Ben and Mama's Seattle adventures
Yesterday's adventures began right after Ben and I finished lunch at around noon. Instead of going down for his nap, I put him in the car. We ran a few errands and then I hit the freeway at about 12:40 or so to go to see sugabeats and her new baby Simon, as well as meeting her sister kikifitz and her son Jack for the first time.
The timing was perfect. I figured there'd be traffic, so it would take us 45 minutes to get there and Ben would get his nap along the way. Well, Ben fell asleep as planned, but where were the other cars? We made it to North Seattle in 20 freaking minutes. That was not going to work out at all, so I kept driving. I took 405 south, looped back around the eastside and then took the 520 floating bridge back across. I was about 10 minutes late, Ben got an hour nap, and it was the perfect solution. (Please ignore my husband's comment of "That's an expensive nap.")
Baby Simon was so cute, and I got to hold him and I felt my uterus aching, which wasn't really a surprise but my goodness I swear Ben was never that little! (Which is ridiculous, actually, he was littler, but I digress.) Ben was decent while I held him, but later told Papa that he felt jealous when Mama held Baby Simon. But he was nice to Baby Simon anyway.
We got Jack's carseat situated, stopped for gas and coffee and were on our way. (I got Ben some banana bread, since he hadn't eaten since 11:30 at it was nearly 3. This becomes important later in the story.)
The aquarium was beautiful and not TOO big. We spent an insanely long time in the first room, where the jellyfish were. (Ben's favorite) Jack had a much longer attention span than Ben, that's for sure. I had to keep wrangling Ben back into the room where everyone else was so we didn't get separated. We looked around more and Ben found a tank with two Nemofish and one Doreyfish and he was so very happy. That was his other favorite. The rest was birds and seals and otters. By the time we made it to the gift shop, he was tired and hungry and his listening skills were AWOL. It was 4:45, and we usually eat between 5 and 5:30. I assumed we would all be eating together but Amy was tired, and since her baby is the youngest, her needs trump everyone elses. I understood. I've been the one with the littlest baby many many times. The aquarium was only their second outing EVER since Simon was born 10 days ago. It was her first NIP experience and she was drained.
So since I drove, I had to take Kiki and Jack all the way back up to North Seattle (Ballard/Greenwood area) from downtown. At 5 p.m. on a Wednesday. I took the freeway and Amy and Eric took 99 and they beat us by just a few minutes. I just went the way I knew ... I didn't want to get lost. But I think the downtown hills freaked Kiki out. If you've ever been to downtown Seattle, you know that some of the streets are on hills that are so steep that it is literaly impossible to go up them (stopping every block for red lights) without either backsliding your car or driving with two feet, which makes for lurching stops. I did it both ways just to show her, but I think she was secretly clinging on for dear life. (It's not my driving I swear!!!!)
We got back to Amy's place at maybe 6 ish, and then they had to get Jack's carseat out of the car. Kiki spent awhile looking for Jack's missing mitten, but gave up. (Incedently, I found not only one of Jack's mittens but BOTH of Kiki's mittens later on.) So they left and it's now about 6:15. Ben is hungry but hanging in there, thanks to sharing Jack's crackers with him. Horray for mamas who plan ahead. (Not me, but if you've ever spent any time with us, you probably already knew that.)
I had seen a McDonalds between Amy's place and the freeway so I promised Ben fridays. Well, by the time we got there it was almost 6:30 and we were both starving. I get Ben out of the car, and we pull on the locked door. WHAT? I knock, because I can see someone in there. The guy says there was a fire and that nothing will be open for blocks and blocks because there's no power.
We get back in the car, and I can't believe how well Ben is taking all this. We drive down a street, I have no idea what one or where we're headed. But we're in Seattle and I figure there's got to be food somewhere, right? We drive for 25 freaking blocks and there's no food in sight. And we're not talking residential Seattle either. There's Les Schwab, there's Blockbuster, there's a million snooty Thai restaurants, but no fast food. I finally called my dad, crying.
"We're lost in Seattle again!" But just then I see Ivars so I get off the phone and we go in and spend $7.50 on a four piece fish and chips. Ben ate two whole pieces of fish. We were both famished. I called my dad back and he tells me that I need to get back on the road I was on and go 25 blocks back north again (even though our final destination is south) just so that we can get on I-5 southbound. I'm too tired to argue, so I did it, found the freeway and started to go home. The time is now 7:15 p.m., and much to my horror, Ben has lost concsiousness. I'm driving, there's nothing I can do.
So he sleeps for about 40 minutes on the way home and I try to transfer him (hasn't worked since he was like 11 months old) and actually get him out of the carseat and into my arms without waking him up. But sure enough, the moment the rain touches his skin, he's awake.
Nothing like a late nap to ensure your baby is up until 11:45 p.m. being a monkey.
Le sigh. So I missed out on the SPJs yesterday because of this :-(
and today has been pretty messed up because we slept in until 9:30 instead of getting up at 8. Nap was about 1:30 until probably now, or at least very soon. If he's not up by 3, I'll go get him. I'd hate for him to be up all night all over again ...
(When I finished telling Stephen the story of our day, he says, "How come these things always happen to you?" The answer: I have no idea.)
The timing was perfect. I figured there'd be traffic, so it would take us 45 minutes to get there and Ben would get his nap along the way. Well, Ben fell asleep as planned, but where were the other cars? We made it to North Seattle in 20 freaking minutes. That was not going to work out at all, so I kept driving. I took 405 south, looped back around the eastside and then took the 520 floating bridge back across. I was about 10 minutes late, Ben got an hour nap, and it was the perfect solution. (Please ignore my husband's comment of "That's an expensive nap.")
Baby Simon was so cute, and I got to hold him and I felt my uterus aching, which wasn't really a surprise but my goodness I swear Ben was never that little! (Which is ridiculous, actually, he was littler, but I digress.) Ben was decent while I held him, but later told Papa that he felt jealous when Mama held Baby Simon. But he was nice to Baby Simon anyway.
We got Jack's carseat situated, stopped for gas and coffee and were on our way. (I got Ben some banana bread, since he hadn't eaten since 11:30 at it was nearly 3. This becomes important later in the story.)
The aquarium was beautiful and not TOO big. We spent an insanely long time in the first room, where the jellyfish were. (Ben's favorite) Jack had a much longer attention span than Ben, that's for sure. I had to keep wrangling Ben back into the room where everyone else was so we didn't get separated. We looked around more and Ben found a tank with two Nemofish and one Doreyfish and he was so very happy. That was his other favorite. The rest was birds and seals and otters. By the time we made it to the gift shop, he was tired and hungry and his listening skills were AWOL. It was 4:45, and we usually eat between 5 and 5:30. I assumed we would all be eating together but Amy was tired, and since her baby is the youngest, her needs trump everyone elses. I understood. I've been the one with the littlest baby many many times. The aquarium was only their second outing EVER since Simon was born 10 days ago. It was her first NIP experience and she was drained.
So since I drove, I had to take Kiki and Jack all the way back up to North Seattle (Ballard/Greenwood area) from downtown. At 5 p.m. on a Wednesday. I took the freeway and Amy and Eric took 99 and they beat us by just a few minutes. I just went the way I knew ... I didn't want to get lost. But I think the downtown hills freaked Kiki out. If you've ever been to downtown Seattle, you know that some of the streets are on hills that are so steep that it is literaly impossible to go up them (stopping every block for red lights) without either backsliding your car or driving with two feet, which makes for lurching stops. I did it both ways just to show her, but I think she was secretly clinging on for dear life. (It's not my driving I swear!!!!)
We got back to Amy's place at maybe 6 ish, and then they had to get Jack's carseat out of the car. Kiki spent awhile looking for Jack's missing mitten, but gave up. (Incedently, I found not only one of Jack's mittens but BOTH of Kiki's mittens later on.) So they left and it's now about 6:15. Ben is hungry but hanging in there, thanks to sharing Jack's crackers with him. Horray for mamas who plan ahead. (Not me, but if you've ever spent any time with us, you probably already knew that.)
I had seen a McDonalds between Amy's place and the freeway so I promised Ben fridays. Well, by the time we got there it was almost 6:30 and we were both starving. I get Ben out of the car, and we pull on the locked door. WHAT? I knock, because I can see someone in there. The guy says there was a fire and that nothing will be open for blocks and blocks because there's no power.
We get back in the car, and I can't believe how well Ben is taking all this. We drive down a street, I have no idea what one or where we're headed. But we're in Seattle and I figure there's got to be food somewhere, right? We drive for 25 freaking blocks and there's no food in sight. And we're not talking residential Seattle either. There's Les Schwab, there's Blockbuster, there's a million snooty Thai restaurants, but no fast food. I finally called my dad, crying.
"We're lost in Seattle again!" But just then I see Ivars so I get off the phone and we go in and spend $7.50 on a four piece fish and chips. Ben ate two whole pieces of fish. We were both famished. I called my dad back and he tells me that I need to get back on the road I was on and go 25 blocks back north again (even though our final destination is south) just so that we can get on I-5 southbound. I'm too tired to argue, so I did it, found the freeway and started to go home. The time is now 7:15 p.m., and much to my horror, Ben has lost concsiousness. I'm driving, there's nothing I can do.
So he sleeps for about 40 minutes on the way home and I try to transfer him (hasn't worked since he was like 11 months old) and actually get him out of the carseat and into my arms without waking him up. But sure enough, the moment the rain touches his skin, he's awake.
Nothing like a late nap to ensure your baby is up until 11:45 p.m. being a monkey.
Le sigh. So I missed out on the SPJs yesterday because of this :-(
and today has been pretty messed up because we slept in until 9:30 instead of getting up at 8. Nap was about 1:30 until probably now, or at least very soon. If he's not up by 3, I'll go get him. I'd hate for him to be up all night all over again ...
(When I finished telling Stephen the story of our day, he says, "How come these things always happen to you?" The answer: I have no idea.)