What a trip

A week ago yesterday I got in the car with my two babies and headed out on a 500-plus mile trek through four states. It was my first time driving up north alone with both babies outside of the womb (Clara and I did it when I was about six weeks pregnant).

We had just made the exact same trip less than a week earlier, but I had my husband with me then. We didn't expect to be making such a long car ride again so soon, as my youngest sister had more than a month to go until her due date, which meant I had about a month to mentally prepare for the intimidating journey.

But she went into labor much earlier than expected and Clara, Luke and I had two days to prepare to head to NY to spend a week at my parents' house. I would help my sister during her first week home from the hospital. And I'd actually be of real help since it was such short notice that my mother couldn't get the time off right away.

We weren't exactly sure what I was going to do with my kids while I was at my sister's house, but we just made a leap of faith that it would work out and it did - my mother was praying for someone to watch them when a name popped into her head. She called her and she said yes. A huge weight was lifted.

The eight-hour ride with the kids went so amazingly well that I'm sure it was all the prayers. Little Henry, weighing around 6 pounds by the time I met him, had to stay in the hospital longer than expected, but he finally came home on Tuesday. He's doing wonderfully and is a great baby.

What a blessing it was for me to spend all that time with my new, adorable, teeny, super-alert nephew. I was so lucky to have someone to watch my kids so I could concentrate on Henry, especially because I don't know how long it will be until I will see him again.

It was weird waking up early every morning, getting myself and the kids ready and then having a sitter take over. It was very different for me, to say the least. I definitely couldn't do it all the time, but knowing it was just for a week was nice. A little mini-break from the daily grind.

And it was so awesome to be able to just take off for my parents' when I wanted, one of the many perks of being a stay-at-home mom. And I'm thankful Ryan was willing to give us up for an entire week (don't feel too bad for him though, he made the most of his temporary bachelorhood, even hosting a poker night!).

He did miss us terribly though, and we missed him. But it was great for the kids to spend time with their cousins and grandparents.

Yes, we were just there the previous weekend for my sister's baby shower, but I really think the two trips in quick succession really allowed Clara and Luke to feel super familiar with their relatives.

My sister and her husband are doing great. They are complete naturals.

I will say, though, that Henry is an incredible baby. I warned my sister of how something like a dairy allergy can creep up around four weeks and your sweet baby can become a crazed monster, but something tells me that's not going to happen with this little angel.

Then there's his hair. It's already legendary.

I got in three different photo shoots with the new baby while I was there, which I had been planning for months. Two with just him...

And one with him and his parents.

Every night when I'd return home to my parents' and put the kids to bed, I'd jump on the computer and pour over the pictures and do some editing. I love that part even more than taking them, I think.

Our babysitter couldn't watch them on Thursday so we headed to the town where Ryan and I lived before moving to Virginia so the kids could visit with Clara's Godparents, their children, and another friend and her kids. We had a great visit, and even left with a ton of dress-up clothes, some toys, and a bike helmet for Clara! (Not the one pictured here, but she did think this was the greatest...)

Yesterday was our day to head home. It was sad to leave but great to get back to Ryan. The return trip was just okay - nothing can compare to the amazing drive up, plus my audiobook failed to download so I was left listening to Yo Gabba Gabba! on the iPad playing in the backseat.

I started feeling sick almost immediately upon entering Virginia, which was either entirely coincidental or means I'm allergic to where I live.. literally. Either way, my cold/sore throat was even worse today, but at least Ryan let me catch up on sleep while he caught up on diaper changes.

It wasn't easy feeling like a single mother for a week, and that was with a sitter and two helpful grandparents. But nothing replaces another parent. I'm so appreciative of all he does. Just the sharing of duties, you know? Having someone in it as completely as you are.

So we'll try to get back into the swing of things this week. And I have a lot of posts swirling in my head, like another sudden weight gain (progesterone strikes again?), some new blood tests, and words of advice in confession that I can't stop thinking about.

But, for now, here's one last picture of Henry and me. Can you tell I'm in love?