Four Airplanes and A Wedding

We went to Washington, DC for Josh's brother's wedding and I didn't have my camera with me at the temple! I came home with a lot of pictures of my kids but none of the bride and groom. Josh has some on his phone but I can't post those. Whoops! I recommend every new mom taking a trip. I came home with a marker between the early postpartum days and the rest of my life. Ah, here we go three kids!

We got up at 4am to make our first flight. I had slept three hours and had mastitis, again. Rough start. Anna slept the entire way except when she ate. The boys were very excited to be on a plane and watched a lot of movies on the laptop. We flew to Seattle, then into Baltimore. We were so lucky to stay with my sister and her family at their house. I would not have done the trip if we had to stay in a hotel the whole time. We went up to Philadelphia for the reception, stayed in a hotel that night, and blessed Anna at the ward Josh grew up in the next morning.
Our Georgianna is named after her great grandmother who was there. It was perfect. Grandma Anna, as we have started calling her, is a wonderful example of faith, endurance, and charity. We love her with all our hearts and are so thrilled our daughter is here at last to share her name. She gave the baby a ring she was wearing when she prayed to know more about her Heavenly Father and found the Church. Anna wore this ring on a chain as a necklace along with the blessing dress my mother made by hand when my oldest sister was blessed. We were so happy to be there with all of the family in town for the wedding and my sister Debbie with her boys, Matt and Jacob, and daughter Lydia who drove up from Maryland to be at church that morning.
Anna reached six weeks while we stayed at Debbie's house. The boys played pirates and knights all day long with dress up costumes and props galore from the basement. Their cousins were very patient play mates, or should I say "Mateys!" Arrrgh!The exhaustion caught up with us and Michael spent one day sick in bed after throwing up his breakfast all over himself. He obediently stayed in bed, sleeping a five hour stretch and being very sweet. Debbie went out to Radio Shack, twice, in the rain, with a terrible sinus headache, to get a new power cord for a little t.v. so he could watch Peter Pan in bed. Bless her!Sam didn't like being without Michael at first, but quickly learned how fun it is to have playmate all to yourself. We were exhausted zombies the entire time we were there, but we managed to visit in between meals and feedings and felt so at home. We were all sad to leave!
We did spend one afternoon visiting friends in Virginia. Here the boys are with our good friends from our old ward. When we left their little son my boys' age said, "Bye! See you next week!" It was so sad. I wish we could see them every week! They love him and his older brothers doing boy things together like sword fighting and climbing trees.
We flew home late at night with a plane change in San Diego. Sam left his bear "Moe" in the airport but our flight attendant raced back into the terminal and rescued him, from two gates down, for the flight! Thank you!!! We went to bed at 3am eastern time that night and are still a little off from the sleep situation, but we have a newborn too, so who knows what time it is anyway!

Back at home, summer has finally come. It has been cold (50's) and rainy and miserable. We bought some flip flops which Michael especially loves because he can put them on himself. I love that too! Hurray for more independence! He's also stopped having potty accidents, at least "#1" since we've been home.
The boys love Anna. They wonder why she cries and drive me insane while I'm nursing her jumping on the couch, pawing at her and screaming at the top of their lungs, or, if I manage to "banish" them as Michael puts it, they make huge messes on purpose. The only thing that works is t.v. which we have been trying to use less and less. They really do love her though and talk about teaching her to talk and play. Michael says when she grows up he will marry her. I think that is true love right there. And really, who could resist those cheeks!