Minnesota visit

We just got back yesterday (Monday) from our whirlwind tour of Minnesota. It was great to see everyone, although there were still people I missed simply because of time restraints. I found that it's a bit harder to pack in everyone when you have a baby who needs to nurse, nap, and just take a break here and there.

The flight itself went pretty well. On the way up to MN, we were in the window seat in the very last row of the plane. I had hoped that I would have the seat next to me open, but it was not to be. Luckily, the woman sitting there was very nice and understanding, which was good, because I'd forgotten how narrow those seats are. Ronan was too long to lay out across my lap, so we had to kind of scrunch up for him to nurse, which he did right after take off. He then slept for about half an hour and then was up for the rest of the flight. Luckily, he was in a pretty good mood and didn't start fussing until we were about to start our descent. I just nursed him for that part and he fell asleep again just as we touched down. This was actually a plus though, because we ended up having to sit on the tarmac for about half an hour waiting for a gate to free up.

My mom was waiting for us in baggage claim (which ended up being a mile and a half away from our gate) and it was great to see her. My cousin and his wife loaned us their old carseat and their swing, which was a lifesaver, as I really didn't want to have to lug our carseat around and a swing is always appreciated. We stopped by my dad's office on the way home and got to meet some of his coworkers, which was fun. After we got back to the house, my friend Karen came and visited, which was great. It'd been a long time since we'd gotten to chat and it's always good to catch up with old friends.

That night, my aunt, uncle, cousin and his wife and daughter, and my grandpa came over to dinner. It was so fun seeing them all and the kids were so cute together. There's about a 10-month age difference between the two and it's kind of mind-blowing to think that soon Ronan will be walking and talking as well.

On Saturday, we got together with more babies. My friends Becky and Bridget came over with their daughters who are 6 months and 18 months, respectively. They were so cute and we had a lot of fun taking pictures and just watching them. Then we went to Snuffy's, one of my favorite restaurants ever. Good burgers and fantastic malts. It was great. Afterward, my dad and I took Ronan to visit my dad's parents, which was also fun. He's the first great-grandchild on that side and it was fun to see them all together. My grandparents had a fire going in the fireplace (it was chilly up there during our visit) and Ronan was fascinated by it.

Sunday was a big day - we went to church, a graduation open house, and a shower. That night, I left Ronan with my folks and went out with my friend Heather and two other friends to Old Chicago. It was a great first night out without the baby and I had my first drink since I found out I was pregnant over a year ago. I also learned that my tolerance has plummeted, so I couldn't actually finish my drink (an appletini, for those of you interested). It was great seeing the girls, although I wish I could've spent more time with them, and especially some more quality time with Heather. But alas, we'll have to try again some other time.

It was hard to say good bye to my parents on Monday, but it was great to see Tom when we got home. He didn't want to put Ronan down and Ronan for his part lit up when he saw him and just snuggled into him. The dogs were ecstatic to see us and overall, it's good to be home. Ronan's been sleeping off the weekend - he just took a two hour nap, but now we're up and ready to go again.