7 weeks (May 3) and trip to USA

This week, we’ve seen the following new activities:

1)      First of all, we managed to shed a tear! The first one was actually about a week ago, and I thought that the little one was getting sick as he was also coughing and sneezing. Then this week, the little one managed to squeeze out another one as he was crying.

2)      We also noticed that he started making bubbles with his saliva, and I was thinking that he started teething, but was told that it is waaay too early at 6 weeks.

3)      The little one also started to reject his pacifier more often, although he still uses it to soothe himself.

Tuesday, May 1, started like any regular day. I did some laundry when the little one was down for a nap, and then close to noon DH called and said that we are going to NY (well, Jersey City, which is just across the river) as he had an emergency with his business. So I was told to start packing.  We did discuss this possibility earlier, we just didn’t know if and when we have to go. I started packing as much as I could with the little one in my hands, and when DH came he helped me pack and load the car and we were off on the road by 7 p.m.  We crossed the border with no problem. At the beginning of the trip I was sited at the front and was turning around to the back seat pretty much every few minutes – to give him his pacifier, to move his blanket, to move the screen on top of his car seat so that sun wouldn’t shine in his face.  A few hours into the trip I was getting very nauseous, so after we crossed the border I moved to the back seat to be next to the little one. We moved the front seat all the way to the front and I had lots of space at the back. DH wanted to go as far as possible and then stop for the night. We stopped a few times. Once just before the border when I breast fed the little one, and then at a service station for an 11 o’clock dream feed. I actually pumped so that one of the feedings be easier. Then we were supposed to drive for another two hours and arrive to a hotel by about 1 a.m., but it turned out that DH misjudged the timing and we didn’t arrive to the hotel until after 2 a.m. I was happy that the little one was still asleep, but he was getting fussy as his feeding time was approaching. The good thing was that the hotel was only about an hour drive from New York.

On Wednesday, May 2, we did get a bit of sleep and after having breakfast at the hotel (which the little one attended in his car seat and pretty much slept through) we were off to our destination. Of course, we hit very heavy traffic getting close to Jersey City and didn’t get to our destination until 10 a.m. Again, it was very close to the little one’s feeding time and I actually just grabbed him in his car seat and hurried onto the premises.  

I really like the area where the business premises are.  While packing I was imagining how I will be taking two walks every day, while DH will be taking care of business. I took a book, sunglasses and sunscreen. You probably guessed it… when we opened curtains in the hotel on Wednesday morning – it was raining. Hmmmm… I completely didn’t plan for that and haven’t even considered it as an option. It was raining when we got to the premises. So I put the little one for his first nap inside. I was given a little room for my use that somehow turned out into storage (although it did have a nice big window). I did venture outside when it wasn’t raining very hard. I ran to the car to get a rain cover for the stroller. It was also chilly so I was wearing my warm leather coat with a hood. The little one and I were sent to buy lunch as DH was busy dealing with problems. Luckily I put the rain cover on the stroller as it started to rain very hard the moment I got to the store.  After lunch, it was only drizzling and the little one and I decided to go for a little walk, which was refreshing after being stuck in a car and then inside. At around 5 p.m. DH drove us to our hotel, where we checked in, took a shower and were off to have dinner.  The little one was asleep in his car seat for his night sleep, and we got back just in time for the dream feed at 11 p.m. when I put him to bed in the bassinette from the stroller which I placed on our king side bed in between DH and myself.  This was the best decision, and I only wish that I could do it at home. It was so much easier to quiet him down if he was fussy at night as all I had to do is just stretch my arm instead of getting up and walking to his bassinette.  DH actually had to leave right after dinner and didn’t get back to the hotel until after I finished the 2 o’clock feed (around 3 a.m.)

On Thursday, May 3, it was still chilly in NJ and cloudy so it looked like the rain is going to start any minute. So after having breakfast, which was just a bagel with eggs at a café close to the hotel, I made DH go to Wal.mart to buy an umbrella for me, plus we needed some more diapers for the little one. I was appalled that the same type of diapers was $10 cheaper in NJ than at home. Ugh!!!  DH was again very busy and the little one and I were on our own most of the day, although we did go out to lunch together. The place was tiny so we put the little one in his car seat and when he woke up during the lunch DH just rocked him back to sleep with one arm, while continued eating with another. But, at least the little one slept through the dinner without even stirring!

I was happy when I opened the curtains on Friday, May 4, and it was finally sunny! We decided to have breakfast at the hotel and put the little one in a stroller. He wasn’t sleeping so me and DH took turns eating while the other one was pushing the stroller around. Actually, the same thing happened at lunch time. The little one was fussing and he was in his stroller. Since the stroller was on my left, I ended up pushing the stroller back and forth with my left arm while eating with my right one. But we managed and it wasn’t a big deal! I am saying that as a friend of mine was asking how are we coping with the little one and going out, as she cannot imagine going out with her baby as he wakes up and would rather get a sitter for him. Well… to each his own… I feel much better knowing that the little one is with me and that he can get his food right away.  But back to NJ.

Friday was our last day in NJ and we checked out of the hotel right after breakfast. The weather was amazing – very hot. So I decided that the first nap the little one will take at the premises and for the second nap we would go for a long walk. Oh how I enjoyed the hot weather! I ended up walking along Hudson river looking at the New York skyline for over 2 hours! If I didn’t have to feed the little one, I would have walked more.

We left the premises around 4 p.m. when we had lunch and then some ice cream. We decided to go shopping and stopped at a shopping plaza where we usually enjoy shopping. Unfortunately, this time couldn’t find much. All we bought were seat belt covers for the little one, and then headed for dinner at my favourite restaurant, which only has locations in the states. There was a huge line up and a long waiting list, so I decided to feed the little one in the car before we have dinner. When I finished feeding, the beeper went off and we hurried in. So of course the little one was not asleep. The restaurant was buzzing loudly with loud music and loud conversation, and I was thinking that in this mayhem the little one would never fall asleep. It did take some effort and DH was even considering going outside and walking with him, when the little one finally surrendered to his sleep and we had a nice dinner. 

After dinner at around 10 p.m. we were on our way home. The plan was to drive as much as possible so that on Saturday it wouldn’t take much to get home, but half an hour into the trip DH was complaining that he is falling asleep. We decided not to risk it and stopped for the night at the same hotel where we stayed on the way there. As this time breakfast was not included, we decided to have some food in the little town where we stayed, and found a pretty good chain eatery. We saw a few of the same eateries on our way, so decided that it is a good option for breakfast on the go.  We did have to stop a few times.  The first stop was at a resting stop where I fed the little one and all of us took a washroom break. That whole stop took about 40 minutes. At the next stop in addition to feeding the little one we had some food ourselves so stopped for over an hour.  After that stop we figured if the little one could hold it for about 3.5 hours we didn’t need to stop anymore. Well… there was a huge line up at the border.  The little one decided that he wanted to eat and started screaming from the top of his lungs. Me coaxing him only worked for a bit, so when we finally reached the border /customs official he was screaming very very loud. This helped as the questions were down to a minimum. DH also asked where we could stop to breast feed and were directed to a place where people who are being detained stop. DH looked around and saw cameras all over the place. I told him that I don’t care as all I want to do is to feed my baby.

As we were going through the border my parents called a few times, when I called them back they invited us to come over to have some dinner with them. After eating snacks on the road a good meal was in order so we agreed. My MIL also called to tell us that she made food for us. She wanted the keys to our house so she can bring the food or cook or something. DH told her NO, but she still cooked the food, just in her own house. So after my parents we had to stop by my BIL’s house to pick up her food. We didn’t get home until close to 10 p.m.  The little one was still sleeping in his car seat and we let him sleep until the 11 p.m. dream feed.

On Sunday, May 6, we decided to take it easy. I did manage to get DH to walk with me my long walk in the neighbourhood. As DH has an app on his phone which can measure distance, it turned out that my long walk is 6km!!! Wow, I walk 6 km almost every day! I couldn’t believe it. I also got a message on my phone being invited to a mommy group on Monday, May 7, and I decided that I am going to try to make it.  But the night from Sunday to Monday, the little one was very fussy and wasn’t taking my breast as usual. After we came back from US I continued pumping at around 8 p.m. feeding and then DH feeding the little one from a bottle. He really enjoyed this time together, but as the little one started to fuss more at night during feedings, I decided to stop that practice and only leave the bottle feeding to when I have to be out.

Notwithstanding that we had a crazy night, I did put the little one in the car seat and walked over one street for mommy and baby group.  When I got to her house there was only another mommy there with a toddler (2-3 years old), as that girl’s older child is the same age. It turned out that this group is for toddlers and my little one and her little one were the only newborns there. We stayed for an hour and the little one actually watched from my arms at all the mayhem that was going on as more and more mommies and kids were coming in. On my way home, I decided to make my own group as I figured I know at least two more mommies with the kids the same age as my little one.

As the day was getting to a close and I was putting the little one to bed, I remembered that it was my grandma’s birthday. I started telling the little one about my grandma and that his middle name is in her honour and how I really truly wished she could have seen her great grandson (her 4th). I told him that on May 7 I would always call her to wish her a happy birthday and she would wish me a happy birthday in return. That in the years close to her death, her memory was going and she didn’t remember to wish me a happy birthday, but I didn’t care as long as I could talk to her. She was the only grandma that I have ever known (and the only grandparent that I ever had, although I do vaguely remember my great grandparents – her parents, as they passed away in my childhood).  My grandma spoiled me and my sis by buying us ice cream with her last money, but she also was strict and when we misbehaved she could hit us with the cable from the phone (she had a stationary phone with a long cable so it could be moved around her apartment). When I would travel to Europe, I would always call her from different countries. She passed away a few years ago, and I still miss her like crazy.  I did started crying so DH had to take the little one. But, tomorrow is my birthday, so something to look forward to!