The Week in Words

We had a wonderful, family-filled, action-packed week here in Connecticut for our spring break. Millie got to spend a lot of quality time with her grandparents and some of her aunts and uncles and she got to do a lot of new things! Now, I'm pretty sure Millie already had a piece of the hearts of everyone that came to see her, but I know for a fact that she captured every last bit of all their hearts by the time they left. She charmed them all with her infectious smile, her inquisitive ways and her all around good nature (not to mention all the goofy things she does). It was so wonderful to see her interact with everyone and be so comfortable with them all -- even her uncles! For a week we were all enveloped in the physical closeness of family, and it felt great :).

Our week of fun started last Friday when both sets of grandparents got into town. Grandma and Papa made the long trek from Arizona (they are officially snowbirds now :) ) and Lainey and Grandpa Ric drove up from St. Louis. Everyone had a good trip, but they were all ready to be out of the car for a few days! We all enjoyed dinner at the Silvermine Inn and Millie slowly got reacquainted with everyone. We took it slow that first night as it WAS a Friday night and little Millie was tired and not quite expecting so much excitement :).

By Saturday though, Millie had four new best friends in her grandparents. We spent the morning hanging out at home and cooking for Sunday's festivities. Auntie LoLo, Jason and Uncle BR all arrived in the afternoon and Uncle Christian arrived right before dinner. We enjoyed a wonderful, though a bit late, meal grilled out by Scott and Millie got reacquainted with her aunt and uncles. Millie had a hard time leaving all the excitement Saturday night and was up much past her bedtime. It didn't help that mommy was doing last minute prep for Sunday and having a hard time letting go herself :). Eventually we all made it to bed and enjoyed a much-needed night's rest.

Sunday brought brunch with the whole family at our house, mass, and Millie's baptism -- all topped off with a party at our house with family and friends. Millie did a great job at church -- slept for a bit, ate a bit in the cry-room (where she made friends with a little boy) and hung out in the pew for the end of the service. The baptism was right after mass and we were joined by another family baptising their little boy (who was 13 weeks and as big if not bigger than Millie!). The service was very nice and Millie said her prayers throughout :). She wasn't too sure what was going on when Auntie took her up to the baptismal well and leaned her over, but as soon as the first drop of water hit her head, she relaxed and just enjoyed her shower.

Millie was definitely ready for a nap by the time the service was done and all the pictures were taken. Of course that was easier said than done. But she rode around in her carrier with me for a while and eventually drifted off. We enjoyed the afternoon with the family and most of our baby friends. We were unfortunately missing Anna and Cole and their parents. We're still waiting for a time when we get all 7 of the babies together! Millie did a nice job sharing her home with her friends and she and Jonathan enjoyed each other's company for a bit. The boys all played on the mat together for a while -- it was fun to see the babies interacting more. I don't think they all really knew what to do with each other, but they had fun exploring. By the time the party was over, Millie was pretty tired. She played for a bit more, and then nursed to sleep with mama. It was a good day :).

Monday morning brought the departure of Grandma and Grandpa Reithel. It was time for them to head back to Michigan after a brief stop in Pennsylvania to see Aunt Diane. Millie really enjoyed seeing them again and thought they were pretty great :). The girls and boys split up for the rest of the day. The boys went and explored Sherwood Island State Park and then found their way to the Ginger Man in South Norwalk. The Ginger Man is known for its wide and varied beer selection. The boys didn't have trouble finding common ground there :). Millie went to Westport with Auntie LoLo, Grandma Lainey and me to look at wedding gowns for Auntie. Once again she was very good. She slept in her stroller for a while and then played on the floor while Lauren tried on gowns for the first time. It was very special for me to be there for that. Lauren will make a beautiful bride no matter what she wears. I won't say anything about the dresses she did try on for her sake, but I think she found one that could be the one.... :). After trying on dresses we walked around the shops for a bit and Millie scored a few new clothes and some very stylish new sunglasses (to replace the ones she was borrowing from Fred Bird :) ). It was another relaxed and easy cookout for dinner that night when the boys and girls came back together at our house.

Tuesday the whole family made a trek to New York City. See Scott's post relaying the details of that trip ;).

Wednesday was a quiet day at home. Millie was very sad to see Uncle Christian leave to go home to Denver and Auntie LoLo, Jason and Uncle BR leave for St. Louis. Scott was very sad to head back to work... Millie got in some much needed nap time and I got to make a trip to the grocery store to replenish supplies.

Thursday Millie spent the day with Grandma Lainey and Grandpa Ric (and mommy of course) and went to the beach at Sherwood Island. She slept in the stroller while we walked and when she woke up she got to explore the sand with her fingers and toes. She thought it was pretty great!

She definitely isn't showing any signs of being tactile defensive as she enjoyed playing in both the grass and the sand over the course of the week. Millie also got the chance to deep her toes into the Long Island Sound. She was really intrigued by the water as it gently ebbed and flowed over her toes. After that it was back to the stroller for another nap as well all sat and enjoyed the sun and fresh air. Mommy was smart and made sure that Millie was well protected from the sun with her clothes, hat and sunglasses. Mommy wasn't so smart about protecting herself -- ooops. Can we say red as a lobster?! You'd think I would have learned by now :). After the beach we met Scott for dinner and then headed back home for an early night (for Millie and me anyway).

Friday morning Grandma Lainey and Grandpa Ric headed out on the road for their long drive back. Millie enjoyed playing with them in the morning before they left. And then there were two -- just Millie and me. It was kinda strange to be in the house all by ourselves, but we managed :). We met Scott at work for a walk through Darien so we could all enjoy the nice weather together and then it was back home for a quiet afternoon.

Whew! See what I mean about a busy, fun-filled week!? Millie really did do a great job with all the goings-on. Most nights she went to bed at her normal time (around 8:00) and she napped well most days. She always let people know when she was ready for some mommy time -- by the end of the week she was getting quite bold and really telling people what she thought :). We're going to miss having everyone around and can't wait for our summer visits to/from everyone!