Road trippin' with Miss Molls

We did it! 6 hours in the car and 2 nights in a hotel with Molly and she was about as good through all of it as I ever could have expected. The drive down was pretty easy. I stopped halfway to feed and change her and walk around for a bit, but other than that, she slept through. Same story on the way back. She was a bit fussy over dinner at my Uncle Neal and Aunt Terry's, but luckily they have a 1-year-old granddaughter and are used to a few cries!

The highlight of the trip was definitely hanging out with Natalie and baby Cole. Cole was born just a few weeks before Molly, so they are about the same size and up to the same tricks. Here are a few photos and a video of Molly and Cole in action!

Nat and Cole

Cole and Molly in action

What's so interesting?

They had a moment

And now for the good stuff:

The most difficult part of the trip was probably packing up and dealing with all of the stuff. The trunk was filled to the brim with Molly's Pack N' Play, full-size stroller, diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, and then of course, a small bag of clothes for me. I wouldn't have brought as much if we were flying, but since we were driving, why not? Molly slept 7 hours straight the first night and 6 hours the second in the comfort of her own Pack N' Play, so I think it was worth it!

Next up -- Christmas in Virginia. The drive will be twice as long, but Molly will also be a few months older. Hopefully it goes as well!

Mother daughter mornings

My parents usually come over around lunchtime to hang with their granddaughter and give me a chance to shower and return a few emails. But before lunch, it's just me and my girl! Molly tends to be at her cutest in the AM -- all smiley and pleasant (unless I put her down for the dreaded tummy time). Sometimes she hangs out with me in the Baby Bjorn while I bop around the kitchen narrating my every move. And sometimes we just hang out on the couch and read Peter Rabbit and Dr. Seuss books. And then she falls asleep...

A very happy me

Such a cute little Molly

Showing off a new outfit

Molly is officially 6 weeks old tomorrow -- I can't believe I'm halfway through my maternity leave!! The good news is, I still have 6 more weeks at home with this adorable little girl. She's smiling more now, moving those little arms and legs all over the place, and making a ton of interesting noises. We've also had a few really good nights where she's slept for about 6 hours in a row. Let's hope she keeps this up! Peaceful nights mean even better mornings :)

OMG! They killed Kenny!

He wasn't necessarily my favorite to win, but I strongly disagree with the Top Chef judges sending Kenny home this week. Jason is pretty pissed about it too. Why oh why didn't they give Amanda or Alex the boot???

I think it definitely says something that the entire cast of Top Chef hates Alex. He didn't even cook a dish this week!! And Amanda has delivered mistake after mistake.

Kenny was consistently #1 or #2 for the first half of the season. He's had some missteps of late, but I would have liked to see what he would have brought to the table in the final challenges. Amanda and Alex? I just don't care. 

I'm not passionate about any of the chef-testants this season. I think I'd like to see either Tiffany or Kevin win. But no one is as exciting or interesting as the Voltaggio brothers or Richard Blais from past seasons. Oh well.

As for my other reality shows...So You Think You Can Dance has had some of my favorite contestants ever this season! And, I get to watch Twitch (my fave of all time) almost every week :) I know who won tonight but won't blog about it yet because I'm planning to watch the finale with my mother tomorrow. 

I still need to watch a few more episodes of P Runway before I can form an opinion about the season, but I know one thing for sure, it is so nice to have Michael Kors and Nina back every week to judge!!

A few of my favorite things

Babies seem to need a lot of stuff, and, as an anxious new parent, you want to make sure you have all the "right" stuff. I mean, what if you register for the wrong activity mat? What could that mean for the baby? I'm just kidding, but thoughts like that did run through my head while I was pregnant. Luckily, I had a few good friends with small children to provide advice, and we received a ton of awesome gifts. I'll post again when Molly is older and we're using more of the toys and gear, but here are a few of my favorite things through 5 weeks: 

• Fisher Price Bouncy Seat: Everyone said we had to get one of these and I'm so happy we did...Molly loves sitting (and napping) in this thing! The vibrating seat is key and really seems to lull her to sleep when she's fighting it
• Boppy Newborn Lounger: Not to be confused with the Boppy Feeding and Support Pillow (which is also wonderful), the Newborn Lounger is a comfy little cushion for Molly that I can put on the kitchen counter or coffee table when I need to unload the dishwasher or return a quick email. She's even napped in this on the middle of our bed while her mama takes a quick snooze...
• Baby Gap Onesies: Molly hates to be changed and cries when we have to pull something over her head or stick her little arms through sleeves. The Gap onesies must have extra stretch or a slightly bigger neck hole because they are so much easier to put on than her other onesies. And, they're super cute too!
• Electric Bottle Warmer: This was a hand-me-down from my coworker Sandra and I wasn't sure I would really use it. But when Molly gets hungry, she needs to eat ASAP, and the bottle warmer heats up refrigerated milk in just a couple of minutes. Trust me, every minute counts when you have a crying baby on your hands!
• Disposable Changing Table Covers: We don't use these all the time, but when Molly pees on her washable changing table pad in the middle of the night, I can stick one of these on for a quick fix until I have time to do a load of laundry 
• Aden and Anais Swaddle Wraps: The perfect size, the perfect weight for summer, and nice and breathable too. We're fans
• Trumpette Socks: I do love to accessorize and these socks help me turn a plain onesie into an adorable outfit (see photo below for evidence). We have these socks in every color!

• Rockabye Baby Music: Lullaby renditions of Cure, Radiohead, Beatles, Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, and Ramones songs -- must haves for any music fan
• Medela Nursing Stool: Such a simple little thing, but it makes a huge difference. Propping my feet up while nursing or reading to Molly really eases the tension in my back

Of course, my top 2 favorite things are Molly and Jason. Here are a few pics of my sweet hubby and adorable daughter:

Ahhhh, sushi!

I didn't have to give up too many things during pregnancy, but unfortunately, the things I had to give up were all near and dear to my heart -- wine, sushi, and lunch meat being the top 3. This evening, I was reunited with one of my lost loves, the spicy tuna roll, and it was every bit as good as I remembered.

Clean plate club

Molly slept peacefully through the entire meal...and an episode of Jersey Shore...and half of Boyz 'N the Hood

Tomorrow night, I will be reunited with another lost love -- the Margarita!! Lindsay, the B, the Sus, and I are all going out for an early dinner and drinks. I'm a little nervous to be away from my Molly for the first time, but am also dying to be social again! We'll see how it goes...

The hot new summer accessory -- a wearable baby

I tried out my Moby Wrap today and Molly seemed to really like it, meaning she fell asleep almost as soon as I tied the final knot. Speaking of which, I'm still not sure how secure this thing is. I might not use it for long walks around the neighborhood, but it was fine for putzing around the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. Slowly but surely I'm getting better at taking care of Molly and taking care of myself too!