Mostekspecting: First vacation: Part 1

Oh, the dreaded plane flight. I know it's a right of passage for parents who live far away from family, but I was really nervous about the whole idea. Of course, the trip already looked exhausting on paper. Nick and I made these whirlwind trips home trekking across Iowa to South Dakota seeing friends and family along the way. It's wonderful to get to see so many, but also sad that we can't spend more time at each stop.

We decided our long-term plan is to try not to do the whirlwind trips with Owen so we can spend more time in one place, but we'll have to figure out an alternating schedule so we can see each family at some point during the year. Nevertheless, we made an exception since this was the first time the whole family would meet Owen.

Much of the preparation is exactly as you'd expect; holy crap there's a lot of stuff to remember. We packed the necessities, and then had to edit down to what was REALLY a necessity. Thank goodness it's summer and our clothes are smaller. I can't imagine what Christmas trip luggage would look like.

Owen actually did pretty well on the plane flights. He fussed for the first 10 minutes or so, but then settled and napped the rest of the flight. He seemed to do OK with takeoff and landing, and we had a bottle at the ready if he was awake.

Denver airport fun

Sleepin' like a baby

First stop: Tony & Sandra Hooper
We have an annual gathering of college friends which is usually a trip to watch the Chicago Cubs play ball. This year, it was decided to do a BBQ at home instead, which suited our needs much better. Tony and Sandra also have a new baby boy, Tyrion, so their house was well equipped with the baby stuff we needed.

We truly have the most amazing group of friends, and seeing them makes me miss them that much more. We had such a great time learning about the new stuff happening in everyone's lives and also sometimes falling back into those good ol' college days. Owen was a bit out-of-sorts as he was trying to adjust to everything, but he did come around to show everyone his good side.

Band nerds reunited!

Second stop: Uncle John & Aunt Kristyn & cousins
Back to Ames! A quick driving tour of Iowa State proved that I hardly recognize some areas of campus. Many new buildings and lots of improvements, and then there's the Physics building...just as we left it. I think Nick teared up a little. :)

We finally had a chance to meet new cousin Lila, and she is such a doll. The Mostek cousins are always such a fun bunch. Emma showed us her Ripstik (a version of skateboard) skills, and Leah rode a bike without training wheels. Anna opened up a bit more with both Nick and I and she went with me on a stroller walk around the neighborhood. Thanks to the girls for camping on the couch so Owen, Nick and I could steal their room for a couple nights!

Dude, what's the matter?

Best attempt at a posed photo....ever. This captures so much about these amazing girls.

Third stop: Grampa & Gramma Lamos
By this time, Owen was starting to get used to the crazy schedule, but was still having some trouble sleeping. Gramma and Grampa had a pretty sweet setup for us in the room upstairs with a mini fridge and a pumping nook so I wouldn't have to disturb anyone with my overnight pumping sessions. Awesome!

Nick got in a few rounds of golf with my dad, and Owen and I spent some time with cousin Rileigh. We picked up with her crochet projects again, and drew some animals from a book she had. Finally Uncle Mark and Aunt Aleshia came with Brody and Logan. We spent the afternoon and evening outside with the grill and then a bonfire. It's my favorite kind of day.

"Hey you! Get off my lawn." ---Owen and Cousin Logan

Chillin' in the backyard

Fourth stop: Great Gramma McKenney
We were up VERY early (4 a.m.) to make the trip to my Gramma's house for the 4th of July parade. Aside from Grampa's speeding ticket (less than 10 miles from our final destination), the trip went pretty smoothly. The whole day was packed full of events and fun, lots of family and food. I think this was Owen's best day. I was skeptical that he would be able to make it through without an epic meltdown, but he did just fine. We watched the parade together (with him in the Bjorn) and gathered candy. We took stroller rides throughout the festival and park across the street. So many new faces, and he took it all in stride. I think he made it through the day on short power naps alone, but he slept pretty great that night.

Parade fun!

Owen chillin' with Gramma Lamos and Great Aunt Bonnie

Owen and Great Gramma

Happy First Birthday, Logan!

Bucket hat buddies

Fifth stop: Gramma & Grampa Mostek
It was nice to have a couple low-key days to unwind after the 4th of July. Nick golfed with his dad, and Owen got to spend some time with new cousin Breckin (who was very kind to let us borrow his toys for the weekend). Cousins Kadance and Camden spent the afternoons in the pool, and I had a chance to catch up with Aunt Krista.

Owen definitely enjoyed all of his Gramma and Grampa time, and I think he was good and spoiled by the end of the week. On the day we were set to leave, Nick's Uncle Duane and Aunt Dot drove up from Omaha to see us before we headed back to San Francisco. It was great to see them, but we didn't get to visit as much as we would have liked. Why? Well, a plane crashed at SFO closing the airport.