Wiscansin

Ben had to meet with the HR people out in Wisconsin last week, so we took our whole family out there.  Reid and I did not want to have another 5 days alone, plus I wanted to have at least a glimpse of the town we'll soon be calling home.  So despite all my efforts to not travel with a baby over the holidays, we did just about that.  He was GREAT on the plane, and so far he doesn't seem to be coming down with anything -- we may have avoided all my fears.

Oshkosh was great.  It reminded me of Logan both geographically and demographically.  Just change the mountains into lakes and wetlands. Make the University a little smaller and the actual town a little bigger.  Replace Mormon heritage with German, and Hispanic groups with Hmongs and you pretty much have Logan.

We found a great place to live.  I was drooling, all that for a whole digit less than we pay now?  What?

After we took care of business in Oshkosh, we headed South to Illinois.  Ben's parents and brother's family live just across the border; we'll be about 2.5 hours away.  Ben's sister Jess (just a couple months younger than me) arrived for the holidays with her baby girl who was born just two days before Reid.   The four of us spent all day Wednesday just lounging around while the Grandparents and Ben were out taking care of careers.  It was so fun to just veg all day with another new mom.  

You can't actual "see" the difference as well as you can feel it.  I thought Jazzie was a feather when I first picked her up.  Jazz's outfit is 3 mos and Reid's is 6.  That tells you something.  I think it's funny Jess and I bought those separately.  Guess we both live near a Carter's!  It was perfect for the photo op.

I found out about my great one day of work = two weeks of pay after we'd already bought our tickets for Saturday.  We didn't want to spend more money ($300 just to change my ticket!), and we still wanted Ben and Reid to spend more time with family, so I headed back Thursday and left my boys in the land of snow. 

The timing was actually pretty perfect.  Ben's two sisters flew in around 4 and I flew out at 8, so we picked them up and drove into Chicago for dinner.  I LOVE city around the holidays.  Being downtown Chicago felt so romantic.  All the lights, the shoppers, the soft snow fall; it was a perfect way to kiss my boys goodbye.

And I'm not going to lie, having about 40 hours to my "old self" was actually quite fabulous.  I had a blast at work, laid in bed for 9 hours without getting up once, and ran some errands without worries of rushing home for feedings.

Plus, we gave Rick and Carol a chance for all their grandbabies to be with them at once.  Merry Christmas!