So many firsts...a super long vacation up date!

We are back from our first vacation with E!  The vacation was a total success.  So filled with firsts and wonderful experiences.  Of course there was a ton of fretting leading up to it all.

Baby's first boarding pass

One of the biggest fretting points was the flight.  I was terrified that E would be that baby.  The one on the plane who earns crusty looks from fellow travelers for screaming her head off the entire flight.  My nightmare was 4 hours of screaming baby and angry travelers.  I was also worried about getting all my baby stuff (milk, formula, diapers, rash cream, snacks, etc) through security.  Oh and checking all the baby gear (crib, car seat, car seat base, stroller)  or taking it on the flight. Not to mention checking all the camping gear.  So much to fret over.

baby's first airplane

We got to the airport 2 hours before the flight and checked in at the desk.  The woman there was very nice and helped us get all of our camping gear checked and helped us with the baby gear. 
Security took us a long time to get baby out, everything disassembled, shoes off, computer out, liquids out, and through the scanner.  Milk bottles had to be tested and everything re-assembled on the other side.  Plus the confiscated Daddy's razor.

Baby's first nap at cruising altitude

Finally through security, one less thing to fret over.  And then we had over an hour to chill at the gate.  The gate attendants were awesome and took us through the process.  I am now officially in love with Virgin American Airlines.  They got our stroller and car seat tagged early, they explained everything to us nicely and patiently and, since the plane wasn't full, they moved stuff around so that we could have our own row, even though we'd only purchased 2 tickets.

We boarded with the early group and got settled.  Got E in her own seat (a window seat!) and Daddy and I got settled in. Toys out, bottle ready, plus things for Mommy and Daddy to do just in case E fell alseep during the flight.  I gave E her bottle when the pilot told the flight attendants to prep for take off....but E had finished her bottle before the plane started moving.  Fret, fret, fret, fret.  I got fooled by the pilot and gave the bottle too early.  The plane finally started moving.  E had her Binky and was sleeping in her car seat in happy milk coma.  The plane lifted off.  I held my breath as the plane increased in altitude, worried E would awake screaming from the ear pressure....but nothing.  She slept right through take off.  She slept for most of the flight.  She got a bit squirrely and fussy so I spent some time at the back of the plane with the flight attendants and a fussy baby.  About halfway through the flight E decided it was time to unload.  So I got to use the changing table that I never even knew existed in the airplane restroom to change a diaper at cruising altitude.  Thankfully there was no turbulence.  Eventually she fell back asleep in my arms and refused to be put back in her car seat.   She slept right through landing as well.  Happiness.


Bad Oma and Auntie!
Baby's first candy.

 The next morning we packed up the car.  Went to breakfast with Auntie Sarah and then headed up to the mountains!  E was happily entertained by Oma and Auntie Krista.  The drive went without incident and we arrived at Yosemite!   Everyone was pretty ready to get out of the car.  Daddy went to get campsites and the rest of us took walk and stretch break.  Then we all went and took the obligatory national park entry sign photo.


Baby's first national park!

We had a reservation for Crane Flat so we headed there to set up camp.  It was Auntie Krista and E's firs time in Yosemite and it was Oma and E's first time to tent camp!  We got the campground all set up and had dinner.  Got E into her notsupercoldbutcolderthanshe'sused to outfit and managed to put her to bed while it was still light out.  The portable crib we found is awesome.  It only weighs 7 pounds, but it's a playpen and it takes up a lot of space in the tent.  Daddy and I were pretty squished to the sides but the peace of mind that we would not roll over onto the baby or smother the baby with sleeping bags was worth the cramped space.  Though we may invest in a larger tent for future adventures.  The 2 am bottle was a bit rough.  The original plan was for me to be nursing which would make the 2 am feed really easy.  But plans changed.  So Daddy and I had to get up, go to the bear locker, heat water (we'd bought a thermos but it didn't keep the water warm enough) mix formula and then feed baby.  All the while trying to keep the baby from waking up the entire campground (fret, fret, fret, fret.  I didn't want her to be that baby either)


Baby's first camp morning

 The next morning we got up and Daddy went to get a first come first serve site.  A few people commented on hearing her crying but it was all said with smiles but I still felt really bad about it.



Baby's first down

We went down into the valley and hiked the lower Yosemite falls.  Daddy and I were pretty tired from jet lag and getting up to feed baby.  So Oma and Auntie Krista scrambled up to the waterfall while Daddy, E and I took a nap at the photo spot.  We toured around the valley a bit and enjoyed the Disneyland of national parks.  So many people.  Everyone commented on how cute E was or her awesome backpack.  Several people on the hike asked Daddy to give them a ride.  We went to the campground Daddy had reserved and found another group of people set up there.  They moved with very little conversation, they knew they'd done wrong so they fixed it.  After dinner we made s'mores.  E tried them but wasn't all that impressed.  It was getting a lot colder than the previous night so I got to bust out E's pink marshmallow suit of supreme cuteness and snuggly warmth.


Baby's first 9K climb!

Baby's first nature lessons!

The next day we went up to the high sierra part of Yosemite to May Lake.  We'd originally planned on camping there but it was swarmed with youth groups and we figured it would be better to car camp with the baby.  But the day trip to May Lake was awesome.  it's a 1.3 mile hike with about 700 feet of vertical gain.  Fairly straightforward but a good climb for newbies especially since it's at 8-9K elevation.  We got up to the lake and spread out E's tarp so she could crawl around.  E and I took a nap on the tarp while Auntie Krista and Daddy went for a hike and Oma read her book.  Then Oma gave E some more nature lessons about trees and water.  We stayed at May Lake for a few hours wandering around, playing on the tarp, watching fat marmots scramble across the rocks looking for scraps.  Wonderful family time.  Then we stopped up to Tolumne Meadows and had ice cream at the cafe.  E had her first ice cream and couldn't get enough!  She was lunging from one side of my arms to the other to try to get to the ice cream.  We ate ice cream while listening to the drifter/camper band that was set up outside the store.  They weren't playing for tips.  They were just playing to have fun.  E's ice cream antics were the source of amusement for many other visitors around us. 


Baby's First Ice Cream!

We went back to the campground at White Wolf for the final night.  E was coughing a bit and resiting sleep so Daddy and I put her into her car seat to sleep a bit upright.  Around 3 am I woke up to find E covered in vomit.  She wasn't crying, she was actually asleep but covered.   Unfortunately the vomit had gotten onto my sleeping bag, all over her cute marshmallow suit, into her car seat, and into her crib.  And it was cold.  Like low 40s cold.  Daddy started washing everything while Mommy took care of the baby in the car to try to keep her warm.  E was out of sorts.  Lethargic.  Fussy.  Hot but not feverish.  We went to the cabin campground's cafe and asked if they could dry her car seat so we could drive down the mountain.  They were super nice and dried it out.  We got down the mountain quickly and E started feeling better.  (Mommy got a mad case of car sickness but thankfully nothing more than some nausea)



Baby's first horse!

Baby's first Pudgie Cat!

Once back at Oma's house we had lots of fun going out to eat and shopping. Daddy was supposed to go climb Mt. Shasta but his climbing buddy ended up couldn't come so he got to spend more time with us!  We went to visit my mentor/boss/friend/confidant/so much more Tori before she left for Hawaii.  We had a wonderful evening with her and her family.  Saturday we went to a family friend's 6th birthday party where E got to meet her first horse!  We ate a lot of good food. We also were able to go down to meet E's Auntie Oana and Uncle Kane'.  It was the first time E met Oana. They got along famously and we ate lots of super yummy food.

At Oma's house there are two animals.  Kea the white huskey and Pudgie the cat.  Oma was pretty worried about how the animals would react to E. (fret, fret, fret) Kea pretty much ignored her but Pudgie is in love with her.  Pudgie cat would seek out E when she was on the floor.  She would rub against her and was incredibly tolerant of E.  E would grab and squeeze Pudgie's fur.  At one point E was in Oma's lap with a toy in each hand and Pudgie jumped up onto Oma's lap as well.  E leaned straight down and "kissed" Pudgie on the ear. (E's kiss is an open mouthed thing that kind of looks like she's trying to eat you...) and Pudgie didn't do anything.  Pudgie did give E a lesson in cats though.  E kept grabbing Pudgie's paws and after the third time Pudgie gave E a warning tap on the hand, with claws.  E got a lesson and a scrach.  But she didn't learn.  She kept trying to grab Pudgie anyway.

Baby's first crown!

We went to the California Academy of Sciences and E got to continue her nature lessons with Oma.  

Baby's first lime!

She loved looking around the rainforest dome.  She was captivated by the butterflies and the animals behind glass.

The night before we left the friends of the family who'd loaned Oma the toys and stuff for E as well as some of the camping equipment we used came to visit.  I've known them since their children (who are now in 7th and 9th grade) were babies.  We had a great time playing with E and catching up.  I hope E grows up to be like them.

We flew to Vegas for my teacher conference and despite more fretting on my part the flight went well.  It was very short and E slept through most of it. 

Baby's first Wild and Crazy Cutinos!

E spent her first hotel night on the 45th floor of Vegas's newest hotel.  She also got to go to her first buffet with my school staff.  She was the star of dinner.  Demanding to try food off of my plate and eating a unbelievable amount of cheerios, hummus, babaganoosh, beans, and other tasty things.  She made a new friend in my co-worker Eric and generally made all the biological clocks at the table explode. 

The final flight was a United flight from Vegas to home.  I am NOT impressed with United.  They didn't have a bag for her car seat base.  They didn't let us board early.  They didn't tag the stroller and car seat until we were in line (thus making us hold up the line).  Walking down a full plane while carrying a baby did not help the fear of crusty looks and crying baby.  The one thing United did well was they got us our own row (after telling us the flight was full and that it wasn't possible).



Baby's first gecko!

Thankfully E was fairly well behaved.  She was awake for most of the  flight, though she did sleep during take off.  She played in my lap or in the middle seat and was generally a happy camper.

Baby's first bruise!

When we got back to Grandma and Grandaddy's house E had lots of fun celebrating Grandma's birthday.   We Skyped with Auntie Krista and Oma to help ease the "Vitamin E" withdrawals.   Hehe.  During Skype with Oma E fell face first into a drawer handle and started wailing.  Pudgie jumped up onto Oma's lap and tried to crawl into the computer to get to E.  Further proving that Pudige loves her baby E.  The fall resulted in the last first of the trip....E's first bruise!  It's on her cheek just below her eye.  It doesn't seem to bother her at all but I fret about it anyway.

One more week off before another first..my first time working part time!  More to fret over but more to enjoy!  And E will be going back to daycare part time next week to try to ease her back into the swing of things....she will probably throw a royal fit because she's been so spoiled with attention and holding during the trip, but hopefully she will enjoy seeing her friends again and if not, will adjust back to daycare quickly.  I hope....fret, fret, fret.....