Ben does it East Coast style

Last Sunday, my nana turned 83! That in itself is a pretty big deal, but added to the fact that she has been battling health complications after heart surgery in February, made this birthday one worth celebrating in person. Since meeting Ben has been a source of motivation in Nana's recovery, bringing him to her birthday party seemed like the morale booster this trooper needed! While it was hard to see Nana weak and frail, just one look in her eyes boasted the Fighting Irish spirit that everyone who meets her, can't help but love. My sister wrote a really sweet post about our trip and visit with Nana that you can read on her blog. Since she said it so well (and since she had the pictures to capture it), I'll just tell you about the trip from Ben's perspective. First, a slideshow:

And a picture:
This is Ben trying out some still-too-big hand-me-down boots in front of his cool travel tent that I thought would be so much easier to bring on the plane than the Pack-n-Play. I was right! It folded up right inside my suitcase and was the cutest little thing you ever did see. Until you try to get a squirmy worm 8-month old to sleep in it! Night one at my parents' started out OK expect for my continuous checking on him to make sure he wasn't smothered by the sides of the tent. Then there was the time he rolled off the 2 inch mattress and yelped like he fell off a cliff. Into bed with mommy he went at 4 a.m. (Thus the sleeping pic on the plane, which departed at 8 a.m.) Ben did exceptionally well on the plane, sleeping through most of the flights, including while we landed, changed planes and took off again. And he was a good sport in the carseat while we got our lay of the land. Then night came, and an an angry spirit took up residence inside my baby. Including the newborn stretch, this was the #1 worst night Ben and I have had...let's just say I sent Mom to get a Pack-n-Play at 8 a.m. the next morning while my roomate, poor Jess, and I took a nap! (who expects a baby to sleep through the screech of a tent zipper next to their head anyway?!)

Even after a couple of morning naps, Angry Ben was still having a hard time, and we were convinced it was teething. So after a whole day of no-one-else-can-hold-me-but-my-mommy,
-and-even-she-better-not-look-at-me-funny, I decided to break out the Hylands tablets I bought on a whim before leaving Birmingham. It took all of five seconds after popping a couple tablets until the angry spirit flew away and my happy baby returned! I could've cried to see him laughing and hamming it up at dinner, thrilled to chew on his book and oggle Braden.

The rest of our trip was so fun. You know what's better than a Mommy? Three mommies! We had a great time taking care of Ben, visiting with family, tooling around the state to Rockport and Boston, and especially soaking up short, but precious moments with Nana, whose birthday party was a rousing success (thanks to my mom) which boosted her spirits and her strength.

Thanks for making the trip possible, Mom! It was one that I will never forget (although I wouldn't mind erasing the 1 - 4 a.m. memories)! And Jess...is it Thanksgiving yet? I miss you already!