crossed the road over the highway … it was very eerie, in a headless horseman kind of way. Later that night (well after midnight) raging storms had us slowing down to 40 mph on the highway. Groundhog day ensued when not one, not two, but three FedEx double-long trucks raced past us in the time span of 5 minutes. We were more than thankful to pull into our destination for the night.

Day two was event-free, well, mostly. Did I mention the Check Engine light came on in Sweets’ truck? At night? In rural Maine? Dude, totally not cool. We spent the rest of the trip listening to the truck. Trying to dissect what it could be. Nothing. Well, I mean, the truck kept running, thankfully. We made it to our destination without further issue.

We only had one full day in Maine, but it was a chance for Sweets to finally see where my aunt and uncle live. On a lake. With a dock. Across the way from a camp where my cousin spent many summers as a kid and where my uncle helps to run the place. In a quiet, rural town. I knew Sweets would fall in love and he did. We are already looking forward to spending more time there in 2011.

On our way out of Maine, we drove to New Hampshire. To another lake. In another quiet, rural town. Where Sweets used to spend summers during his own childhood. His grandparents had a small home there (which is no longer standing). But, we were able to drive through town. And drive down the dirt road to see the site where the house used to stand. It was a treat for me to get to see an area I’ve heard so much about. And bittersweet for Sweets … a good trip down memory lane, though some disappointment in seeing all that has changed.

A quick stop in my hometown, where we met up with one of my childhood friends and her parents. Oh, and this gal pal of mine (whom I’ve met a number of times before!) and her ManFriend were also able to join us for dinner. It was such a fun and lively evening. Lots of laughter. Though, not nearly enough time to catch up with any of the players involved.

Another trip in the car and we finally made it to Cape Cod. Engine light still glowing. Parents’ house aglow in the midnight darkness. Funny enough, we were not the last to arrive that night. Two girlfriends from Chicago also drove to Cape Cod. And rolled in about an hour after us. Once we were all situated, the rest of our vacation could begin…

To be continued…