Turkey Day

For the first time in almost a year (since last Christmas), my family all gathered for the holiday. Almost everyone at least. My sister-in-law wasn't able to be there the day of Thanksgiving with my other brother and sister-in-law but we did get to spend just a bit of time with her a couple of days after the feast. It was great to have everyone together.

This was also the first time that Dylan got to meet his cousins on my side of the family and the first time we got to meet our new niece, Payton. We had a good time together, had great food and took lots of pictures! Here are a few of my favorites.

Our Little Family's First Thanksgiving

Cousin Ryker (21 months) and Dylan

"Pipaw" (My Dad) with His Grandkids

Sarah, Jamie and Payton (2 Weeks)

The Family (My sis-in-law will have to be photo shopped in on the right)

And Our Favorite Picture.......

Dylan Getting a Taste of Cousin Payton - "Tastes Like Chicken!"

First Flight

Fairly last minute, our family decided that we could all get together (almost all at least) for the only time for quite a while to come during the Thanksgiving holiday. So, just 2 weeks before the holiday, we bought tickets to take our first family flight to Dallas.

One of the biggest things that scared me about being a parent was flying with a child. Time to face my fears! I stressed out a bit before the vacation about all the details. But, when the day arrived, I felt pretty prepared for all the challenges of flying with an infant. Of course, as kids do, they take your plans and preparedness and throw them out the window. My sweet, mild tempered, well traveling child turned into a screaming mess!

It might have been due to our packing and scrambling that morning and not paying attention to Dylan as usual, but he started screaming uncontrollably before we left the house for the airport. OK, nothing a nap in the car couldn't fix. Unfortunately, it continued once we got settled next to our gate in the terminal. Boy, could I feel the evil eyes pointed our way. I know all those folks waiting to get on the plane were hoping we weren't going to be getting on it with them and our screaming baby. He calmed a bit while boarding (whew!) but then started up again once the doors to the plane had closed (ugh!). We were doing everything we could but just couldn't get him to calm down.

Thanks to his great Dad, he was comforted enough to finally stop screaming somewhere during the first half of the ascent and fell asleep. Since he's so good at sleeping in the car, I presumed he would sleep for most of the flight. Wrong again! He took a 30-45 minute nap and then woke up. Oh boy was this going to be a long trip!

On the upside, Dylan was in better spirits. And, although he needed lots of attention, bouncing and entertaining for the next few hours, the screaming had subsided and everyone on the plane ceased hating us. So the flight was, all in all, a pretty good success if you didn't count the older gentleman sitting next to us that wouldn't stop talking....he definitely one (or a few) screws loose! Minor issues though. At least our baby wasn't completely miserable during the whole trip and we all got to Dallas safely.

Of course, during all the "excitement" of his first flight, we neglected to take and photos to document the big event. Perhaps the flight back will be less eventful and we can get a picture then!

Johnny Boy

Unfortunately, Saturday gave us another trip for one of my boys to the ER. This time, it was the little guy. Poor little Dylan!

Saturday late morning, I headed off to a yoga class and left the boys to play. When I got home, I fed Dylan and he fell asleep in my arms. Now, he only seems to nap well when we're holding him (wakes up when we put him down) and generally just seems to take cat naps throughout the day. Up to this point, the only odd thing about his behavior was that he had a decent length nap on Dad and then had a nice long nap with me after his feeding. Decent nap lengths happen on occasion so there was no major concern. However, only moments after waking up in my arms, he started projectile vomiting. That's a pretty scary sight coming from an infant. We called the doctor who ordered a wait and see. Dylan and I both got changed and the event occurred again shortly thereafter. And again. The doctor ordered we give him some water to prevent dehydration. The poor baby wouldn't drink anything nor nurse and he was moaning as I held him. It was so sad and pathetic. My gut told me this was no regular spit up after a feeding...something was really wrong. So, another call to the pediatrician and we were ordered to the ER.

Why is it Murphy's Law that baby's must get sick outside of the pediatrician's office hours? We chose our pediatrician, in part, because of their extended office hours and availability of doctors after hours. The doctor on call on Saturday after our pediatrician's office hours was a second office they use for after hours assistance. Even so, there was no where to go except to the ER for help.

Of course, once there, we had to go through the gamut of tests. First, he got hooked up so his pulse could be monitored and got changed into a johnny. The pediatrician in the emergency room came and did an exam. Ears clear, belly fine to the touch. Then they wanted urine and blood samples. That meant he got an IV (arm splinted to keep it in) and a catheter. Needless to say, Dylan did not enjoy these events and neither did we enjoy watching and listening to him scream in discomfort and unhappiness. Those results came back fine. Next up, an x-ray to make sure there was no intestinal blockage. In the meantime, they started him on fluids in his IV. The pictures came back mostly fine but had one questionable thing that they wanted to get checked out further on an ultrasound.

By this time, Dylan was calm after all the poking and prodding he'd experienced and was even acting like himself again. He was also nursing again and smiling and laughing. Whatever was ailing him was not bothering him anymore. However, we had to get through this last test. Dylan and I were wheeled on a stretcher down a floor for an ultrasound. The boy loves to move and he enjoyed the ride. At least the ultrasound wasn't unhappy for him to experience, as all the other tests were.

The results came back fine. Whatever they saw on the x-ray was something that can also happen with a stomach bug. So, that's what it was, a stomach bug. Gone as quickly as it came on. 6 hours in the ER. Ugh! On the one hand, I really beat myself up that my poor little baby had to go through all that torture for "no reason." At the time we took him in, though, I truly believed something was very wrong with him and it was good to have confirmation that he was okay. Definitely a rough day for us both.

The upside to all of this? Well, first and foremost, Dylan is healthy and we got the professional help we needed to confirm that. Today, he seems to be back to his happy self, which is just wonderful to see. Also, I'm not sure anyone ever looked as cute in a johnny (and splint and ET toe pulse monitor)!

Cute Baby in a Johnny (Obviously Taken During the Happy Evening)

First Family Vacation - More Waterfalls

Our last day on vacation was going to be a long one. We started early and packed up the car for the last time. After a good breakfast, we started out to see some of the waterfalls right in Ithaca. Our first stop was right off the campus of Cornell, not far from where we were staying. I read that Ithaca Falls was right off the road and had easy access so it seemed like something we should go see....if it wasn't that great then we wouldn't have wasted much time and energy. Boy, were my expectations thrown out of the ballpark. It was literally right off the road and an incredible waterfall! Wow! If I had gone to school there, I think I would have frequented this spot.

Dylan and Me at Ithaca Falls

Next stop was Robert Treman Park. I was feeling pretty beat up from the activities of the last couple of days, so we parked at the top entrance of the park where there was a promise of a beautiful waterfall only a half mile down the trail. For a short hike, we got a big reward. It was gorgeous! Dylan even stayed awake for the entire hike and spent some time watching the water with me.

Lucifer Falls - Robert Treman Park

Dylan and Me at Lucifer Falls

Family Self Portrait

Robert Treman Park

Hangin' With Dylan at Robert Treman

Now, throughout our vacation, Dylan was a rock star traveler. He was either happy in the car and smiling at me or sleeping. I think by this last day of travel, he had had enough. After leaving Robert Treman and stopping for gas and lunch, he had a bit of a meltdown and had himself a good fussy period in the car before falling asleep. He woke up about 14 miles from our next destination and was a wreck! The poor little guy was really worked up and screaming and we had no where to pull over until our exit. So, I unsuccessfully tried to calm him during that time while he was still in his car seat. I know car seats are absolutely necessary for safety and I would obviously not compromise that by taking him out, but it stinks to sit next to your child and not be able to pick him up to calm him.

After I was able to pick him up to calm him and feed him, he was chipper again and ready for our last vacation stop - dinner with Mike's Aunt Kathy that lives in upstate NY not too far off from our route home. So, she met us in a convenient off the highway location for a nice dinner. It was great to see her, have her meet Dylan and spend some face to face time catching up.

Now the only portion of our trip I was truly worried about with the little guy was our travel plans home. After our dinner, it was 4 hours back to home....an estimated arrival of 11pm. If Dylan slept in the car like he had most of our travels, bedtime and the next morning might have been a nightmare. But, in his usual laid back fashion, he rolled with it. He slept 3.5 of the hours home, happily stayed up and played for an hour and a half, ate and then slept from 1am-9am. I couldn't have asked for a better scenario. What a great kid I've got. We had such a fun time with him on our first family vacation. Looking forward to many more......

First Family Vacation - Watkins Glen

On our second full day in Ithaca, we headed to Watkins Glen park about 45 minutes away. This place was so ridiculously beautiful that it made my list of top places to visit in the U.S. That list also includes the Flume Gorge, which is near our place in NH. Apparently I think gorges are gorgeous. Go figure!

After our long hike the previous day, I was definitely feeling beat up so it was Mike's turn to carry Dylan on this hike. The gorge is only about 1.3 miles long but an almost 900 foot difference in altitude from top to bottom. Therefore, there are about 800 stairs along the route! We started at the top of the park and took the 800 stairs down to begin with. That means we saved the hard part for last.

It was great to go this time of year. The trail was only open for a few more days to the public (it closes for winter). We're past the peak of the fall season and just before close. That means there were very few folks around. It was almost like we had the place to ourselves! Dylan stayed awake for a good while at the start of the hike and, again, enjoyed looking around.

Mike and Dylan at Watkins Glen Park

We took a long time making our way down the gorge, admired the scenery and stopped to take lots of pictures.

Gorge Wall

Rainbow Falls (Can you Spot Mike and Dylan Behind the Falls?)

Cavern Cascade (The Trail Goes Behind This Waterfall)

So Pretty! Pictures Don't Even Do It Justice.

Family Self Portrait

On the way back up, we didn't stop for photos. It was definitely a challenge going straight back up but it felt good to work hard.

Late that afternoon, after going back our hotel for showers and a rest, we went on a deer safari. The evening before we saw SO many deer around our hotel that we wanted to try and go find some while there was still a little light. It wasn't hard to do! About a half mile from our hotel, we stopped at a field where we saw around 10 deer playing around and eating the grass. For the locals that see that sight everyday, I'm sure we seemed silly. But, we just think deer are beautiful animals and love getting to see them whenever we can. So, we sat, watched and enjoyed them for a while.

After our long day, we had a special treat that night - dinner from the famed Moosewood Restaurant. It's a very influential vegetarian restaurant that publishes cookbooks that are respected around the country. It did not disappoint! We took the food back to our hotel (dining with the little one is more trouble than it's worth right now) and truly enjoyed the cuisine. What a great day we had!

Inside Moosewood

First Family Vacation - Taughannock Falls

On our first full day in Ithaca, we decided to drive to nearby Taughannock Falls and do some hiking. It was pleasantly cool and the sun was out so the conditions were perfect for such a day.

Our First View of the Falls When Driving Into the Park

We parked at the base of the gorge where we had a 3/4 mile level hike to the base of the waterfall. Just to give you an idea of scale from these pictures, Taughannock Falls is 33 feet higher than Niagara Falls! Dylan stayed awake for a while and looked up at all the trees.

Dylan Looking Around

Family Self Portrait at the Base of the Falls

The rock around the wall edges was really cool to look at and it was a very enjoyable 1.5 miles into and out of the gorge. We were up for more! So, we decided to hike up and around the rim of the trail, making a loop back behind the waterfall and then to our car. The trail had an awful lot of steps and it was definitely challenging to carry sleeping Mr. Dylan up but the views were definitely worth the effort!

Gorge Further Up From The Falls

Small Falls Further Up Stream From Taughannock

View of Cayuga Lake

So, we logged about 4.25 miles of hiking around the gorge that day. It was fun but tiring carrying the little one. I had strained my calf a week and a half before the trip and had stayed off of it completely for days before vacation to allow it to heal. I thought it had but it started hurting again during the hike. Given that we had lots of hiking planned for the week, it would be interesting to see how I would hold up with the injury.

First Family Vacation - Niagara Falls

After our Halloween wedding, we dropped by to see my friend Katherine's house and then packed up and drove to Niagara Falls! Since the Canadian side has the best view, we had to get Dylan a passport and take him out of the country for the first time (albeit only a mile). And yes, I made them stamp his passport.

Now, this being the first vacation with Dylan, and a week long one at that, we packed just about everything we could think of that we might need. Yes, it was a lot and we have used the experience to learn how to trim. But during the trip, we were traveling with a full load. At the border, they asked us if we were moving to Canada because the car was so full!

Since this was the off season and we were only staying for one night, we splurged and got a great falls view room. It was lovely to be greeted with a rainbow when we checked into our room!

View From Our Room

That first afternoon there, we walked down to the falls and observed them from above then took the "Journey Behind the Falls" and felt the fury from, well, behind the falls. I had visited the falls several years back with my brother but this was Mike and Dylan's first experience. Mike enjoyed it. Dylan did what he does best and napped through all of the journey behind the falls.

Dylan and I In Front Of the American Falls

The next day, we packed back up and headed back to good old American soil. We spent a while strolling through the nice park on the American side where you can get up right beside the falls.

The Fury of the Falls!

Dylan actually stayed awake for this portion of the falls tour, though I don't think he was very impressed by the water. He seemed pretty ambivalent about it. Mike and I very much enjoyed it though!

Flying Over the Falls!

Family at the Falls

We had a nice, quick time at Niagara Falls! Then it was a few hours drive to our next location - the beautiful town of Ithaca in the Finger Lakes region of NY.