On the Road

Traveling from Michigan to North Carolina with a rest stop quick change!

State Lines

Last week the three of us took off for North Carolina. Maeve's first road trip. So far, she's turned out to be quite the little road warrior!

We plan to head to the beach next week - which is a tribute to how well the trip is going. Had it been troublesome, we would have turned around, but since the trip is going so well, we're going to go to the Outer Banks for a week, then hit a Tiger game next Thursday in Detroit.

All the indicators tell us that Maeve is enjoying the trip: sleeping long hours, eating well, starting to smile, and she's enjoying our extra help down here - the nanny we've hired to help while Katie is in class and Mike works with clients. Hanna is a young local woman who has a knack for working with Maeve -- which has, to be honest... made us a little jealous!

Katie is doing great in her poetry class... I think she's the STAR pupuil!

Last night we had BBQ at Sonny's - a local establishment. All can enjoy the bottles of sauce that we plan to bring home.

Settling In

Now this is more like it. For the past week Maeve has slept consistently in 4 hour stretches. Our feeding schedule has relaxed and for the first time in over a month we're breathing and resting. This has been a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and child gives us cause to reflect on those less fortunate: single mothers, and other difficulties we cannot imagine. We've had wonderful help in parents and siblings, our relationship is connected, and even Sable has embraced his new role (standing guard during breastfeeding).

This morning, Maeve and I with bare chest, connected like a father and daughter should: I asked her to quiet down while mom slept, and she did! I hope, but do not expect, this type of obedience during her teen years.

It's awesome getting to know her personality a little too. She's quick to temper, clear with immediate demands, an occasional smile, intense focus on us and distant images like birds & the river. Already we do not expect Maeve to go quietly, and we would want anything less for our little daughter.

Two Weeks In...

Many firsts. First bath, included. Maeve seems to be enjoying herself and surviving day to day despite our best mess-ups as amateurs.

She's sleeping a little more these nights, which for us is some small victory. When she's not sleeping, we occasionally get to see a sweet face and big blue eyes that are staring all over, taking in the sights. I find myself wishing I could someday ask her what she was thinking about during all her daydreaming stares in these early weeks; given our anxiousness as new parents, it's strange knowing that she will likely not remember any of these moments. The pictures we have accumulating will be the only things she'll have to look upon. Maybe it's good she won't remember... maybe by the time her memory kicks in, we'll seem like we know what we're doing.