Thanksgiving at the Farm in Archer, FL, is a tradition in Matt's family, and this year, my parents and brother were also invited. We were super excited to see everyone, to introduce Madeleine to a whole slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins, but first we had to get there.
THE DRIVE DOWN
We left Atlanta on Wednesday morning to make the normally-five-hour car trip to Gainesville. It would naturally be more, as we'd have to stop to feed Madeleine, let her out of the car seat, and let the dog out. Oh yes, Layla came too. We got started a little later than we'd hoped, but only by half an hour. I sat in the backseat with Madeleine, a decision we made after our rough trip in May.
Madeleine was a STAR. She was pleasant, played on her own a little, and hardly complained. When naptime came around, we were prepared. We'd brought her special blanket, plus a blanket to keep her warm, and a heavy blanket to cover the car seat so she wouldn't be distracted by sights and also to make it kinda dark for her.
She slept a full hour!
It was awesome. She had one little foot sticking out from under the blankets, and it would twitch occasionally. Haha, so cute! After that, we stopped for lunch for everyone, changed her diaper, and got back on the road.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
When we arrived in Gainesville, Madeleine was a little late for her nap, so we rushed to get her in bed. She did NOT like being left in a strange new place, and after a few minutes of protest, fell asleep.
That evening, she got to play with her cousin Marshall, Aunt Suzanne, Uncle Russ, and Grampa Solan. She was shy at first, but once we got her outside on a blanket, she started smiling and playing and enjoying herself.
Then it was bedtime. Either from the long day or the short naps or both, she fell asleep quickly. Then Matt and I spent the next few hours in a state of constant tension. The house was noisier than we are used to, and we were worried that Madeleine would wake up. She NEVER wakes up at home, and we really didn't know what we'd do if she did. Well, it wasn't an issue because she slept beautifully through all of the extra noise--if she even heard any of it!
THANKSGIVING DAY
The morning went by quickly, and before we knew it, we were headed to the Farm, with all of Madeleine's nap gear in tow. Her first nap was awesome, so I wasn't too worried about her second one. I thought she had a good chance at a decent nap.
We arrived at the same time as Matt's parents and Wes and Lola, and Madeleine got right to business: find someone who would walk with her! Papa Pete stepped up and Madeleine took off. Now, Madeleine is generally wary of new people, but the prerequisite for her attention today was walking with her. So Papa Pete then got to hold her for awhile.
My parents arrived soon, and they all joined in the fun of walking with Madeleine.
We even got some mixed grandparent walking!
The spread was AMAZING, all of the food delicious. The tables were dressed beautifully, and the light was perfect.
Mimi held Madeleine while she ate, which was a first. Madeleine had her favorites: the asparagus, the Brussels sprouts, and the carrots. She also liked Uncle Russ' fried turkey. Poppi offered her mashed potatoes, and she grabbed a little lump of it then tried to put it down, but it was stuck on her finger! She didn't know what to make of it!
After the meal, a game of flag football was started, then interrupted for the family picture.
Then it was time for Madeleine to go to bed. Her nap was only 30 minutes, and she was super tired by the end of the day. So Mimi rode back with Madeleine and me and helped me get everything ready for baby's bedtime. We were soon joined by Matt, his brothers and their kids, and Poppi and Alan. We all hung out and talked until the Tampa crew left. It was a wonderful day!
THE REST OF THE TRIP
The next morning, we got to spend time with Madeleine's uncles and cousins. It is so awesome seeing her interact with Marshall and Lola, and watching them be so sweet to her. Family is awesome! Wes and Lola left to return to Tampa with Papa Pete and SuSu, and Madeleine went down for her nap.
For lunch, we went with Russ and Marshall to Pizza Vito, which was DELICIOUS! Then Matt and I took Madeleine to a bookstore nearby (avoiding the mall!) and bought a couple of used books. Then it was back to the house for nap #2.
After Madeleine woke and was fed, we headed over to Dave and Angela's, to spend a few hours and meet the new little baby, Vincent--or Vinny. Baer was so big! He was talking a lot more than he had when we saw him in May, and the little one was all big smiles. We had a great time visiting, though it went by way too quickly. We ended up leaving kind of late (for Madeleine's bedtime, anyway), and she was SUPER over it by the time we got home.
The late bedtime set the tone for the rest of the trip. She woke early Saturday morning, barely slept in the car, took a horrible nap when we finally got home, and was a basket case in the evening. We put her to bed pretty early, and she slept all night, waking happy the next morning.
THOUGHTS
Because Matt and I are generally quiet people, and our house is generally quiet, we both had a hard time relaxing whenever Madeleine was asleep at the house. People talked and continued their lives as though there wasn't a baby sleeping in the other room (imagine that!). We still continued like we were home, not using the ice dispenser in the fridge, not making too much noise. But other people did, making noises that we were certain would startle Madeleine out of her sleep or somehow disrupt her.
Nothing happened. She slept peacefully right through every noise (granted, we used Marshall's sound machine, but still!). It was a learning experience for us. When at home, maybe we don't have to quarantine ourselves on the opposite end of the house while she's sleeping. Maybe we can get a load of clothes out of the bedroom, talk in normal voices in the living room, do some dishes. It's just that, in such a quiet place, any noise seems that much louder. I know we learned that we don't have to be so quiet at home, which was very good for us. Whether we'll really be able to embrace this knowledge remains to be seen! There are some things that just won't change: we will still be generally quiet. We'll still hang out in the rumpus room, where we both work. But we'll definitely breathe easier knowing that little noises won't disturb her.
And if they do, it's not the end of the world!
We are thankful for our safe trip to Gainesville and the time we got to spend with our family. It was a memorable, delightful trip, and we are looking forward to Christmas!
