We packed up the family and headed to Logan Airport on Friday afternoon to fly down to Virginia for my cousin Will’s wedding. Our flight was a bit delayed, but Finley entertained himself (and us) rather easily. With Sophie to chew on, he enjoyed looking around and taking in all of the people, sights, and sounds.
With his new sitting skills in full effect, he checked out his daddy up close and we were reminded that at some point (soon) we’ll need to start staying “gentle, gentle” when he pokes, pulls, and pinches people on their faces.
We got on the plane and it was good to know that Finley could sit in a seat on his own if there was an empty one nearby…but no such luck!
He was kind enough to pass out on my shoulder waiting for everyone to board and did very well on the short flight to Virginia. Dan walked him around for a bit and I was able to enjoy an entire beverage AND snack with BOTH of my hands, it was awkward at first, but I figured it out :) Thank you, Dan and jetBlue!
My mom picked us up at the airport and soon we were able to join the rest of our family at the rehearsal dinner BBQ, which was conveniently in my parents’ backyard! Finley was super tired, but we just had to introduce him to all the people there—most of whom only know him through our blog!
He didn’t last long, so it was off to dreamland for him and then off to dinner and party time for us! Even when he’s upset, Finley still manages to be adorable and photogenic (in my opinion):
Act 2: Adela and the Wedding
I woke up with a pit in my stomach on Saturday morning and it didn’t take long for me to figure out why. In about 5 hours from that moment, we were going to leave Finley with a babysitter so that we could go to my cousin’s wedding. We have left Fin with friends or family before, but only for a couple hours and not recently. My mom found a nice lady from her church’s nursery program who sounded expertly qualified, but I was still very concerned that I would totally chicken out and want to stay home and skip the wedding. We went on with our usual morning routine, though it was much more fun to have a large audience to watch Finley work on his pre-crawling, breakfast eating, and assorted other baby skills. There have only been a few occasions when almost all of my mom’s side of the family have gotten together in my adult life, so it felt extra special for everyone to be together and get to see the next generation in action!
However, as the hours went by, the pit in my stomach continued to grow—especially when I realized that due to the time he’d woken up and how long he’s napped for, the babysitter would have to put Finley down for his afternoon nap since it wouldn’t be time for it before we needed to leave. Eek. Dan was very understanding, as was my mom, and I just hoped my initial response to the sitter would be positive and comforting. And it was! Adela came right on time and couldn’t wait to get her hands on Finley. We showed her around and explained napping and bottlefeeding. She seemed to soak it all in (plus, I wrote down everything which made her smile) and Finley was happy to play with her while we finished getting ready for the wedding. Hooray! Before I knew it, it was time to go so we hugged and kissed Finley goodbye and set off.
The wedding was simple, beautiful, and made for an all around enjoyable afternoon. I was so proud of myself because I wasn’t constantly checking my watch and despite having Adela’s cell phone number in Dan’s pocket, I never considered calling! Lots of family fun and some terrific pictures, we clean up well, don’t you think?
We left a little early (no need to test my limits, right?) and the closer we got to the house, the more excited I got! I asked Dan if this is how he feels every time on his way home from work and he gave me a polite smile, but I had a sense it wasn’t quite the same….
We came in and Adela was playing with Finley in the sunroom and he looked happy as a clam. I was pleased to see most of the milk gone from his bottle and to hear that he napped for about two hours. I snatched up the little guy and he grabbed my neck, now I was happy as a clam! We thanked Adela for everything and had some time to play with Fin before everyone else got home from the wedding.
Act 3: Indoor Playground
Throughout the weekend, it was over 90 degrees outside and it was just too hot to take Finley outside for a walk or a trip to a park. Aside from first thing in the morning, it was just too steamy to leave the air conditioning…which caused cabin fever for us as well as for Finley. Luckily, my parents’ house is fully equipped to entertain a baby and it was basically an indoor playground for the little guy. Between fun toys, good books, baby apparatuses, and family members—Finley was always having fun with something or someone!
Sunday morning out on the deck:
And my Granddad knows just what I like!
This picture (taken by my mom) takes the cake for the weekend. Finley, my sister, and I were laying on the floor and she snapped this beautiful shot of our boy holding his aunt's hand. I can't wait to make a print! Way to go, Grammy!
Despite it being Father’s Day, Dan had to say goodbye to us on Sunday afternoon so that he could go to work on Monday. Finley delivered his card and told his Daddy that his present was waiting at home for them to open on Monday.
Dan leaving a day early meant that on Monday I had to fly home with Finley on my own. Thankfully, my Aunt Marnie and pseudo-Uncle Michael (who live 20 min away) were on my plane so I knew I had back up if I needed it. Everything went smoothly and Finley was eager to hop on the plane as we waited at the gate.
Dan picked us up to conclude our long weekend adventure and soon it was Home Sweet Home (and I was able to put Finley down for a lovely 2 hour nap). Thank you to my mom, my Aunt Lois, and Aunt Marnie for sharing their photos with us to post. It was great to see everyone and I can’t wait for the next big event!
i love all the pictures of little fin, as always, but that one of you and dan is especially stunning! you guys definitely clean up well :)
ReplyDeleteIt was all so much fun...pic are terrific!
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