Everett did absolutely amazing on the trip - we still can't believe what a trooper he was. In the days leading up to the drive (through the night, no less), he developed a horrible cough that left him whimpering in pain every time he'd cough. To top it off, hours before we left, he threw up everything he ate. With all his issues, we were a bit worried the drive might be rough, but our little man proved us wrong. He slept straight through on the 10 hour drive (coughing and whimpering along the way). As for the vacation itself...
The pictures are in reverse order and too annoying to fix, so I'll just go backwards. :)
We headed back to MI during the day, stopping to feed Everett, entertain him, and let him stretch his legs along the way. After 10 hours of traveling, we pulled into Chipotle to grab some dinner, then parked it, picnic-style, in the parking lot right off the highway to try and wear him out before the last 4 hour stretch of road staring us in the face. We got lots of weird looks from people coming in and out of the restaurant, but you've got to do what you've got to do.
See that face? That's 10 hours of pent-up energy right there!
After TN, we headed to High Point, NC for a wedding on the Frank side of the family. It was great to see everyone. The Frank side of Kyle's family is huge - Everett got to meet lots of family! We weren't sure what "title" all these relatives were to him, so we looked it up. He met lots of Grand Aunts and Uncles, first cousins once removed, and second cousins.
Stealing a dance with my little man.
Grandma and Grandpa
He did so great at the ceremony! I took him out for a bit to play, as he started squealing and shrieking with delight, but there were no screams or cries for this guy. I think it helped that he'd recently inherited this ball from some family. He absolutely adored this ball and didn't put it down the rest of the trip. Doesn't he look dapper in his shirt and tie?
In Gatlinburg, we went for a lot of day hikes in the Smokies. Everett loved going for hikes, and he was a total hit on the trails. I think nearly everyone we passed said something about him - how cute he was, what a good hiker he was, how he was super lucky to be traveling by backpack, you name it. It never did get old hearing everyone fuss over him!
We took Everett to the aquarium one of the days we were there. His favorite animal was definitely the penguins. He was so cute watching them, hands up on the glass, following their every playful move. He could have stood there for hours watching them!
Taking him through a tunnel to see sharks.
The jellyfish were crazy!!
Crawling to me in the tunnel to go see the penguins up close (above).
This penguin was hilarious, and Everett had a ball with him. He stayed in that corner playing with us the entire time we sat there.
We rented a cabin (actually a "chalet") in the mountains instead of getting a hotel room. It was the best decision we could have made. Everett had his own room, we had an upper and lower deck to sit outside on, and a hot tub to relax in after Everett went to bed for the night. The drive up and down the mountain to get to the cabin was a bit of an experience - especially for someone who gets car sick. It was about a 10-15 minute drive on a steep, curvy road with hairpin turns everytime we went up and down the mountain. But SO worth it to have space to spread out and relax!
It certainly is different to "vacation" with an infant - I'm not positive that it should really be called a vacation. But it was a much needed few days away and our trooper of a child couldn't have done much better. It's nice to be back now though, in our own beds with our own routines. Until the next vacation anyway... but I think I'm set for awhile. :)
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