Road Trip Part Deux

So on Saturday morning we packed up our things (which took very little time due to the fact that we were childless) and headed to Jason's hometown of Pollock, SD to visit family and to head to another wedding...oh yeah, and to pick up our kid.

Tyson had a great time. In addition to being constantly adored (his favorite thing in life) there were a bunch of little playmates for him and some great toys. He was in heaven.  This little guy is completely obsessed with any and all balls (ball was his first word...and the first thing he says every morning) and of course, spotted this basketball immediately and wouldn't stop asking for it (Bah?) until Jason got it down for him. 

He carried it everywhere.

And needed to show it off to his cousin Tyler...or bonk him in the head...not sure which is happening here.

Next Tyson met our friend Justin and Elaine's little girl Emily. She wasn't quite sure what to think of him at first. 

She's still thinking it over.

But then her mom came back into view so everything was great once again.

The trip was a whirlwind. As always, we had to leave too soon and we had to spend way too much time in the car. Tyson is still not a great traveler. It seems he cannot physically sleep for any longer than 30 minutes in his carseat...which is a struggle during a 12 hour trip. 

Once again, I find myself noticing a difference between the kind of parent I thought I would be and the mom I have become. There was once a time both Jason and I loathed the thought of having a DVD player in our vehicle. We have to make this trip again in a month. If you'll excuse me, I think I need to head to best buy.

Road Trip Part One

So last weekend I packed up the family and headed north (or "Up Nort" to you fellow Norwegians) to Fargo for my great friend Andrea's wedding. Of course I had a heckuva time getting her to stop hugging one of her 400+ guests (she is loved very much) to pose for a picture but here are some shots of the rest of us girls having a great time. 

The best part was that Grandma Marilyn was gracious enough to take Tyson for the night so we were "footloose and fancy free" as my mom would say. 

PS- we still woke up at 7am even without Tyson there. Apparently becoming a parent not only strips you of the opportunity to sleep in but also the ability. 

Alexia and I go way back. We were home health aides for the same client before we were nurses. Then I decided she was so cool I had to keep following in her footsteps and started working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at good ol' Meritcare when I finally graduated.

Why am I more pale than a natural redhead? That hardly seems fair. 

The wedding was beautiful and fun. I really had a wonderful time catching up with old friends and Jason was a wonderful husband who let me...without any complaints of boredom. The next day we packed up again and headed to South Dakota to Jason's hometown for yet another wedding. More pictures to come:) 

This message is brought to you by...Tonka.

This giant Tonka truck was just one of the amazing baby gifts we received at Tyson's South Dakota baby shower. After keeping it stored for the year, we finally pulled it out realizing that maybe my little boy would be old enough to enjoy it. As you can see by his "excited face" (seriously, that is his excited face), he was pumped.

His daily routine now includes a quick inspection/tune up (or PMCS for anyone Army reading this). 

A run around the house while making the correct engine noises (PS-where does he learn how to do this? I obviously didn't teach his as my girly DNA makes this noise impossible to make). 

After the proper inspection, he loads the truck up with his favorite toys (which includes any and all balls and books). I believe in this picture he is attempting to hitch his chair up to the back to he can tow it. Since he was without any rope, he just put the chair in front of the truck and pushed really hard...it worked.

Phew, playing is hard work. Luckily his truck can double as a chair. 

What I've learned...

My cousin Jason and his wife Lisa are expecting their fist child which they celebrated at a recent baby shower. In lieu of the traditional shower games she asked us to write down anecdotes, stories etc. Anything about motherhood that made us want to share. Here's a few things that I've learned over the past year.

1. Dog snot and people snot taste surprisingly similar.

2. Every emotion (whether good or bad) is intensified.

3. Poop can tell a story.

4. Minivans are the new black.

4. Colleges should offer courses on baby equipment assembly. 

5. Going to bed at 8:30 is not only completely acceptable, but a necessity at times.

6. Walking around with stains on your clothes is unavoidable. I've developed a system of just acting surprised whenever someones feels the need to point it out. "What, I've got a stain? Gee, I wonder how long it's been there?" 

7. Flashing yourself in public does not end when breast feeding has been weaned. It continues to happen whenever your child feels the need to pull your shirt down to your naval....usually saved for a time when someone incredibly important (ie-your boss or the pope) are within eyeshot.

8. Sniffing someones butt is a regular habit....though hopefully this activity is saved for your child and him/her alone. 

9. Motherhood tends to bring a very strong urge to apologize to your own mother for any chaos and mischief that you engineered. 

10. Modesty is no longer an option...a concept that usually becomes apparent during labor after the first 5 people that you just met are now staring at your crotch.

11. With the exception of work, I haven't peed alone in a year. 

12. Motherhood is a strange dichotomy of wanting so badly to get a smidgen of time away from your child and missing him/her the second you are separated. 

13. It's the coolest, greatest, hardest job I have ever had.