back home

We've been back from our vacation for a week now! We had a good time. Travel-wise everything went fabulously. Every flight was early and we were able to catch an earlier return flight for the last leg which got us back 3 hours ahead of schedule. Since we didn't check any bags, we didn't have to worry about lost luggage. Everything went really well. We were so busy and tired from hiking, walking etc., that I didn't worry about Lewis. We talked frequently to the grandparents, but everything seemed to be going well, so those calls just set us at ease more than anything.

We also took the opportunity to completely wean Lewis from nursing. He is over 16 months-old now, and was only nursing at night anyway, so it has been a relatively smooth transition. Five days away made it much easier since I was unable to continue in our routine. It has taken us a few days to get into the swing of a new bedtime ritual. Lewis used to nurse with a low-lit lamp and got used to watching his clock tick on a nearby shelf (odd, but he likes it!), so I have switched to rocking him and singing a few songs instead so that he still has a good view of the clock. He still lays down awake and goes right to sleep. He has slept great since we got back home, which has been a great blessing!! It seems that sleeping is one of his best talents, and I can't complain about that. :)

All in all, we survived our first baby-absence. It was not as bad as I had expected, and the best part was not cooking, cleaning or changing diapers for several days. We were certainly ready to be reunited with our boy. He's become the sweetest part of our lives.

It seems like time really flies in the fall or is it just me? Next week is Thanksgiving. It's so hard to believe that we're into the holidays already. Soon we will be making the big decision about Christmas decorating........or really, seeing what Lewis' decision about it will be. If we put up a tree and he wants to un-decorate it on a regular basis, we may have trouble. We also have a 6 month-old kitty who could try to climb the thing, so I'm trying to keep my expectations low! If you have any good stories to share about your experience with kids and holiday decorating, it would be fun to hear your feedback.