Barely Survived!

Okay, maybe that's a teeny bit dramatic... but not really! This last week been the hardest of my life. Seriously! It really may sound pathetic to you, especially you Mom's who have gone through similar things and did it with ease. I am so thankful for everyone that has helped me or put up with my stress outbursts, I truly apologize. It all started on Tue. We left Rexburg that morning, headed for Ogden (to stay with Tanner's sister Leah). Layla was really good during the drive, which I THOUGHT was a good sign of how things would be for the rest of the trek. WRONG! As soon as we got to Leah's, I noticed that her little cough was beginning to transform into a whopper and her fussy levels were increasing steadily. Tanner stayed only until dinner time and headed back to pack up the rest of our stuff (I love him). That night Layla decided that it was her time to get sick. No fun. She also thought that 5:00 was a GREAT time to wake up for the day as well. Luckily we both ended up falling asleep later on that morning, catching a quick break before the REAL fun started.

Leah has the cutest little boy, Isaiah, who is almost 2 yrs old. He loved Layla and would always be trying to play with her or entertain her the best he could. I felt bad for Layla, because she really isn't used to this type of attention. Every time he would make a little yelp or talk too loud, she'd freak out! I think it was stimulation overload for my little one. She really did love him though for the most part, which made being sick a bit easier to handle. She was mainly just in awe of the him running around and doing all those two year old things. Later that evening I realized that I didn't have Layla's birth certificate or crib card to verify her age at the airport. So I called the airlines thinking that it wasn't too big of a deal, but that they could reassure me of this. WRONG. This lady said that they are very strict on their policies now and that she needed something with proof of age, or else we'd be charged a $182 fee! AHH! I frantically call Tanner who is in the midst of packing all of our belongings into storage and ask him if there's anyway he can send me some papers. While I'm talking with Tanner I notice that Layla is starting to feel really warm. Luckily he calms my nerves by saying that he'll be able to send the papers because he hasn't packed them yet. GOOD! Next thing I know, Layla pukes all over me.

Now, I don't know what it is, but I really have a hard time with my baby being sick. I know most parents do, but there's really something wrong with me. I think it actually makes me sick too. Sick with stress. I ended up throwing up that night and really falling apart. For the most part I was able to keep it together when Layla needed me, but there were a couple times that we were crying together. She ended up waking every 45 mins, coughing up mucous and gasping for air. The saddest most heartbreaking sound EVER! So I got about a grand total of 2 and a half hours of sleep.

Anyway, on with the story. Now we're at Thursday, airport day! Luckily we didn't depart until that evening, which allowed me to recover from that crazy night a bit, before being thrust into more craziness. Layla still was acting very unlike herself, but was tolerable enough for me to pack and get everything together. She surprised me by even taking a 2 hour nap, which she never does. She really needed it. The drive from Ogden to Salt Lake takes normally around an hour. Leah's husband Cameron managed to get us there in about 45 mins and only gave me about two heart attacks during the trip. Great guy, but I've got to confess that I was quite scared a couple of times. I ended up having to pay a STUPID fee for my carseat because I wasn't allowed to check it up front without paying. I did NOT want to lug it around the airport along with my 50 lb. baby and diaper bag. I was a bit mad. On the bright side of things, I happened to see Lisa Ling! You know, that reporter who's always on Oprah. Yeah, I was right next to her. And said "hi"! Only after my sister in law was brave enough to make the first move, but still! Kinda crazy.

We eventually get through security and are waiting at the terminal, when Layla begins to really fuss. I fed her and even gave her tylenol, praying that she'd be content enough through the 1 hour 45 min flight. I had no idea what I was in for!!! I've learned through this trip, that Layla is very afraid of noises. The plane freaked her out, the people's voices freaked her out, even her normally entertaining toys scared her while in the air. She was crying and wrestling with me for the majority of the flight. To make things worse, she even tried to fling herself out of my lap a couple of times, making me work to hold her still, but managed to bonk her head on the head rest twice! Poor baby! She was sooooooo tired, but would NOT fall asleep. I really thought I'd lose my mind and start throwing my own fit. Wouldn't that be a scene. I was so thankful to have Taytum riding along with us and sitting next to me. She was very helpful in distracting Layla every once and a while and calming her down here and there. Layla ended up crashing on me, falling into a deep sleep about 10 mins before we landed. Of course she woke up the moment we walked off the airplane though, so no REAL rest for my sick baby. I felt like the worlds WORST mom. Taking my baby from the only home she knows. Exposing her to so many scary noises while she was sick and vulnerable. I'm so glad that she's too young to remember this trip.

 Traveling really does change a person.

Here's Tanner eating me.

Tanner says I look like Blossom! haha

What a stud!

Our nephew Isaiah