Our First 'Getaway'

I am always a bit torn when it comes to traveling for Spring Break.  One part of me longs to pack my family up, settle in the car, and just drive.  Escape for a week to somewhere warm, somewhere without cell phones, deadlines, and to-do lists.  But a bigger part of me craves a week at home, a week to regroup, relax, and clean windows.  This year, I especially craved a week at home with Cruz, a week to do normal things like feed him cereal, go for a walk, and watch Kathie Lee and Hoda in our pajamas.

Last week, I got just that.  Time to live at home with Cruz.  Time to be a mom.  Time to drag out his morning cereal, lay around in pajamas, snap picture after picture after picture, and peek in on him sleeping soundly in his crib during naptime to the sounds of his Rockabye Baby CD.  We had time to frost cupcakes for St. Patty's Day, sit as a family at the table for dinner, and get those windows cleaned.  We made up for lost time this week and now it's on.  On to summer break...

We also found some time to go on our first little getaway since having Cruz.  We've been blessed with a great little sleeper and I have been extremely weird about breaking his cycle; therefore, Cruz has not spent one night away from his 'crib routine' in five months.  Call me superstitious, but every time Beau mentions Cruz's sleep habits, good or bad, I demand he find a piece of wood to knock on immediately.  Weird, I know, but sleep has always been highly important to my productivity and overall mood.  My own mom would cringe every time I was invited to a sleepover, as it meant nothing more to her than a late night, followed by a crabby, sleep-deprived daughter in the morning.  If Cruz is anything like his mother, we both need our beauty sleep...

I digress. 

Beau took the day off on Friday and the three of us traveled to Williamsburg, Iowa...a perfect 'prequel' or trial round before more daring family trips in the future.  Packing for a baby is exhausting!  I packed my own washcloths and towels, a crib sheet for the pack 'n play, books, toys, and outfits for a week's stay instead of a night's.  I debated how many bottles to pack, how much formula to pack, and purchased my first pack of 'Little Swimmers.'  Yes, the three of us were shacking up in a hotel room, complete with a continental breakfast, two queen sized beds, and an indoor pool. 

We shopped 'til we dropped on Friday.  Bought out Banana Republic, found some steals at Baby Gap, and was delighted to find one of my favorite outfits for Cruz in size 6-12.  He now has the same exact gator shirt in size 'newborn,' '0-3,' 3-6,' and now, '6-12.'  Cruz was such a good baby.  He sat front-facing like a big boy in his stroller, drank a bottle in the handicapped dressing room at Banana, and gave the flirty eyebrow lift to several female sales associates.  We had lots of fun with him and I'm convinced Beau is a better shopper now that he has a buddy to hang with.

After a full day of shopping, we scoped out our hotel room.  Cruz was so cute.  I laid him on his very own, queen-sized bed, and he immediately rolled to his tummy, laid his head on the soft comforter, and flashed me a satisfied grin.  He approved.  He liked his new home.  In addition to the bed, Cruz was a big fan of the elevator, the long hallways, and the frequent smiles from strangers, including a strange, but friendly hotel 'wanderer' we coined as, Moes, Dwight Shrute's brother from The Office.  It just goes to show that babies don't care where they are as long as they're fed, changed, and loved. 

One thing Cruz was not so sure about was the crazy big 'bathtub.'  He got super serious when we explored the pool room.  It would be Cruz's first experience swimming and I was anxious to see how it would go.  As much as he loves splashing in his bath, I figured he'd be a maniac in the pool; however, I failed to consider the temperature of the water.  He looked like such a big man in his little swimming trunks, and tried his best to act like a big man once those little tootsies graced the water.  The look on his face was priceless.  He was scared and a little stressed, obviously, but never once did he cry.  It's as if he was trying his best to be brave and trust his parents; however, it didn't stop that bottom lip from popping up!  It wasn't too long before we decided to wait for '85 and sunny' conditions to introduce Cruz to swimming.  

Looking pretty confident in their matching trunks :)

 
The first dip...

 

"What the heck was that?"

Friday night, we met Rob and Jill for a nice dinner at Monica's, a great restaurant in Iowa City with a crazy menu.  I couldn't decide whether I wanted the lobster penne or the 'Mama's Meatloaf.'  Cruz was a trooper once again, but so sleepy by the end of dinner.  He couldn't keep his eyes open!  By the time we got back to the hotel, he was fast asleep in his carseat...Vacation was a lot for the Cruz dude.

Overall, our first little getaway proved to be a successful one.  We learned a few things, as we always do, like how to occupy a bored, restless baby in his carseat during the last leg of the car ride, how to feed a baby in a clothing store, and how to transform a queen-sized bed into a secure crib, but were proud of ourselves and proud of our Cruz.  And although little getaways are a nice change every now and then, home felt that much sweeter for the three of us.  

Cruz took a two and a half hour nap in his crib that afternoon.  He was glad to be home...