The Little Blessings

This past weekend we went down to OKC for two bedlam baseball games. We got to go down with our friends Jordan and Kellie on Saturday, and then we saw our friends Dave, Pam, and Tulle on Sunday. The weekend was our first "just-for-fun" trip with a baby in tow. It was different, not always the most convenient, and not as flexible as it once was when it was just Josh and me. But it was the little things that made the trip special and enjoyable. Having Case along was worth it - I can't imagine life now without him.
1. Casen has gone to 3 other baseball games here in Stillwater and never gets fussy at them. Saturday night's game though was really slow at the beginning so by the 6th inning and with traveling that day, he was getting pretty antsy. So Josh and I decided to head back to the hotel early with Case. Because we called the shuttle to pick us up before the game was over (and all the other hotel guests were out), we got to ride in the VIP Hummer shuttle instead of the minivan. I think Josh was in heaven riding in a fully-loaded hummer.
2. We worried about Case sleeping most of the night. We have moved him to his crib, and it's been wild and unpredictable throughout the night. We warned Jordan and Kellie that the night might not be the most sleep-filled. We didn't think though that Case loves to sleep in his carrier (I think because it is enclosed). He slept until 4:30, ate, and then went right back to sleep until 6:30 or so. Nice. And so appreciated by everybody in the room!
3. Josh and I had the wrong start time for church at Wilshire so we got there 45 minutes early. Also, they have worship first and then class. We had thought about skipping class (I know we're heathens : ) but decided to stay since worship was first (in Josh's words, "Their plan worked!"). It was a blessing to stay. Class was really interesting, and Casen played on the floor in front of Josh and me. That's when Casen start rolling to his side. He was warming up to his first rolling over (to happen the next night!).
4. All 5 of us got to eat lunch with the Jurneys. Lunch was a bit wild with a 2-yr-old and a almost-4-month-old. Pam said it was nice we got to have disconnected conversation. It was nice to be reminded that we have friends who are there in the same place with you and that understand that it's perfectly normal to scarf down your food before the baby wakes up and wants to eat. I told Pam, "I guess it might be like this for the next 18 years." Later I realized that 18 years might be a long time to have our kids acting like babies at the table! haha
5. Then the Strawns and us headed over to the OC student union to relax until it was time to go back to Bricktown for the baseball game. Casen must've been enjoying his time playing on the floor because he did NOT want to get back into his carseat. He cried all the way there (20 minutes) setting a record - he never had lasted that long. Poor baby - he was just tired of not being home and off schedule and being hot. It was too hot for him to be in the stands in the sun (and too hot for me too! : ) so I pushed Casen around in his stroller in the walkway part (where the concessions are located). He slept, ate, and watched all the people. I think we both were having a better time in the cool, breezy walkway. But towards the end of the game, I had been spat up on multiple times and even pooped on (that was fun trying to clean up in the stadium bathroom). Then we ran into our friends Rusty and Chandra and Lillian. They were some friends we made in birthing class, and they had their baby Lillian in the next room to us in the hospital 3 days after Case was born. I will never forget Case interacting with Lillian. I had never seen him even notice another baby (I would think he would being in daycare with them all day). He looked at Lillian, and smiled at her, and started babbling to her. It was so sweet, the little flirt! That had made the rough times of the afternoon worth it.
6. Going home was an adventure. Kellie (especially, thankfully) and I distracted Case in the backseat. Anytime he got going (his heavy breathing starts and his squeals start turning into mad yells), songs would be sung, sweet words said to him, or pictures shown to him. The trip home was a lot nicer than our trip from OC to Bricktown. I realized when we got home how blessed we are to have friends like Jordan and Kellie. They were so flexible and enjoyed our child - even though they aren't used to having a baby around.

So overall, the weekend was fun and full of priceless little blessings.