In which we breathe deeply

I solemnly swear I will publish this today or perish in the attempt.


So back in March our newest niece was baptized.  My darling baby brother gave us less than a month's notice, probably thinking there was No Way we would be coming.  But I had promised Miriam ages ago that if they ever had another baby and I went to the baptism that I would bring her along -- and she remembered, so I had to make good on my promise.  Thankfully it was just enough time to find and purchase tickets and otherwise prepare for several days' absence.  Mr. Pickles is an admirable Lord-and-Master of the Household, but still there are lots of detail-type-thingies that the Queen-and-Domestic-Goddess is just better about remembering.

Basically, I had to make sure they weren't running around naked and eating nothing but berries and nuts while I was gone.



Once that was in hand, I confess I was really stressed out about the trip.  In addition to bringing Miriam, I also brought Andy (then 17 months, so still a lap baby).  I was worrying particularly about getting through airport security which always makes me feel violated as a human being, and then about surviving a six-hour plane ride with a toddler whose favorite thing to do is run around all day long.  And not be confined.  At all.  For any length of time.

I actually asked prayers from several friends for peace of mind about the trip, and of course God totally answered them.  The actual traveling was pretty awesome!  Apparently the secret to maintaining your dignity going through an airport is to travel with a baby -- since I was holding Andy they didn't make me go through the naked body scanners.

It also helped that I was carrying a secret weapon -- Andy's cheeks.

I'm faaaabulous!

All the ladies at the security screening (and the guys, too, actually) were totally charmed by him and very nice to us.  I've noticed that almost all the security people are excessively polite now.  I feel bad for them -- I'm sure they catch a lot of flak from harassed and disgruntled passengers.

So we made it through security with nary a hitch, and had a good run-around time at the gate while we ate breakfast and waited for our flight to board.

making sure the window cleaner has a job -- he was eating a bagel with cream cheese at the time

Andy did really well on the flight.  He didn't sleep nearly as long as I had hoped, so we spent a lot of time walking up and down and up and down the aisle.  At least, he would walk up the aisle, but once he turned around and confronted all those faces he lost his nerve and had to be carried.

The views out the window are always so amazing.

the Rockies

We arrived on a Thursday, and my parents picked us up and drove us home.  We spent the rest of the day decompressing.  Andy was soooo excited that there was an actual CAT in the house!  He learned to respect her after she hissed and clawed him, though.
 

kitty TV

The following morning (after waking up around 4 am, of course) we went to Mass at the parents' parish, and then across the street to have breakfast with the Norbertine sisters who are helping in the parish.  Wow, was it good!  Let's just say Miriam has never been a fried egg person, but she had no trouble putting away Sr. Roberta's egg-in-a-bell-pepper.  (Aside -- every time I've ever had food cooked by nuns, it was fabulous!)

We had a nice visit.  Miriam had met these sisters last summer when they were in Virginia for a conference, so they were happy to see each other again.  Sr. Benedicta told her she couldn't join until she was 18.

Mom was busy preparing for something for her RCIA class, so we spent the rest of the day hanging out with Dad.  Later that afternoon he brought us to the beach.

*deep breath*  ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

People, Torrance Beach is really just The best beach in California.  I will admit no other claim.  I just love the view of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.  Terra cotta roofs and ice plant and eucalyptus everywhere. As much as I love living in Virginia, everything here sang "home."  It was so wonderful just sitting on the sand, in the sun, breathing deeply, listening to the waves.  I could feel all my feathers smoothing themselves.

Miriam took to the water right away.

It was juuuuust a shade too cool to swim, but she managed to get pretty soaked anyway.

...Andy, not so much.  He does not like Water Coming At Him.

we hates it!!

Once I put him on a blanket and gave him a whole box of chocolate bunny crackers, though, he admitted that maybe this beach thing wasn't too horrible.

Oh, and having a thing-in-a-thing was fun too.

I only need food to keep me happy!

Miriam spent a good bit of time building a sand castle (which I stupidly forgot to take a picture of when it was finished).

It was windy!

We found bazillions of baby sand crabs in the water -- at first I thought they were specks of sand floating, but then I realized they were self-propelled.  They must have all hatched recently.

Gosh, I miss the beach.  I felt like a better person after having gone -- ready to take on now whatever the year can throw at me.

Okay, fine, now on to the whole reason we were near a beach in the first place: the baptism on Saturday afternoon.

yay for babies!

The baptism itself was lovely -- all Latin and old school.  My favorite part of the rite is when the priest asks the parents what they desire for the child.  In the new missal, the answer is "baptism."  But the extraordinary form answers, "Fidem."  Faith.  So beautiful.

Regina is blessed to have been born into such a loving, faith-filled family.

Miriam got some good baby-holding time. :)

The oldest and youngest granddaughters together!

There was an awesome party after the ceremony -- tons of cousins and second-cousins and first-cousins-once-removed. It was wonderful getting to catch up with so many people I hadn't seen in ages, and getting to meet some new babies!

my cousin Travis has really taken to fatherhood -- it helps that Carter is such a cutie (and looks just like his daddy!)

my cousin Emily holding Carter -- who LOVES her daughter Audrey's hair!

I wish I could have gotten more pictures, but I was trying to keep Andy quarantined.  He came down with a fever pretty much the day we arrived, and by this point had progressed to a head cold and was dripping and coughing everywhere.  It sure didn't slow him down, though.  It was quite a job to keep him separate from all the other littles.  And so sad -- I had so hoped that he could have played with some of his cousins.

By the end of the party I was pretty worn out -- of course I hadn't been able to eat anything while chasing Andy, so I asked to have my dinner boxed up so I could at least eat it on the way home.  And then as we were getting ready to leave and the staff were cleaning up the room, they pitched my dinner.  That was a pretty low point.

You better believe I fished it out of the trash can.

Sunday was low key -- I wasn't able to go to Mass because of Andy -- after the busy day previous we needed some quiet time at home.

It was very necessary that he rearrange Grandma's can cupboard.

 
Oh, I almost forgot!  I had taken Miriam shopping Saturday morning to look for a birthday outfit from California for her.  We had a good time, but were pretty tired from all the mall hopping.  She's at a difficult age to shop for -- too old for girly-girl things, but not quite old enough for junior things.  We were both happy with the things she eventually found.

So, Sunday.  Mom was finally able to emerge from her sanctum and spend some time with her grandkids before we had to leave the next day.  I was nervous about flying again, with Andy's sickness -- I flew with head congestion once and it was the most excruciating experience I have ever endured.  And that includes five labors.  I was terrified Andy was going to be in such pain on the flight.  I needn't have worried -- as we were landing, he pointed to one of his ears once, with a look on his face of "what's going on in there?" and that was it.

Dude, I got earbuds.  I'm good.

The day after we arrived home, I ended up taking all 3 boys to the pediatrician, since both Joseph and Daniel had been sick while I was gone, with the same thing Andy had.  It turns out Andy had AN EAR INFECTION on the flight.  He is one stoic little dude.

Oh, and Daniel had bronchitis.  And it was 20 degrees and snowing in Virginia.

Sigh....

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For many many days after we returned, Daniel and I would repeat this little exchange verbatim:

Daniel [running up and hugging my arm]: "Mmmm, Mommy, I like you."
me: "I like you too."
Daniel: "I missed you at the airport."
me:  "I missed you too."

It was good to be back.