Ahhh... the holidays

I have always loved the holiday season.  Before I was married, there was always a sad day rain cloud that threatened the season because I was always trying to "fit" into the rest of my families' lives.  My older siblings were married and had children, and for me it was so simple to hop into my car and simply slip deftly into the chaos of the greater family unit.  I was a nomadic gypsy who could sleep on a couch or cram myself into the back cargo area of a Tahoe.  Life was simple...

However, now being married and having a baby, we have created our own nest and trying to fit our little family into the bigger order becomes more of a challenge.

Who would have thought that you would need to bring so much luggage for three day of vacation?  I mean, Colton is only 16 lbs, but I have to bring a metric ton of gear to pacify my little dumpling.

• one sleeper per day + an additional sleeper for each day in case of midnight blowouts
• at least three outfits/ day in case of midday blowouts
• 150 diapers for above blowouts
• sock that coordinate with each outfit option
• long sleeve onesies in case it is cold
• short sleeve onesies in case it is hot
• a light weight blanket (Christmas in Texas!)
• an heavy weight blanket (yet again it is Texas)
• chew toys (yes, my son sounds like a dog)
• 18 pacifiers (these puppies disappear like crazy)

After you pack your bags, then comes the paraphernalia to entertain your child:

• bouncy chair
• portable swing
• pack n play
• sleep mat

Now my personal luggage has diminished to a backpack and I am lucky if I remembered to pack underwear for myself, but my son will have enough diapers to last him until his 16th birthday.

Gone are the days when you could pack up and be ready to go in 1/2 an hour.  Now it takes 5 hours of planning, 2 hours of packing, 1 hour of putting everything in the car and 30 minutes to turn around and go back to the house for the items you forgot.

Ahhh.. the holidays