- Total number of miles travelled: 1403
- Number of states we visited other than Texas: 4 - Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.
- Number of hours it took to get to Omaha: 9 1/2
- Number of stops we made getting there: 3
- Number of hours it took to get home: 10 1/2
- Number of stops on the way home: 5
- Number of times I had to request to stop for a bathroom break: 0 (miracle!)
- Number of times we traveled anywhere without the help of our navigation unit: 0
- Number of times we still had to turn around, despite the help of our navigation unit: 4
- Number of billboards promoting breastfeeding spotted on the drive: 2 (so random!)
- Amount of $ spent simply driving on the Kansas roads: $14
- Number of tissues Harper pulled out of the hotel tissue box: approx 46
- Number of times we were pulled over for speeding: 1
- Number of tickets issued for speeding: 0
- Number of bugs who lost their lives on our windshield: 10,579
We left Thursday night at 7pm on the nose. Jon had slept all day and we were hoping Harper would sleep most, if not all of the trip up there since that was her normal bedtime. Me, well I was hoping to get some sleep, but figured I could somehow catch up when we got there.
Harper was a little confused at first, not understanding why she was in her carseat in her pj's and not in her crib but once the sun set at 9pm, she was out like a light, only waking up when we stopped for gas, then falling right back asleep. The trip there didn't seem so bad. I took the first leg, handing over the steering wheel somewhere in northern Oklahoma, where Jon drove the rest of the way. I managed to take a few cat naps, but (as much as I love it) the car didn't provide a very smooth ride when laying down in the back.
Jon did get pulled over once for speeding in a small town at about 2:30am as we travelled. He was clocked going "near 40" though the posted speed was 30. Harper enjoyed looking at the pretty blue blinking lights while the cop ran our plates. He must've been in a good mood because he let us go with just a warning - woohoo!
We had a great time seeing all the family there - most of which we hadn't seen since our wedding, and even longer for others. The wedding was beautiful and Harper had a great time. She also loved spending so much time with Mimi and Poppy since we were in the same hotel as they were.
This trip marked the first time Jon and I have ever slept in the same room as Harper. It was easy in a lot of ways, but proved difficult in others. By Friday afternoon, we were all tired and cranky and needing a nap before the wedding that night. But having us in the room with her proved to be too much of a distraction and Harper decided she would rather play and talk than sleep. I thought I would try and help her out and put the pack and play partially into the bathroom where she couldn't see us. It became quiet way too quickly, and when I got back up to check on her 10 minutes later, I discovered she had almost emptied the kleenex box which was right at her level in the bathroom.
Despite how tired and sore Jon and I felt most of the time, it was a great time and well worth the trip up there. Harper did absolutely great, especially for being totally out of her routine, going to bed late every night, and missing most of her usual naps. She's proven herself to be such a flexible child, willing to go along with the flow whenever we decide to throw something new at her. Everyone loved seeing her and Jon and I are so blessed with how well she behaves in every circumstance.
Here's some pics from the weekend (though we got absolutely none of the bride and groom - Bad Auntie Holly!):
Here's Harper and her cousin Stephanie. We're hoping to go back up to Omaha next April for Stephanie's wedding.
Crashed out after the wedding. Bed, please!
We had breakfast on Saturday morning with Diane and Scott. I'd explain how we're all related, but it's much too complicated to describe here. Just know that we're thrilled to have Diane and her family be part of ours. They're truly wonderful people and we love every chance we get to spend time with them.
Diane was kind enough to let Harper taste her first lemon. It didn't get quite the reaction we were expecting. Though we did manage to get one sour face out of Harper.
Here is Diane with a huge piece of pineapple in her mouth.
Playing with Mimi and Poppy before we said goodbye.
"Are we there yet?"
Harper and her setup. She loved being able to watch Elmo in the car. What a treat!
One note/lesson on her carseat. I am a supporter of leaving infants rear-facing as long as it seems practical to do so. So many carseats now are rear-facing up to 45 pounds, and our plan has always been to leave her so for as long as we can because the safety of infants' necks and spinal cords in the event of a car accident is increased hundred-fold if in a rear-facing position. That being said, we (I) brought up the idea of turning her around for the ride home so that we may have better access to her should she need something. Well, I (we) regretted this decision about 10 minutes into the drive home as Harper discovered she kept "dropping" her blanket, then would scream every time she couldn't reach it. It also props her into a much more upright position, and let her see all that she was missing out on, which made it more difficult to fall asleep for her nap, since we left Omaha around noon.
Somewhere in Kansas we pulled over to a rest area so we could once again turn her seat around. She was much happier, which in turn made us much happier. And also is proof-positive that she will remain rear-facing for quite a while longer. And that's just fine by me (us).
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