Liam on a Jet Plane

I’m back! Last week Liam and I flew to Omaha to visit my family and to enjoy a week of vacation in my hometown. Let me tell you, I didn’t even know I needed a vacation until I was gone. It was astonishing how relaxed I felt being away; though I’m not sure what it was that made me so tense here. Perhaps the calculated stresses of new baby, new “job,” and new house have finally gotten to me, but these were mere trifles once I had the cool Nebraska wind blowing on my face. I felt so exhilarated with the wide openness of the area, like I had been freed of something. The heat and humidity here in Louisiana have a way of confining a person to four walls and, though I relish in being in our new place, there’s something wonderful to be said about being outside. It’s just good for the soul! The temperatures were ideal – mid 70s all week with very little moisture. I’m so anxious for late September/October to get here when it will finally cool off.

If you’d like to know how traveling with my infant son went, I’ll tell you! Liam was simply angelic, a real champ. Right about the time we took off (going and coming), it was time for him to eat and the swallowing motion helped him with popping his ears. I confess that I’m not as die-hard a nursing mom as I suppose some others are: I considered nursing him on the plane before we left, but opted not because I had no certainty as to how successful I would or wouldn’t be. A little chicken, sure, and I have no problem admitting that. Maybe next time we’ll add another ball to the juggling act. Anyway, after he sucked down his bottle, he cooed and giggled at the man sitting next to me and then he was asleep for the duration of our second flight. After such an easy time, I was ready for our return flights, which were just as predictable.

And now, after a week’s absence, I’m preparing for the arrival of our second house guest! My best friend Erin, whom I met at Benedictine, is flying down from KC for Labor Day and I canNOT wait to see her. In anticipation of her arrival, I’ll be putting the guest room together, decorating a few bare walls (trying to cheaply mimic this wall from Pottery Barn), and going grocery shopping. [This weekend I went to Tuesday Morning and got a mirror for over our fireplace and a few other odds and ends. We’ll be getting an area rug for our living room too. It thrills me to tend to our house so vigorously! and to see the marvelous change that’s occurred. We moved into this house from an apartment, and our previous obstacle of too-much-stuff-not-enough-space has turned to the converse. I’ll have to post pictures once the living room is almost finished.] Erin’s visit will help ameliorate my famishment for post-college social interaction. I had my friend Amy over to see our house just before I left for Omaha, and I also hung out with my sister and her friends last week. Both instances involved such QUALITY conversation and truly a wonderful time. You really have to chase down friends once you turn your tassel.