This time more than the last I feared the plane trip. Last time we traveled to NC Tatum was three months old. She seemed to sleep better then and was definitely not as involved with her surroundings. Now at nearly seven months Tatum sleeps, but not without a few minutes of whining and if there are folks around to flirt with, there's no way this babe is going down. So I was nervous and fearful. Oh - there's just nothing like wasting time fretting over fears of a situation not yet encountered. And fortunate for us and our fellow travelers, we did not have to encounter "it". On the first flight we were given an extra seat and were able to bring the car seat aboard. On the second leg we were on a small commuter jet and were not as lucky. BUT we had the trusty night cap - a tight fitting cap that covers Tatum's eyes when she is unable to shut herself down. This was the perfect trick for a peaceful trip. The hat allows cuts her visual field and thereby allows her to get the sleep she needs but attention from strangers prevents. Tatum needed this sleep aid when she was younger, but I had not needed to use it in months. However, when we were leaving at 4:30am I grabbed it just in case. Let's just call that a mother's miracle of intuition.
We stayed with our cousins Amy, Kyle and baby James in Burnsville. We were able to make it into Asheville for the day on Sunday and meet up with Jen and Andy and the boys who were on their way to the Polar Express. We shared lunch at the famed Asheville Pizza and Brew Company (where Andrew and I have a pizza named after us called The Shear Delight). Tatum showed off her new sitting skills by hanging out in a high chair - another first experience that was repeated throughout our travels).
On Monday we enjoyed our cross the state journey away from the balmy 24 degree weather in the mountains to the sunny skies of 60 degree weather on the coast. Last time we were on the Shearer Adventure Tatum slept with us; but this time she slept in a pack-n-play in the captains quarters. She took naps down in our room - all of which we had to wake her up from. I guess it was the rocking of the boat, but Tatum ended up taking 2 and 3 hour naps. During our stay, Mimi and Boo treated us old folks to a night of our own by taking care of Tatum while we shared our first dinner out alone. Andrew and I walked to the end of the dock where we enjoyed a meal and a bottle of wine. It was special to share in a simple pleasure again.
On Thursday we stopped through Southern Pines on our way to Charlotte so that Tatum could meet her Grandma T and visit with the Hillgroves.
We stayed the weekend in Charlotte enjoying the company of our families. Julie and Craig's kids Nicolas (3) and Sophia (18 months) enjoyed spending more time with their only cousin Tatum. We celebrated Christmas with our annual trip to Kybutos and returned home to open presents. Tatum was a party pooper and crashed out early before opening a single gift.
On Saturday we moved over to the Littles. Drew and Ethan (4) were thrilled to have us visit. Drew welcomed Tatum by reading a book to her and Ethan gave her one of his bears. Lala came to town and we were able to spend time together as a big family. On Sunday morning we had breakfast with Santa. Just in time, ten days before Christmas, Tatum was able to meet Santa
We returned after a long travel day. Again, Tatum was awesome on the flight home proving that she's a happy traveler, for the most part.
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