Visiting the show me state

Me, Aviva, Bella, Kelli and Liam!

This past weekend, Aviva  and I went on our first major adventure.

We took a train to St. Louis, where she was able to meet her future best friends Liam and Bella Trachtman. Liam and Bella's mom Kelli was a bridesmaid in my wedding, where she met her future baby daddy Alec, who just so happened to be a fraternity brother of my baby daddy. Funny how that all works out.

Mr. Liam is just two months older than Aviva, and Kelli and I couldn't wait to get the two together. Bella is already a big girl at 2, and she was probably more excited to meet Aviva than Liam, who may be the chillest baby I've ever met. You can see in the picture above that nothing really phases him and those adorable cheeks.

The trip got off to a rocky start, as Aviva's big brother Luther had a bit of a health scare earlier in the week. That's a post in and of itself, but I'm happy to say the furry guy is doing just fine right now. The trip took a lot of planning and organizing, and my stress levels went through the roof, which didn't help matters for anyone.

The longest train ride ever
Aviva and I were supposed to take an Amtrack train at 9:30 on Thursday, but due to Luther's health and a last-minute trip to the vet that morning, we opted to take the train at 1:45 instead. Jeff had to work and so he would be meeting us with the car Friday night.

Aviva was fast asleep at Union Station

Getting to Union Station was easy, but once we got there it was a zoo! We arrived about 20 minutes early and our train was already boarding. We took our seats on the second level, which required some help from a kind gentleman who carried our bag as I maneuvered up a tiny staircase with Aviva in her car seat. We were lucky to get a two-seater all to ourselves, so we could spread out as much as necessary.

On the whole the train ride itself wasn't THAT bad. The problem was that our six-hour trip ended up being about nine hours. We were supposed to arrive at 7:21, which was plenty of time to catch up and get to bed at a reasonable hour. Instead, delays meant that we arrived in St. Louis after 10:30. Keep in mind all I had with me was snacks, and I wasn't able to go to the bathroom because who was going to watch my baby? Since I couldn't go to the bathroom I was trying not to overdue it on the hydration. When we arrived at Kelli's house she was already fast asleep, and Alec was kind enough to pick me up. I was starving but opted to just put Aviva to bed, use the bathroom, and fall into bed myself.

Our luxurious
accommodations

Aviva was really a rock star on the train. She slept in her car seat for a good 3 hours, and though she was a bit fussy there weren't any all-out screams. Our train neighbors were very nice and a few offered to help if I needed anything. We didn't really take anyone up on the help but it was super nice of them to offer. We managed to use the nursing cover pretty well, though I'm guessing a few Amtrak patrons got a boob shot they weren't expecting. And Aviva had some good poops but nothing that ruined her clothes! Without the delays it would've been a great experience, with the delays I've proclaimed that I will never ride Amtrak again...

Meet me in St. Louis
That first night in St. Louis, Aviva was a bit overtired and out of her element, so she didn't have the best night's sleep. But we figured it out! She was also in a Pack N' Play, when she is used to sleeping in a newborn napper. Thankfully the room was nice and dark and she was right next to my bed so there was more crying than normal but she managed to get some shuteye.

In the morning, the babies got to meet! Liam is probably the most easy going baby I've ever met, which made Aviva seem like a big ol' cry baby. Bella was crazy about Aviva, who seemed pretty enamored with her new friend as well. At one point Aviva started a crying avalanche, wherein all of the other gals in the house (Bell and the Nanny's daughter Bentley) went on a crying rampage. Throughout it all Liam just looked at the gals like they were crazy.

Kelli and I took Aviva out for sushi, and thankfully she slept the whole way. Then we braved the outlet mall, where I was able to find a few things to wear to work when I return in a couple of weeks (gulp). Again, she slept for most of the trip, and as soon as her meltdown started we were ready to skidaddle anyway.

Jeff arrived Friday night, and Aviva was already in the groove of her new surroundings. Saturday was the big exciting day, because it was the first time we'd be leaving Aviva with someone other than her grandparents. Lilya, who runs a daycare down the street and used to watch Bella before Liam came along, would be in charge of all three munchkins, and Jeff and I were rather nervous about the whole situation. Aviva still doesn't take a bottle, and she isn't a big fan of people she doesn't know.

Two hot mommas out on the town.

Turns out Aviva is only a fussbucket when mommy and daddy are around, because she had zero problems with Lilya. She took a bottle, took two naps and was described as an "angel." Well, OK! We'll take it. This makes us feel much better about the prospect of heading off to daycare.

Once we were able to check in with Lilya after about an hour and a half of being out, I felt much better the rest of the evening. It was sort of a weird relief to sit back and relax and not have to worry that Aviva would be waking from a nap anytime soon. I could used to this babysitter thing...

When we got home Aviva was still fast asleep, and went to bed without any problems. Sunday morning we headed home and Aviva slept for most of the trip.

*Another new discovery, when Aviva is upset, playing Counting Stars on my phone via YouTube and singing along seems to work wonders. Keep this in mind for future adventures.