Thanksgiving Road Trip (Including 40th Week Birthday)

On Saturday, November 20, 2010, we left for our whirlwind road trip to visit family and friends in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. While I was picking up Grandma Tinkey up from the Charlotte airport, Daddy got you ready, Katy and we met up at Starbucks to start our adventure off right!

You were very good in the car on the way up to Pittsburgh, PA. We stopped only once (a major feat considering we had a nine-month old in the car!) for a Cracker Barrel lunch and to fill up on gas. I was able to navigate the West Virginia mountains and the car ride was smooth and merry thanks to the free XM Radio sampling of holiday music. We were forty-five minutes away from Auntie Hope and Uncle Eric's house when you decided that you had had ENOUGH of the car and no amount of yogurt melts, bottle, toys or Grandma could console you- YOU WANTED OUT of the car seat- YOU HAD HAD ENOUGH! So, we spent the last little part of the car ride trying to navigate Pittsburgh with a screaming child, unfamiliar roads and nighttime darkness. Fun times.

We spent Sunday at Auntie Hope and Uncle Eric's just relaxing and getting to know your newest cousin, Molly. Molly is a cutie- all cheeks and chub- you just want to pinch her (which I did, of course!). We kept joking that Molly was "Katynip" because you loved, loved, LOVED Molly! Anywhere Molly was, that's where you want to be, Katy! You couldn't get enough of Molly and the feelings were mutual as Molly kept following your lightning-fast crawling tush all around the house!

Monday dawned and we hit the road for Grove City, PA, to meet Great-Grandma Tinkey with Auntie Hope and Molly in tow. So, we had two babies under the age of one-year and three adults and all of the gear that goes with them in one car.... and a partridge in a pear tree... You pretty much screamed the whole way to Grove City. Molly, on the other hand, was an angel and slept through most of your howling, Katy. We met Great-Grandma Tinkey at Hoss for a Birthday lunch for Auntie Hope. Great Grandma Tinkey was so happy to finally get a chance to meet you, Katy!

After spending the night at Great-Grandma Tinkey's house, we hit the road for Hazleton, PA, to visit with Great-Grandma Petruzzi. You were PERFECT for the three and a half hour car ride- napping for half of the trip and playing with Grandma in the backseat. Great-Grandma "Granny" Petruzzi was very happy to see you and called you her Birthday present since we arrived at her house on her birthday, November 23. My cousins Beth-Ann Petruzzi, Poge Petruzzi and Amy Hindson, her new baby Carly came by to visit, bearing the one and only Senape's Pizza. Never a dull, quiet moment at Grandma's house, that's for sure!

The next morning, just you and I hit the road for Tabernacle, NJ, Katy. I was really nervous about this car ride since I'd be by myself with you the car for an extended amount of time on unfamiliar roads. However, you slept for part of the way and only started to cry when we were twenty minutes away from Nana and Grandpa Jones' house. Other than a wrong turn that somehow led us directly through downtown Philly (EEK!!), the car ride went pretty well. Though, you and I were BOTH glad to get out of the car once we arrived at our final destination!

Once we got to Nana and Grandpa's house, we let you play, play, play. It was a new house to explore and lots of adults to dote on you, Katy. Nana and Grandpa were prepared for you visit, Katy, with electrical covers on the outlets, Katy-snacks and toys. We had a good visit with the Jones side of the family relaxing, catching up and of course celebrating your first Thanksgiving, Katy (separate post).

The car ride home (separate post) went smoothly after the first hour and a half of non-stop crying. We arrived home in North Carolina after a nine and a half hour car ride through the middle of the night. Needless to say, Daddy and I were both a little tired this morning! It was great to visit with all of our friends and family.

You came down with your first official cough, this past week, Katy. I'm sure that you were kind enough to "share" your germs with those that came across our path (I'm sorry!). You've been congested causing you to wake up at night.

Speaking of nighttime, napping was sporadic throughout the first part of the trip but you did manage to take some solid, long naps at your Grandparents Jones' house. You also slept twelve to thirteen hours several nights, last week- personal record!

Your balance is getting so much better, Katy! We caught you standing all by yourself (!!) while you were distracted by Nana Jones bouncing a ball in front of you. We counted over five seconds of you standing all by yourself! Before we know it, you'll be WALKING!

Speaking of walking, you were cruising all over the place, this week! You would walk along sofas, chairs, tables- whatever you could get your hands! Because we were in a new place practically every day, there was so much for you to explore (and get into)!!!!!

You showed your excitement for things by clapping, this week. You no longer seem to arbitrarily clap. Now you clap when you are excited and happy or if you want to do something over again. You love waving and once again, it seems that you are waving at specific people, pictures of people or things that make you happy.

A big accomplishment of the week is the fact that you FINALLY figured out how to sip from a sippy cup. We were starting to get quite the collection of sippy cups that you either don't like or cannot seem to figure out how to sip from. However, we took the doctor's advice and bought you a sippy cup with a straw and you can manage to sip from it (not all of it goes in the mouth, mind you, but we're taking baby steps, here).

For a full album of pictures from our trip, please see the attached link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=579436&id=771535393&l=218b36ad2a