Kate's Back to Visit

Kate was on Spring Break from her work so she decided to spend half of her week off with us (it ended up being her entire week and then some but more about that later). Kate arrived Tuesday afternoon and I left work early to pick her up as she had taken the bus to Federal Way and was waiting for me at Starbucks - Sorry Mary :). Unfortunately the weekend before I had started "nap training" Louis so Kate and I were pretty much stuck at home. I was feeling bad but Kate assured me that there was nothing more she would rather do than nothing!

I was off Wednesday and Thursday and we spent these days playing with Louis, drinking coffee, tea, (beer in the evening) playing Scrabble, RummiKube, and making awesome dinners (Kate introduced me to Guiness Pie - which is AWESOME!) It was a good thing that Kate was here and was able to get the hang of "nap training" because I explained to Mike how we were getting Louis on a schedule and what to do with him but on Friday, but Mike apparently forgot everything I told him. He kept wanting to go give Louis the pacifier, saying that if he could just give it to him it would put him right to sleep. Fortunately, Kate was there to explain (again) that Louis was learning to soothe himself to sleep and that going to him would only cause him confusion and make him cry longer! I started this training because he would cry when I put him down in his crib and I would go to him every time and before I knew it I was spending much of the day trying to get him to nap. After only 1 week of nap training he barely cries at all for his first and second nap and bedtime (we still need to work on his short third nap).

So... (Kate was flying standby on my dad's passes) Originally, Kate was going to leave Friday, but the flights out of Seattle were so full that she didn't even try to go. Friday evening we ordered carry out from our favorite Thai restaurant and watched a Stupid movie (things haven't changed Mom and Dad). Saturday, Kate sat at the airport all day and by the time she called at 3pm (she and Mike left the house a 440am for her 6:10 flight) she was in tears! We picked her up and Kate and I walked to the store to get stuff for dinner and a movie. We watched "Man on Wire" it is a documentary about the guy who walked across the Twin Towers on a tightrope and it is worth renting!

Sunday, Kate decided that it was totally not worth it to go sit at the airport all day and we went hiking instead in the Cascades (it rained the whole trip but stopped just in time for our 1 hour and 15 min hike in the snow). When we got back Kate looked at the flights for Monday and they looked awful! Reluctantly, I drove Kate to the Greyhound station in Tacoma and she caught an 8:40pm bus to Vancouver. She arrived there at 2am and took a Taxi to the airport where she spent the rest of the night until she was able to get on the 8am flight to Dallas. The poor girl had to wait all day in Dallas and didn't get out till late in the evening for St. Louis.

Kate said she had a great time despite the 25-hour drama getting home. We had a great time with Kate and it was so WONDERFUL having her get up with Louis in the morning. It was great getting to sleep in a little bit. Plus, she kept beating me to him at night and offering to rock him back to sleep but I didn't need her because for the most part Louis does well at night and goes right back down after I feed him! (Kate did get up and give him the pacifier a few times though!)

More Pictures!