Thanksgiving Week(end)

I put the "end" in parentheses because it was definitely more like a WEEK than just a couple of days. I now know what people are talking about when the discussion arises about traveling with kids. It's a good thing we only have Cailyn right now- any extra kid would have to have been strapped to the roof of the car (I'm kidding of course- we would just strap Jerod to the roof of the car in the event we had no seats left).

We lolly-gagged our way to southwest Iowa on Wednesday, making a stop in Ames and taking Cailyn to the library for the first time while Jerod donated plasma. She even got her picture taken for the children's librarian's presentation. We were looking at a baby sign language book- she LOVES to see the little babies in the pictures- and the librarian asked if she could take a picture because it was perfect! After picking up Jerod we napped a bit in the car and jaunted out to Jordan Creek- which is already a crazy mess of people, then dropped by Jerod's Grandma Carole's on our way to his parents' place.

Grandma Carole and Cailyn rocking after a bottle.

"Caught red handed!" This is Jerod's cousin Lisa's little boy, Ethan. He was born a month or two before Cailyn and it was so funny to watch them interact and see another baby!

Don't worry she can stand her own ground and took to her own investigating of this other little person when they got to the blanket on the floor.

Grandma Deb and Cailyn, early in the AM, good thing she and Bret are early risers anyway.

We spent Thanksgiving Eve and Day with Jerod's parents and his mom's sisters before leaving to Sioux City, I couldn't miss my Black Friday shopping!! (We landed ourselves a steamvac for the carpets, which will come in super handy now that Cailyn is MOBILE- yes, she's inchworming her way around the living room already, stinker!)

Cheap entertainment-baby girl discovered wrapping paper and fell in love. She got really mad because we had to keep replacing the papers she was playing with so that she didn't swallow them.

Her first bath in a sink, she was sliding all over the place so we had to dunk a towel under water for her to sit on. Pay no attention to the bottles in the background, we grown ups needed to unwind after so much shopping and food!

There are 3 birthdays within a week of each other on my side of the family. My brother Gabe turned 10 on the 19th of November, I turned 25 (again) on the 24th, and my brother Matt was 14 on the 25th. (This is Matt)

One thing a baby is great for (besides being the light of your life) is snuggling and napping....

.....and what's especially great is that she's an equal opportunity nap snuggler :)

Happy late Thanksgiving, hope your Christmas season is bringing you good times with friends and family!