Hartford

We went this weekend on our first mini-trip since moving here, which was to drive up to West Hartford to visit Paul's brother, Steve, and his family.  We drove up Friday night and came back Saturday night, so it was just a short visit, but we had a great time.  Steve and Jeanette have three great kids: Carson, Maleah, and Brooklyn.  All the kids slept in one bedroom and Paul and I had an air mattress in the living room.  I was a little nervous about Andrew sleeping in a room with other kids, and in a bed that's not his own, since he's been a very inflexible sleeper in the past and he's all about routine these days, but he did great.  We arrived late on Friday and he had fallen asleep in the car but woke up when we arrived.  Paul explained to him where he would be sleeping and where we would be sleeping.  Then we just took him up to the bedroom where his cousins were already fast asleep, put him down in Carson's vacant bed with his stuffed mouse and his blanket, and he curled up immediately and went to sleep.  He was so tired!  He didn't even care that he didn't have his head on a pillow or that he was in the middle of the bed.  Then about 7 am the next morning I heard all four of the children coming down the stairs into the living room together.  Carson and Maleah where very sweetly helping Andrew down the stairs.  Andrew didn't seem concerned at all that he woke up in a totally unknown place.  He last saw his cousins around Christmas time, so he still remembered them.

Andrew had a ball playing with his cousins, and all their toys!  I feel like I got a little break this weekend because Andrew was so entertained by the other kids that I didn't have to find ways to keep him occupied.  I see what my mom means when she says that having two kids is actually easier in some ways than having one, because they entertain each other.  I often find myself wishing that Andrew had an older sibling to play with him.  Too bad you have to raise a baby and toddler in order to have an older sibling for your next kid.  I know that when/if we have another kid, Andrew will be a great big brother.  He has a sweet personality and he is really fascinated with babies these days.

We didn't take our camera with us, but here are some cell phone pics of Andrew and Paul at the children's museum in West Hartford.  

Andrew digs for dinosaur footprints

Paul carries Andrew on his shoulders even in outer space