I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

I think, I CAN!

I don't know what happened. I could make any number of excuses. But for whatever the reason, Daddy and I have not felt like we had a grasp on traveling, socializing and otherwise getting out and into the world with E until about the past month and a half. We have taken on attending parties, joining play dates, making mommy/daddy friends, and otherwise, finding that over the 6 - 8 months the world did not disappear while we were holed up in our house trying to figure out how we would handle the world and our newly found joy... E. Something happened, I suppose E just got old enough, and I suppose we somehow just got comfortable with the idea. And out, we began to go. It's been very enjoyable. There is a world after baby. It is a different one, a much heavier mule packed one. But, still, a world!

One thing that we have not taken on yet, is to go to a restaurant, just the 3 of us. So, in honor of Father's Day, E and I are taking Daddy out to eat. So this weekend. We will venture out into the sit down world of eating... and try to eat out. I have no doubts it will be fine. And fun. But it will also take a certain amount of planning. No more, is the question... do I have clothes on? Yes. Do I have my purse/wallet? Yes. Cool, good to go. And walk out the door. Now one must contend with... do we need the travel highchair? Or just the highchair cover? Do we need toys? Do we need a bottle/sippy cup? Do we need a spoon? Do we have a bib? Do we have something to wipe her off with after she eats? Will the restaurant have something she WANTS to eat? Don't get me wrong, E eats everything. And her tastes are easy to fulfill. Do they have bread? Yup? We're good to go. But at any rate, you can see, this is no longer the easiest of things to accomplish. Not to mention, diaper bag, with the usual stuff. I am honestly looking forward to it. I feel as though we are going to accomplish what, just months ago, we felt was unaccomplishable. And it will be incredibly special. It will be US. Hello world, look at our family. We're a family of 3. Hear us ROAR! Well hopefully not. Hopefully we'll just coo and make cute baby sounds. But maybe we WILL roar. And if that's the case. I'll deal with it.

Side note... I'm a little compulsive. But in a lot of ways, I'm not as compulsive as I thought I would be about being Mommy. I used to worry a LOT. I think people still tend to view what I do as worrying, but really, it's not so much worrying as it is planning. Maybe anxiety is how I know the difference. I don't feel that knot in the pit of my stomach when I think about it. I actually just feel excited. And a lot of the time, as it pertains to things with E. I am pretty relaxed about it. So long as she's not in any pain. Everything will be ok.

So anyway, that brings me to the BIG "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." In 2 short weeks we will be taking our first vacation. We will be traveling 7 hours, in the car, to Northern NY and we will be staying in a rented home, for a week. I am more excited than I can even begin to explain to people. And yet, somehow, the task is a little daunting. First of all, let me preface this with a... I know it will be fine, I know I will forget things, and I'm not really stressed out. But with that said, it is STILL the first time traveling with E, and the first time we will be away from home overnight and for an extended period of time. And due to this... the task... is DAUNTING.

E won't have her jumperoo... she won't have her crib, she won't have her cat, she won't have her floor. We won't have daycare... We won't have Ms. K or Ms. J. We will have E for a whole week. Now, lest you think we're doing this with nothing, E will have her pack n play, and will have Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, and more extended family than she'll know what to do with. But before I can get there, and relax, and enjoy this vacation. I must pack. Just thinking about it makes me wish the vacation was another month off. But it isn't, and it's a good thing because it'll just make me deal with it. I will plan, and I will pack. And I will undoubtedly forget things. But I will do it! And we will go! And we will come back! And it will be GREAT. But seriously, you don't realize how much stuff you use daily with your child. It just amazes me. Well... I could keep going on endlessly, but I gotta go pack.

Happy summer vacationing everybody!
Come on NOW.... Who dropped the Pacifier?