Tomorrow Kayla and I leave behind the helpful haven that is Grandma and Grandpa's house to return home to NJ. While we are super excited to get home to Daddy, we are not super excited about the 7+ hour drive. Mercifully, very sweet Aunt Kristen has agreed to do the drive with us, so mommy does at least have some back-up in case things go terribly awry, but alas, the driving is still 100% mommy's responsibility as Uncle John is a slacker who never taught Aunt Kristen to drive stick like he promised he would. Lame.
Anywho...so yes, a very brave Aunt Kristen will be accompanying us on our mega long drive home tomorrow. Usually Kayla is really good in the car, dozing happily to the sound and vibration of the engine. I'm hoping that's the case tomorrow, even though her sleeping most of the drive will likely mean her being awake all night Thursday night. I suppose her not sleeping vs her screaming the whole way home is, indeed, the lesser of two evils, but still...with a long drive and an as much as guaranteed night of no sleep looming ahead of me, it's hard not to feel exhausted already. I'm hoping that I'll be able to pass Kayla off to Kristen and Grandma for most of the night tonight, letting me at least get somewhat rested for the trip. Once again, it is hard to fathom how much easier (and of course drearier, less meaningful, and less love-filled) life was pre-Kayla (2009 B.K.)...packing up our stuff this evening, I couldn't help but be shocked again by how much baggage this kid requires. I also am routinely astonished by how much longer it takes to get ready to go anywhere with her. Between trying to gather her things, make sure she's fed, changed, changed again...there is no more running out of the house for a bit. It is a production to get her ready to go anywhere for more than a few minutes and so, I am just learning that you better start preparing to leave much sooner than you would have previously. But not TOO soon, mind you, less you start the process (feed, change...) too early and find yourself merely having to repeat it all over again by the time you actually need to leave. Parenthood is certainly nothing if not a learning curve.
Needless to say, it is bitter sweet to be leaving Williamsburg. The last three weeks have been WONDERFUL. I couldn't have asked for anything better in terms of support and encouragement. Kayla is such a lucky girl to have so many wonderful people ready and available to love her unconditionally and so, really, am I. This week my mom, dad, John, Erik, Kristen, Grandma, Grandpa, and Jessica have all been such huge sources of support and help. The old saying about it "takes a village" certainly holds true. There is nothing to bolster your strength like a trip home with the family. Most of all, I owe so much to my mom this week. Never have I thought she was less than an amazing mother (except maybe for a brief period when I was about 12/13, but hey, she was SOOO much less cool then...), but this week I realized just how incredible she is. Being a new mom, I am realizing what it truly took for her to raise four kids and to raise them this well. I am also realizing that she will be just as incredible a grandmother - the way she holds Kayla, the way she looks at her, the way I know that she is going to miss us terribly when we go...all those things tug at my heart and make me wish that we could leave just a few miles away rather than 7+ hours.
Thank you, Family, for an amazing week. Kayla and I will miss you more than we can say (at least without bursting into goodbye tears).
More pictures to follow...
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