Our First Family Vacation

So, my family is from New Hampshire and I usually get home at least twice every year, once at Christmastime and once for a week-long stay in the summer. I knew we wouldn't make Christmas in 2013 since Laurel was due just before the holiday, so it was really important to me that we made our summer trip with her. I was super nervous about making the trip for several reasons; a) it would be over six hours in the car, her longest car trip to date, b) how would she adapt to new surroundings sleep-wise, and how would she re-adjust once we returned to our house, and c) how would she do with the large influx of family members wanting to play with and hold her, most of whom she had met months ago and a few she had never met at all!

The view of our private dock

But besides those worries, I was even more excited to share the place and people I grew up with, with my daughter. Now usually I spend a week at the beach, but I didn't think the beach was a super appropriate destination with a seven month old for a week straight. I just imagined wrestling with sunscreen, constantly replacing hats, being paranoid about her burning, eating sand, diaper changes on the beach, not really getting to spend time with family because we'd have to be in the house for naps, etc.. So, we opted for a cabin at a lake instead. I was so pleased with our choice! We stayed in a great, privately owned cottage on a lake that my mom and I had lived on at one point. My mom, and Aunt and Uncle live right in the same town where the lake is, and all the rest of my family is about half an hour away, so it was super convenient for us to go visit people and for them to come see us.

Laurel with her Mema (my mom)

I'm happy to say that Laurel got to see just about everyone in our family, including my uncles, some cousins, and my memere, who had never met her before. By the end of the week Laurel was very comfortable with the amount of people around all the time, and it made me feel more confident about how she'll adapt being with new people at daycare. She didn't sleep well, and most nights we took her into our bed so we could all get some sleep. While sleeping was a challenge, she was a champ in the car, we went about four hours straight before we stopped!

Trying to get her to crawl

We had a beautiful week with family, enjoying the lake and pool, celebrating my memere's 87th birthday, taking some professional photos with my mom, and at the end of the week Laurel was beginning to crawl. Actually, on the last night, with all her grandparents gathered around she crawled for the first time! And when we got home on the following day she was a crawling machine!! More on her crawling adventures to come! I'm so glad we took this trip, it was so special to take my little girl to my hometown and surround her with my crazy side of the family, I really hope we make it an annual vacation!

Hanging out on the dock

A family shot from our photo shoot