A few pictures from the view out our window after the snowpocalypse a few weeks ago. They’re my favorite pictures of the view out our window so far!







A little ditty about my adventures getting to Washington, because I have got to stop flying so often (overall, it’s just miserable):
I chose to fly out in the afternoon (3:08), which was a really good choice, but I wish I had done a mid-morning flight because by the time we landed, 6 hours later, he was exhausted, and we still had 2 1/2 hours of driving ahead of us before we made it to my parent’s house.
People were so incredibly helpful this trip, and a special thank you to the lady from New Zealand who helped me carry my bags on the first flight, and the wrestling coach who helped me entertain him all through the last one.
On the drive from Spokane to Royal he screamed for almost an hour. He was absolutely exhausted and could not understand why we wouldn’t release him from his chair and let him crawl around. This is why road trip sound completely unappealing right now.
After we made it home at 9:30 PST (so 11:30 Chicago time), T1 stayed up for 4 1/2 more hours. I tried to get him to go down multiple times, but he was having none of it. Finally at about 11:30 we watched an episode of Parenthood and then I put him down in his crib. Then he threw up two bottles worth of formula (I remember thinking that he had been eating an insane amount). I hauled him to the sink to strip him down and wash him off, and when I took off his diaper I realized he was in the middle of pooping. So I called out for help and my mom wiped his bum while I held him. She washed him while I ran around cleaning up his crib, gathering up yet another pair pajamas, and throwing out the dirty diaper. I dressed him, put him down in the bed with me, and tried to sing him lullabies until he fell asleep. I thought he was sleeping, but when I heard a clapping noise (sleep clapping?) and I laughed, which woke him up and made him cry. I put him down in his crib with a bottle and he fell asleep, at the equivalent of 3 am Chicago time.
That was my day on Wednesday.
Actually after I wrote all of this out I realized that it’s both exhausting, miserable, and funny. Maybe I can get on that plane for Dallas with him next weekend after all.















February 25th, 2011 on 8:51 am
I love the snow pictures, especially the last one with the plane.
Your journey sounds exhausting. In a way it’s nice to know ahead of the tiring sides of motherhood, most people only tell about the happy sides. I hope both you and T1 get to recover.
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February 25th, 2011 on 8:53 am
Yikes. I haven’t flown yet since having Kyle. Just too scared to handle TWO, now especially since K is mister wiggle monster that wouldn’t sit still for 5 minutes. Makes me break out in chills just to think about it. Though car trips aren’t *wonderful*, I find them more appealing right now than flying – my kids are pretty good car sleepers, we can stop whenever we need to, and if they cry (though it drives you INSANE) I don’t have to worry that they are annoying a whole plane full of people. Just his frazzled parents.
Love the throwing up/pooping story – did you ever imagine the uh, lovely, things that can occur at either end, and sometimes at the same time, with your little one?? It’s amazing that we live to tell about it!
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Life on Mulberry Reply:
February 26th, 2011 at 9:06 am
This comment & this post totally help balance out any urges i have for children after a particularly cute T1 post!!
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February 25th, 2011 on 9:11 am
I’m glad you made it to your parent’s house alright. Sounds like you hit the road at the exact right time between bouts of snow storm?
So nice of your mom to help you with the poop-in-progress situation.
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Jenna Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 11:02 am
We had 20 minutes of cant see anything style driving, but my dad has an absolutely enormous pickup so we plowed right through!
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February 25th, 2011 on 9:18 am
Jenna I didn’t know you were from Royal C! I grew up in Cheney, and the fam farms in Whitman County. Funny.
Sounds like you arrived just in time for another snowstorm/ blizzard?
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Jenna Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 11:03 am
There isn’t any snow out here! The eastern side of the state hogged it all
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February 25th, 2011 on 10:42 am
Man, we’re having cold-pocalypse here. Yesterday it was 6 degrees with a wind chill of -14. Today its 0.
That’s pretty funny about the clapping – didn’t you say that that is an inherited trait in your family?
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Jenna Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Haha, this made me laugh out loud. I do love to clap…
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February 25th, 2011 on 11:25 am
Those photos are gorgeous!
When I go visit my parents, I too have an all-day flight and then a two-hour drive to their home. Often, I feel much as T1 must have: why isn’t the trip OVER already?!?!
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February 25th, 2011 on 11:58 am
I’m glad that you made it to your parent’s house in one piece! I hope the trip home is a bit smoother!
Beautiful photos by the way – I always love photographing snow on a clear day.
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February 25th, 2011 on 12:37 pm
No snow here!
Poor kiddo must be exhausted! Traveling is so tiring, especially across time zones!
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February 25th, 2011 on 1:54 pm
I totally understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, and I say this NOT to be preachy, but out of genuine concern…please don’t put little T1 to bed with a bottle. It’s bad for him for many different reasons.
Glad you arrived safely!
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Sophia Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I’m curious about why it’s bad- all of my friends with kids put their babies to bed with bottles.
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Melissa Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
It’ll ruin their teeth and it’s a hard habit to break.
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Megan Reply:
February 26th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Why bottle-feeding in bed is not recommended
Choking risks: babies who fall asleep while drinking a bottle of breastmilk or formula milk can draw liquid into their lungs. They might then choke on it or inhale it. This is like what happens to grown-ups when they have something ‘go down the wrong way’. It’s more dangerous for your baby than it is for you, because your baby isn’t as good at waking up if something interferes with breathing. Although it’s more likely that your baby will cough and be uncomfortable, you might want to avoid the risk altogether.
Risk of tooth decay: milk is quite high in sugar. Soaking your baby’s teeth in it overnight can cause tooth decay.
Risk of ear infections: when a baby drinks lying down, milk can flow through to the ear cavity, which can cause ear infections.
Sleep associations: if babies get used to having a bottle-feed every time they fall asleep, they might develop an association between the bottle and sleep. They might then find it hard to fall asleep without a bottle.
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Megan Reply:
February 26th, 2011 at 11:48 am
You can google it and find plenty of reputable sites (mayo clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, March of Dimes, etc etc.
I encourage you to consult your pediatrician as well.
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February 26th, 2011 on 2:23 am
Wow the view is AMAZING! What a fabulous place you live in
And Yay! Someone from NZ helped you out. That gives me warm fuzzies as another New Zealander.
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February 26th, 2011 on 9:04 am
I love love love cities after a snow. They feel so clean, most people stay inside so the streets aren’t crowded… And the people who venture out aren’t in a hurry, so there’s no sidewalk wars. You will miss that gorgeous view when you trek back to Dallas!
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February 26th, 2011 on 11:07 pm
Hi Jenna!
Can you write a post telling your personal tips travelling with a baby?
I’m going to take a long flight by myself with my 13month old son who is, moving all the time and full of energy. We are going from Vietnam to France. I don’t know how to handle hand carry bag, strollers…etc
I would love to know about your experience
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Jenna Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Hi Lina!
I’ve posted my thoughts here: http://thatwifeblog.com/2010/07/flying-with-baby/
I hope that helps!
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Lina Reply:
February 28th, 2011 at 3:23 am
Thanks Jenna!
Now I realize that I’ve read it before!Silly me. Thanks for the tips, they are great!
I LOVE your blog and your style! we are same age but i think you are way more courageous than me!
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March 1st, 2011 on 1:40 pm
WHAT?! How have I now just put into my head that we live in the same city now!!! Love these pictures. Do you live in downtown? I am in lincoln park.
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