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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Goes to Vegas (almost as long as the trip itself)
(Not cross-posted, but posted several places separately.)
There should be a special hell reserved for people who drag 10 week old babies on cross-country roadtrips, and one feature of that hell is the presence of a 10 week old baby on your cross-country roadtrip. We set off at 6am on the 7th, headed to Las Vegas for my cousin's wedding. The real reason we went was so that Caterpillar could see her only surviving great-grandparent (my Grandma). We didn't need to arrive until 5pm on the 9th, but if we got there in time for dinner on the 8th, we had some hope of meeting up with everyone before the wedding. The morning started inauspiciously; no sooner had we placed the carseat in the fully-loaded car than Caterpillar needed a diaper change. And it ended inauspiciously; we got into Gallup at 11pm (9pm local time), just in time to get the very last hotel room at that exit. Not only was it a smoking room, but we paid $25 more than the guy ahead of us in line, who had 2 adults and 5 children in the room next to ours. Thankfully, the hotel was right next to a Wal-mart, where I was able to get some cough syrup for my cold, which had settled in my chest overnight. Somehow, I'd managed to pack 3 bags full of lotions and potions and ointments and panaceas for Caterpillar (none of which she needed), but not enough sinus pills for Allyson and not any cough syrup for me, despite the fact that both of us were sick when we left. Left Gallup at 7am (5am local time), got to Vegas at 5pm (3pm local time). For all Las Vegas' attempts to bill itself as a family destination, no one in their right mind would take their family to Vegas. For one thing, you can't gamble while holding a baby in a sling. Heck, you can't get a player's club card while holding a baby in a sling. While waiting for the service elevator (both elevators to our room were out of service virtually the entire time we were there), I joked to the hotel employee that if the elevator didn't come soon, I'd have to nurse the baby at the slot machines. He looked utterly aghast, then proceeded to explain that I'd have to pull the chair away from the machine before I could feed the baby. I think I could have walked through the lobby topless as long as I'd kept Caterpillar the prescribed distance from games of chance. We met up with part of the extended family, then went to find the rest in the buffet ($5 per person cheaper with a player's club card; Allyson was able to get mine for me, as long as I'd just take the baby over by that wall, please). Aunt Jill offered to hold the baby while I ate, so Grandma could enjoy her. I hadn't gotten as far as my seat before Caterpillar was returned in tears. Silly me, I didn't learn, and was willing to hand her to my cousin's wife to hold "so you can eat." It took me 5 minutes to convince her that she had no hope of soothing Caterpillar back to sleep once she'd worked herself up into a fit of panicked screaming. Eventually, Caterpillar was re-ensconced in her sling, a napkin was draped over her head, and I ate just fine while she slept. The food in Vegas was plentiful and cheap, and boy do you get what you pay for. Caterpillar, as usual, had no complaints about the quality, quantity, or price of her meals. My uncle knew how to get to the wedding, so he and my aunt and Grandma rode with my parents, and we followed in our car. Caterpillar was unrestrained on my lap for the first 3 miles, because the lead car took off at breakneck speed before I even had my own seatbelt on. The Strip at 4pm on a Friday is just jampacked with people who all want to go from the lane on one side of you to the lane on the other side of you, without signaling or giving any other indication that they know you're there. Eventually, we hit a light long enough to strap Caterpillar in, and caught up to Dad, and Allyson stopped muttering that if we didn't find the chapel on the first pass, we were going back to the hotel and skipping the wedding. Half of Caterpillar's luggage was cute outfits to wear to the wedding and reception. Turns out, the wedding was at one of those places that marries a couple every 15 minutes, which means we all spent an hour standing in the sun waiting for it to be our turn to go in. I got a bottle of water out of the first-aid supply bag, thinking I'd pour a bit on Caterpillar's head to keep her cool. The bottle, having spent the day in the car, had water hot enough to make tea with. Thankfully, I'd taken her there in a onesie, planning to change her onsite. All those little outfits, washed so there's no returning them, will probably never be worn, since they're too warm and fancy for anything here. Maybe my sister will have a girl. Allyson told me later that my uncle's wife (second wife; my cousin is his first wife's daughter) came up before the wedding and asked her, "So, where did the baby come from?" Now, this is a woman in her 50's, with a daughter of her own, so you'd think she'd know where babies come from. Allyson was so boggled she just stood there until the question was repeated, at which point she said, "She came from Phoebe." Apparently, my aunt thought Caterpillar was adopted, and wanted to know what country we'd gotten her from. The wedding was completely uneventful, and exactly 4 minutes long. By the time we got back to the hotel, where the reception was going to be, Caterpillar was close to meltdown and I had a dehydration headache. But after we changed our clothes, we went back down. My dad wanted to sit next to his grandbaby, so we ended up at the grown-ups table (with Grandma, my parents, the married couple, and both sets of their parents). This was a tactical error, because everyone at that table was either frugal-natured or paying. The kids table (all of my grown cousins and their spouses) had alcohol and appetizers and steak and rowdy conversation. My table had soup and salad, or chicken, or a vegetable plate, and discussed iris breeding. Fortunately or not, I was sick enough from the headache that I wouldn't have enjoyed a more lavish meal anyhow. We left the next morning at 7am (5am local time), again pausing to change the first poopy diaper of the morning on the back seat of the car. Got to our destination (a B&B near Allyson's friend's house an hour north of Albuquerque) at 8pm (7pm local time). The B&B (Desert Willow in Jemez Springs) was wonderful, and Caterpillar was in a relatively good mood. Allyson took off to visit while I got unpacked and settled in and played "Standing Baby" with Caterpillar. Slept in, got up to a decadent breakfast, then I went off to the bathhouse for a soak in water from the local hot spring and an hour-long massage. We spent the day with Allyson's friend and her family. Caterpillar, who had howled every time one of my relatives picked her up, was delighted to be held by all of the kids, including the 3 year old. Back to the B&B, up in the morning for another decadent breakfast, on the road by 11am (10am local time). Finally arrived home at 11pm. My parents drove the same route we did going out, and it took them 18 hours. It took us close to 27 hours. Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle weren't that bad, but the elevation changes in New Mexico and Arizona were really hard on Caterpillar. We ended up stopping at least every 2 hours, usually for half an hour or more, so she could nurse and have a clean diaper. I can now add to the places I've nursed in public: a half a dozen truck stops, the same number of fast-food restaurants, a hotel lobby, and the auditorium at Petrified Forest National Park. Not a single dirty look or negative comment. I had many negative comments for the number of places where baby-changing facilities were limited to the bathroom floor; after one round of that, I just changed her on the seat of a booth if there was nowhere more appropriate. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better baby, though. I was pretty miserable by the time we got home, having had much more range of motion and understanding of why we spent 4 days in the car. But Caterpillar was a trouper; she never fussed at being put in the carseat, and was happy and smiling and ready to play every time we took her out. She wasn't capable of understanding "We just passed the exit and the next one isn't for 5 miles," but you can't really expect that of a baby. And that was our trip. We're all extremely glad to be home, and planning on staying home for the forseeable future. Phoebe |
#2
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Goes to Vegas (almost as long as the trip itself)
Well it doesn't sound like you had a good time or your attitude wasn't in
the right place since you didn't feel good. I would agree that Las Vegas is not a place for a baby, but there are a lot of cool things to do with older children that doesn't involve gambling. When we went, I left the baby and toddler at home and had a great time. I'm not much of a gambler, but I do enjoy watching people and that was a fascinating place to people watch. There were a lot shows and shops to visit. We also drove home from Florida to Michigan, with my then 2-year-old. That was the most miserable trip home I have ever had. She did nothing but scream the majority of the trip home. At ages 10, 8 and 6 they are much better travelers now and we have had lots of extended trips together. It does get easier, so don't write of traveling all together ;o) -- Sue mom to three girls Phoebe & Allyson wrote in message ... (Not cross-posted, but posted several places separately.) There should be a special hell reserved for people who drag 10 week old babies on cross-country roadtrips, and one feature of that hell is the presence of a 10 week old baby on your cross-country roadtrip. We set off at 6am on the 7th, headed to Las Vegas for my cousin's wedding. The real reason we went was so that Caterpillar could see her only surviving great-grandparent (my Grandma). We didn't need to arrive until 5pm on the 9th, but if we got there in time for dinner on the 8th, we had some hope of meeting up with everyone before the wedding. The morning started inauspiciously; no sooner had we placed the carseat in the fully-loaded car than Caterpillar needed a diaper change. And it ended inauspiciously; we got into Gallup at 11pm (9pm local time), just in time to get the very last hotel room at that exit. Not only was it a smoking room, but we paid $25 more than the guy ahead of us in line, who had 2 adults and 5 children in the room next to ours. Thankfully, the hotel was right next to a Wal-mart, where I was able to get some cough syrup for my cold, which had settled in my chest overnight. Somehow, I'd managed to pack 3 bags full of lotions and potions and ointments and panaceas for Caterpillar (none of which she needed), but not enough sinus pills for Allyson and not any cough syrup for me, despite the fact that both of us were sick when we left. Left Gallup at 7am (5am local time), got to Vegas at 5pm (3pm local time). For all Las Vegas' attempts to bill itself as a family destination, no one in their right mind would take their family to Vegas. For one thing, you can't gamble while holding a baby in a sling. Heck, you can't get a player's club card while holding a baby in a sling. While waiting for the service elevator (both elevators to our room were out of service virtually the entire time we were there), I joked to the hotel employee that if the elevator didn't come soon, I'd have to nurse the baby at the slot machines. He looked utterly aghast, then proceeded to explain that I'd have to pull the chair away from the machine before I could feed the baby. I think I could have walked through the lobby topless as long as I'd kept Caterpillar the prescribed distance from games of chance. We met up with part of the extended family, then went to find the rest in the buffet ($5 per person cheaper with a player's club card; Allyson was able to get mine for me, as long as I'd just take the baby over by that wall, please). Aunt Jill offered to hold the baby while I ate, so Grandma could enjoy her. I hadn't gotten as far as my seat before Caterpillar was returned in tears. Silly me, I didn't learn, and was willing to hand her to my cousin's wife to hold "so you can eat." It took me 5 minutes to convince her that she had no hope of soothing Caterpillar back to sleep once she'd worked herself up into a fit of panicked screaming. Eventually, Caterpillar was re-ensconced in her sling, a napkin was draped over her head, and I ate just fine while she slept. The food in Vegas was plentiful and cheap, and boy do you get what you pay for. Caterpillar, as usual, had no complaints about the quality, quantity, or price of her meals. My uncle knew how to get to the wedding, so he and my aunt and Grandma rode with my parents, and we followed in our car. Caterpillar was unrestrained on my lap for the first 3 miles, because the lead car took off at breakneck speed before I even had my own seatbelt on. The Strip at 4pm on a Friday is just jampacked with people who all want to go from the lane on one side of you to the lane on the other side of you, without signaling or giving any other indication that they know you're there. Eventually, we hit a light long enough to strap Caterpillar in, and caught up to Dad, and Allyson stopped muttering that if we didn't find the chapel on the first pass, we were going back to the hotel and skipping the wedding. Half of Caterpillar's luggage was cute outfits to wear to the wedding and reception. Turns out, the wedding was at one of those places that marries a couple every 15 minutes, which means we all spent an hour standing in the sun waiting for it to be our turn to go in. I got a bottle of water out of the first-aid supply bag, thinking I'd pour a bit on Caterpillar's head to keep her cool. The bottle, having spent the day in the car, had water hot enough to make tea with. Thankfully, I'd taken her there in a onesie, planning to change her onsite. All those little outfits, washed so there's no returning them, will probably never be worn, since they're too warm and fancy for anything here. Maybe my sister will have a girl. Allyson told me later that my uncle's wife (second wife; my cousin is his first wife's daughter) came up before the wedding and asked her, "So, where did the baby come from?" Now, this is a woman in her 50's, with a daughter of her own, so you'd think she'd know where babies come from. Allyson was so boggled she just stood there until the question was repeated, at which point she said, "She came from Phoebe." Apparently, my aunt thought Caterpillar was adopted, and wanted to know what country we'd gotten her from. The wedding was completely uneventful, and exactly 4 minutes long. By the time we got back to the hotel, where the reception was going to be, Caterpillar was close to meltdown and I had a dehydration headache. But after we changed our clothes, we went back down. My dad wanted to sit next to his grandbaby, so we ended up at the grown-ups table (with Grandma, my parents, the married couple, and both sets of their parents). This was a tactical error, because everyone at that table was either frugal-natured or paying. The kids table (all of my grown cousins and their spouses) had alcohol and appetizers and steak and rowdy conversation. My table had soup and salad, or chicken, or a vegetable plate, and discussed iris breeding. Fortunately or not, I was sick enough from the headache that I wouldn't have enjoyed a more lavish meal anyhow. We left the next morning at 7am (5am local time), again pausing to change the first poopy diaper of the morning on the back seat of the car. Got to our destination (a B&B near Allyson's friend's house an hour north of Albuquerque) at 8pm (7pm local time). The B&B (Desert Willow in Jemez Springs) was wonderful, and Caterpillar was in a relatively good mood. Allyson took off to visit while I got unpacked and settled in and played "Standing Baby" with Caterpillar. Slept in, got up to a decadent breakfast, then I went off to the bathhouse for a soak in water from the local hot spring and an hour-long massage. We spent the day with Allyson's friend and her family. Caterpillar, who had howled every time one of my relatives picked her up, was delighted to be held by all of the kids, including the 3 year old. Back to the B&B, up in the morning for another decadent breakfast, on the road by 11am (10am local time). Finally arrived home at 11pm. My parents drove the same route we did going out, and it took them 18 hours. It took us close to 27 hours. Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle weren't that bad, but the elevation changes in New Mexico and Arizona were really hard on Caterpillar. We ended up stopping at least every 2 hours, usually for half an hour or more, so she could nurse and have a clean diaper. I can now add to the places I've nursed in public: a half a dozen truck stops, the same number of fast-food restaurants, a hotel lobby, and the auditorium at Petrified Forest National Park. Not a single dirty look or negative comment. I had many negative comments for the number of places where baby-changing facilities were limited to the bathroom floor; after one round of that, I just changed her on the seat of a booth if there was nowhere more appropriate. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better baby, though. I was pretty miserable by the time we got home, having had much more range of motion and understanding of why we spent 4 days in the car. But Caterpillar was a trouper; she never fussed at being put in the carseat, and was happy and smiling and ready to play every time we took her out. She wasn't capable of understanding "We just passed the exit and the next one isn't for 5 miles," but you can't really expect that of a baby. And that was our trip. We're all extremely glad to be home, and planning on staying home for the forseeable future. Phoebe |
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Goes to Vegas (almost as long as the trip itself)
Oh
My Gosh - Boy, you tell a MEAN story!! What a TRIP - you had...and quite the journey, too! ;-) Glad you're all home safely ... how's the cold, btw? REST, and give that Caterpillar an "Attagirl" for us, will you? :-) Corinne -- "Since AP parents are accused of "spoiling" their children with responsiveness, love, understanding, patience, positive interaction, intimacy and closeness, respect, and value - I have decided that spoiling ROCKS! Teaching my child that she ALWAYS deserves all of the above is the right thing to do, and I plan to own my spoiling ways. Baby Spoilers Unite!" --Jessica, iVillage AP board |
#4
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Goes to Vegas (almost as long as the trip itself)
Corinne wrote:
how's the cold, btw? Mostly gone. My colds tend to settle either in my sinuses or my chest, and linger on there - thankfully this one went to my chest, and is lingering only mildly. Caterpillar woke up all snotty-nosed yesterday, but it never got bad enough to interfere with her breathing, and she's fine today, so it looks like she either missed it entirely or got it so mildly it didn't bother her. Phoebe |
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