It was so nice to be able to go to California, but we are more glad than ever to be home. Saying Chloe did not travel well would be a big understatement. Chloe had a really hard trip. It started with the flight up, when we forgot her pacifier and her ears were in pain from the cabin pressure. Once we arrived, she was very excited to see her Skype friend "Nana," and knew her right away. But I think she had a really hard time with all the noise and excitement... and with the lack of a defined schedule with set meal and
nap times. It was really sad. She woke up most nights after getting all tangled up in her play pen (much smaller than the crib she is used to), and just screamed. She learned to scream really loud on this trip. She wouldn't be calmed though. Chloe woke up most nights at 4AM, and would not go back down until 6 AM. Her naps were mostly no longer than an hour (she normally takes one 3 hr nap), and her meals were at the mercy of all the craziness. There were children all over, who she loved, but I think it was pretty overwhelming. It didn't help when I left her at my aunt's house for 5 hours one day so we could go with our new sister in law
Jenae to the temple. We were so glad that we were able to go with her, but that was the day she started wandering around saying "All done, Bye BYE," and also sadly whimpering over and over "momma?" She screamed "ALL DONE," and "BYE BYE" so often every day afterward that it got really old. We just felt so bad for her, and there was nothing we could do. One day, at about 5 am (in the middle of a screaming fest), Zach and I took her in the living room to try to calm her down. She was screaming bloody murder and just took off running. When she hit the couch arm (cushy), her body bounced off and she flopped to the floor. She just got up and continued her tantrum, and flopped some more. Zach and I got a really bad case of the giggles at this point.
Anyways... we survived. The wedding was something I would not have wanted to miss for the world (we are just so excited for Mike and
Jenae!!). We are VERY happy to be home, and I am SO GLAD to report, Chloe is back to her usual cheerful and cute self. She is so excited about every one of her
possessions, her bed, the sound of the keys rattling when daddy comes home... it is so cute. Here are some pictures we took from our trip from one of the treasured middle of the day moments when Chloe had a good time in spite of herself. If you look close, she looks tired.
They are very pretty pictures though. California is so nice.
Later I will upload some cute videos!
Right after the above picture was taken, I took her to the bedroom to change her into some dry warm clothes (her socks got all wet). I put her on the bed like I always do, and told her to be careful, like I always do. She never wiggles because she is trained, like a baby elephant, and thinks she has to sit still on the bed. Well, I don't know if it was because of her exuberance at discovering that she could scale the dishwasher, but this time she somehow wiggled and wriggled, and when I was looking for clothes in the closet I heard a sickening thump of a head hitting the floor! She was OK, but I felt so bad. Chloe cried like she had been betrayed, and it took a lot of songs and cuddles before she felt better. All this did not crush her desire to develop her new found skill. Later, at the mall, she climbed over the giant bat for the FIRST time! I was SO proud!! Stay tuned for very cute videos to be uploaded to YouTube!
