The Raft

Finally made it to New York yesterday and met Baby Caleb and Baby Isaac.  Caleb is my BFF's new guy and Isaac is her little sister's first baby.

As you might imagine, they are both adorable.

Check out Isaac, easily one of the happiest babies I have ever met - and look at that great hair!

When we first arrived, Caleb was asleep so I just picked him up from his warm, comfy spot and let him sleep on me for a while.  I think we both preferred it that way.  He is still all curled up, arms and legs bent in, fat, warm head all wrinkly and soft - he smells so good like only a new, breastfed baby smells.  He is absolutely beautiful.

His big brother is as happy and adorable as ever - I couldn't believe all the words he has now.  Turns out, we hadn't seen eachother since Wyatt's birthday in October so that is a lot of time for a little guy, lots of stuff happens in a few months when your barely 2 years old.

Here is Baby Caleb with Abby.  She couldn't wait to hold him.

 

 

And here are the three "big kids" watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", pretending they were in the movie theatre:

 

When we left Aunt Belle's, we headed up to my sister's for a quick visit and dinner.  I love my sister.  I love spending some time with my nieces, getting a little QT in the middle of the week like that.  No pressure, no event, no nonsense - just some pizza, some play time and time for jammies & hit the road!

I spent a few minutes teaching Kathleen the notes on the piano and I think she got it.  But - and I can't imagine where she got this from - her distaste for things she's not already the best at made it a pretty short lesson.

It's amazing to me that my sister's kids are going to be 9 & 7 this year.  That's old - that's not "baby" anymore...  that's grade-school-big-kid stuff!  Where the heck does the time go?  I don't care how cliche that sounds - there's a reason people say it all the time!

Another thing that I truly love about going to NY for the day is coming home.  Not because I love Connecticut, Hebron and 131 so much.  I do, but that's not what I mean.  I love the drive home.

I love putting the kids in their jammies, buckling them in to their seats cozy with their "car blankies" and Lambie & Woobie.  I love listening to the Love Songs at night, first on 100.7 in NY and then on 100.5 in CT.

I enjoy the quiet time.  

Sometimes Abby will surpirse me and chatter all, or most of, the way home but last night she didn't make it more than a few exits on 84.

So, I am left with the hum of the road, quiet music and my thoughts.  And that's nice.

I can reflect on my visits.  I try to squash the guilt I feel about coming out to NY and not seeing Auntie Eleanor or Gramma.  Both are in "homes" and both deserve and would love a visit.  I don't have an excuse, so I have guilt.

I reflect on my days of growing up, going to school, living and working in NY.

I compare myself from then to now.

All in all, yesterday was a great day.  I am grateful for my best friend of more than 20 years.  I am thankful for her family (I was happy to see her Dad and brother, too, in addition to Jess).  I am so grateful for my big sister and her girlies.  And I am so grateful to have my Love here at home - supportive and understanding of our absence while we visit, waiting for and missing us at our return.