Home again, Home again..jiggity jig!

What a whirlwind of a vacation! Alexiss traveled so well that I had comments from people on the plane how good she was...and that was just on the plane. Although she was getting tired of the constant visits near the end she held in like a trooper and never took it out on anyone, smiling and being social amid her irregular and jam packed schedule.

She grew so much in the short time we were gone, her hair started growing in, she started really crawling (I do miss the zombie crawl though) and pulling herself up in her crib! The standing in her crib is the biggest shock and bestest greeting! Thank goodness she didn't start that until the last few days at my parents because we had penned her in at the trailer using totes and piles of clothes/blankets on the pull out couch before the playpen/crib arrived and the crib wasn't very deep. I think I have the image ingrained in my mind of the one night at my parents; just as I was settling in for bed and playing on the iTouch, Alexiss started rousing. I figured if I was quiet enough she'd fall back asleep...until I heard the familiar "come-get-me" cry. I turned on the lights to her standing looking at me, patiently waiting for me to get my act together and realize she wanted a midnight shnack.

The visits! Oh, the visits! It was non-stop, sometimes two visits in a day! It was so fun to see everyone again and share Alexiss with them, she was a hit...which was a good thing..since I was often busy and distracted. Mom loved showing everyone what a great reader, or rather page-turner she is. The toys! The clothes! I can't believe I managed to get everything packed and home, Bill helped with the packing-puzzle the morning we left, if it wasn't for him I'm sure I would've had to leave some things behind.

St. Thomas was our first stop. Alexiss really enjoyed her time with Oma and Opa, the walks through the park and the fun and games, the BBQs and meeting family and friends. It was super special to have all of Mark's friends home and gathering and laughing together. Again, I was distracted making sure we were packed for a day/night out, getting her fed, changed and just general baby duty that I didn't always get much of a chance to visit.

In Niagara I reconnected with so many good long time friends, part of me wanted to just stay and tell Mark to pack up and move. Upon returning to Calgary I realized Carseland is still home.... if only here and there were closer.