Dalton's first and second thanksgiving

Well. I don't even know what to say about how much I appreciate the outpouring of support on my last post. I think I cried reading every blog/Facebook comment, but in a good way. It always helps so much to know you are not alone and/or crazy.

I had heard of the baby blues, of course. I just didn't know about this newborn honeymoon period. Once we got home from the hospital and a few weeks passed and I was still flying high, I just figured I was good.

I think, for me, being home with no adult interaction led me to create really overblown worst case scenarios in my head (which I have always been really good at anyway). Like "great, I fed him thinking he was crying because he was hungry but he was actually sleepy and now he's doomed to a life of obesity and insomnia". Then I really need Dalton to chime in and tell me to get ahold of myself, that's ridiculous, just try again next time, and if I misinterpret that cry too, it's still fine. But he can't, because he's a baby, so I just go down the anxiety rabbit hole. I'm going to try to hold on to my sanity by remembering that he's healthy, growing, and has two parents who love him like crazy, so overall he's in pretty good shape and I probably won't screw him up beyond repair, at least not before his first birthday.

This week Dalton and I went on a much, much needed grandparent break!



I didn't know it when I booked the ticket, but as you might have noticed this was not a moment too soon. I felt really guilty about taking Dalton away from Eric. He pretended to be fine, but it was obvious how much Eric missed him. This trip really turned my mental state around though, so I really appreciate his sacrificing some father/son time.

Dalton rang in the old age of two months on his first airplane ride! Naturally, I was a little worried about being that person with the screaming infant that everyone shoots dirty looks at.

Not the case.

He smiled at everyone, then went to sleep.

He was a rockstar, I was a hot mess, as per usual. I walked right into the men's room at the airport, and was about to go into a stall, until I noticed a man giving me an odd look. No excuse. It was clearly marked. The women's room wasn't even next door. I have no idea what is wrong with me.

The main reason I decided to book the trip home to Rochester, NY was because my family always celebrates Thanksgiving early, usually the Sunday before.

Confusing, I know.

I figured I might as well check flight prices while I was on maternity leave, and there was a cheap one, and the pediatrician was all for it.

This is worth the fear of flying with a baby.

I'm really upset that's one of only two pictures I took, because I was actually wearing pants with a zipper and buttons and my friend did my eye makeup to make me not look like I hadn't slept in two months, per my request.

 

Our Fakesgiving is a "the more the merrier" type situation. My college roommate (well, the one I'm still on speaking terms/actually friends with) and her husband came to visit from Syracuse.

 

 

She asked me to be honest about how childbirth was. I told her it sucked and was the most pain I ever felt in my life. She also noted that having a baby was like a diet because I was jumping up from the dinner table practically after every bite. I'm really selling motherhood.

But it's worth it. Because you can dress them up.

The rest of the week we just pretty much laid low and hung out. I loved every second of it.

 

 

I can't stand how cute this cousin love is.

 

 The one sad part was that my motherhood duties didn’t leave me as much time to love on my nephew as I would have liked.

Grandma has the best toys!

I’m pretty sure that will get better over time as Dalton gets more independent, and when Eric is with me it will free me up a little more. Dalton did a good amount of crying when people other than me were holding him. I won’t lie, although I felt bad that people didn’t get to hold him as much as they wanted, I secretly loved it. After 8 weeks of one sided crushing on this kid and him only using him for my boobs, it was nice to see my love being reciprocated a bit.

I had to get him up at 3:30am for our flight home early on (actual) Thanksgiving morning. I feared the worst, but he was smiley as could be as we carried him out during his first snowfall, then fell right asleep and woke up back in Baltimore.

Baby on a plane.

 Eric picked us up from the airport, and as soon as we got home it was time to get cracking on Thanksgiving #2. A group of our friends who don’t have family in the area have been celebrating together for a while.

 

 

I can’t remember how long, but it started with no kids, and we now have a 2 year old and a 2 month old with us, so clearly it’s a fairly longstanding tradition. Eric is the self-appointed turkey fryer, and he takes his duties very seriously. If you’ve never had fried turkey, I will warn you: you won’t be able to go back to roasted. It’s what ended my 16 year streak as a vegetarian (and I now mourn all the delicious meat I could have eaten during that time).

Many foods unpictured.

 

Dalton dressed in his finest. Because he owns that suit and he won’t fit in it soon and he already has like 4 Christmas outfits. And I was not passing up an opportunity for this cuteness.

 

 



He's wearing a little baby tie. I can't stand it.



 

 

Was your thanksgiving glorious and filled with delicious foods worth taking a tiny baby on a plane for, or a super fun time of family drama?