Wordless Wednesday, from Chicago

Sunday and football

Sunday we went to church, then to watch the game at the Maples - with the McKays.

Friends are such a blessing.

Wordless Wednesday

*** breaking the rules: I'm so glad to see this smile. She has a wicked cold, an ear infection, and two teeth struggling to break through.

The Ducks go to visit the Smiths!

So this past week, we went and visited our dear friends, Jason & Patty, in West Virginia. It was an eventful trip, and we're all still recovering.

Our adventure included:

- a missed 6:30am flight (that we'd had two hours of sleep, and gotten up at 3:30am to catch)
- teething, with fever
- multiple flight delays (there and back)
- the flight attendant gave Charlotte wings, then she (Charlotte) dumped my OJ all over the seats.
- sleeping in a pack & play, after having never done so before
- riding the DC metro
- torrential downpours, with no shelter
- teething, with fever
- Harper's Ferry, in the rain
- the horseraces (Charlotte got the winning jockey's sweaty, muddy goggles)
- Washington Memorial, in the rain
- Lincoln Memorial, in the rain
- Vietnam Memorial, in the rain
- the Mall, in the rain
- Arlington National Cemetery, not in the rain - but soaked FROM the rain
- teething, with fever (did I mention that?)

Also, up to this point - except for a LLL meeting, I'd never nursed openly in public before. I can now say that I've nursed:
- in two airports,
- on two planes
- on the DC subway
- inside the Smithsonian
- on the Lincoln Memorial

Being a mom is HARD! LOL.

Charlotte has had her diaper changed:
- on the Lincoln Memorial
- on the floor of Metro Central
- in the Smithsonian family bathroom, while sharing it with a whole other family.
- in two airplane bathrooms (cramped much?).

Yes, I realize that nursing/changing your baby on the Lincoln Memorial is probably not the most ideal of situations - but we are talking TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. I had no options.

Our adventure was a blast, though. Lots of people have done DC, but I bet not many have done DC while pushing two babies in strollers, in the pouring rain. We had umbrellas, but we used those to help shelter the babies. We eventually found a place to purchase ponchos, but by then - they only served to help us mildew... we were already about as wet as you could get.

Charlotte was sooooooo good the whole week, despite not feeling well. I wish that freaking tooth would come through!

Charlotte & Eliana, then


Charlotte & Eliana, now


Baltimore/lunch at the harbor:





The horseraces:


Harper's Ferry:



Shopping with Eliana:



DC - before the rain:

Vietnam Memorial - in the rain (do you see how hard it's coming down??? We dealt with that for hours.)


My uncle Tommy's name on the wall






Lincoln Memorial - aka "Camp Baby"


The view of the Washington Monument, from Lincoln Memorial. I would like to point out that we started walking IN THE RAIN on the other side of the Washington Monument, with no shelter until Abe's house. That's a long way to walk in a down pour!


Arlington National Cemetery


Changing of the Guard, at the Tomb of the Unknown (very, very cool)

JFK's grave

Inside the Smithsonian, taking a break from the rain


Metro Subway



Oh look! Now that our day is almost over - it stopped raining. Figures.