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Welcome Home A very special little family member came into the world, the day before May began.  She came home on the second day of May. Firsts First carseat ride.
First meet up with doggy-sister, Lola. Grandparents Nora came a week early, so it was lucky that all 4 grandparents were in town before she left the hospital.
Don and I enjoy Fred and Linda, so sharing was easy.  This picture that Fred took, is one of my favorites. Mother's Day I enjoyed Mother's Day morning with flowers sent from Heidi, Jamie & Char, back in TX.
Then, a breakfast picnic with Don.  Nothing fancy. It's just something that reminds me of my mom. She loved breakfast picnics. Evening With Moms In the late afternoon we gathered with the newest mom!  So fun to have 3 moms celebrating Mother's Day together! Airbnb We were in town for a month, so we rented an airbnb, not far from Scott & Chali's.  It was fun to settle into our little rental house and pretend we lived in town. We tried to find the right balance, along with other grandparents. Be available... don't intrude...  When not with the "kids", it was nice to have our little house, where we could be "on call" and make food, or help with laundry. But we liked our rental oasis best, after a week or so, the others could come over. It was fun pretending the 7 of us all lived in town together. I loved pretending. Land Park Land Park is a large and lovely park, pretty much between our rental house and Scott and Cha's.
We got to know the park well, since it was in walking distance from where we stayed. Zoo Outing When Nora was just over 2 weeks, she had her first trip to Sac Zoo, in Land Park.
She didn't see a single animal, but I'm sure she picked up our happy vibes, as we reacted to fun animals and comical groups of school kids. Around Sac What a lucky baby (and parents) to be born right before May.  May weather was lovely for outdoor dining adventures. We could time it, to hit a few indoor places, during quieter times. Don and I ventured on our own a few times. We watched a movie at our favorite "Tower Theatre" and ate burgers & dogs at a fun diner. Morning Runs Sun rose early in May and I took advantage. My morning runs took me through the lovely Land Park neighborhood.
I varied my route and sometimes got lost. There were so many wonderful houses and yards to see. I ended up running longer than I usually do. (cool morning temps helped) And every morning, I always saw new surprises! Chalk messages, hopscotch, tiny libraries... trees with swings! Quick Austin Trip Over Memorial Day weekend, I slipped away from California and flew to Texas for 2 nights. I wore a mask, vowing to keep myself healthy for Nora.  My flight from Denver to Austin had issues, but I got a new plane and arrived at Heidi & Jamie's home, before Charlie's bedtime. Recital Weekend It seemed a little silly to fly to Austin for a dance recital.  Crazy to leave tiny Nora, to have 2 nights with this silly 4-year-old. Especially since Charlie lives only 2.5 hours from our TX home. Dancing Girl But I couldn't miss Char's first dance recital. I reminded Chali and Scott that this is the Gramma I plan to be for Nora, too. I've hoarded Frequent Flyer Miles for things like this.  My Gramma Miles got me to Austin a little late, but we had lots of time Saturday morning, before her 10 am show. I love the way she sort of strutted through the parking lot after we arrived. Another Side of Charlie Charlie is a performer (at home!) She often goes to sleep singing. She sings all day. She cracks us all up with silly song and dance performances.
But group performances are different. It was fun to see this serious side of Charlie. Her parents were pretty proud! From Car to Stage Heidi warned me that her class's performance was just a few minutes long. She was not pushing me to fly out to see this. But I enjoyed every minute... even before the show. Charlie practiced her steps at home before we got in the car. In the parked car, she was excited to put on her ruffly dress. I loved watching her with her classmates on stage and being goofy girls, in their seats. I loved watching the other classes perform, as well. It was so worth the flying hassles. Playtime And we had lots of home time for goofing around and playing.  We also went to some fun lunch places. Fun for kids and adults!  After 2 nights with this cutie and her parents I headed for the airport early Sunday afternoon. Extra Time in Denver I was excited to get back to Baby Nora. After a long delay, we took off. After 20 minutes of turbulence, the pilot announced we were landing in Houston. We'd been struck by lightening. Yikes. We waited in Houston we were given a new plane to Denver. I had no view of the Rockies on this flight. It was dark when we landed in Denver at midnight. Lines formed for rebooking missed flights.
Storms had caused huge backups in Denver. The earliest flight to Sacramento was the next day at 9 pm. No comps for hotels, but the airport provided cots for stranded travelers. Sleepytime in Denver I helped a young mama and her 2 month old, before I settled into my own cot. I hardly slept, but I was comfortable.  I closed my eyes and listened to all the odd airport sounds and comically squeaky cots. Mostly I thought about how lucky I was that I was traveling alone and not with a child or an elder in a wheelchair. And not once did I think "Why did I take this trip?" No regrets at all. Memorial Day I left my cot at 6 am and hoped for a standby flight at 8. Yay! I got on! After taxiing a while, the pilot announced tech issues. Once again, we awaited a new plane. I arrived in Sac before noon! Don announced we were doing a bbq at 2:00!  I squeezed in a shower and felt like I was on a jet-lag high. I was too eager about seeing this baby girl, to feel anything but giddiness. What a perfect evening with this gang! Scott at the grill, Chali conjuring up "smiles" in Nora. All good! Another Cot? The next day, Scott and Cha encouraged me to use my Mother's Day gift and get pampered at Siri's, for a Thai Massage.  I was in heaven as Ann worked her magic on my back. But I had to laugh to myself about the similarities. My odd little massage table and my army cot, within a 24-hour period! Babysitting It was nearing the end of our month stay, when Cha and Scott decided they were up to try a night out. I had done a "night duty" the first week, but this time I would be in charge and they wouldn't be there.  I forced Cha and Scott to do a quick pose outside while they awaited their Uber. Must remember that first night out! Don and I teamed up. We couldn't have been more honored that they trusted us. We absorbed as much Nora snuggling as possible.  Eventually I gave in and put Nora in her bed. But I could have held her for 24 hours. Hitting the Road On June 29, we were packed up from our Airbnb. Don and I headed over for lunch, before hitting the road.
No photos of the 4 adults saying goodbye. It won't be long before we're together, but it's still hard. Nora won't be this size again. A few moist eyes... Traveling Home We spent the last 2 days of May starting our road trip, back to Texas. First night of our trip was in Nevada City, CA. Second night in Winnemucca, Nevada.
The month was filled with special family time, but the last night was an unexpected evening, dining and chatting with strangers! Eventually.. What an amazing month, enjoying the birth of Dear Nora. And also a quick visit with Charlie.
I hate that we don't all live in the same city. But what fun to know that this summer, the cousins will finally meet! Looking forward to that reunion!
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