Thursday, March 29, 2018

Day One: Harrisonburg, VA


Aaaaand, we're off!! 

We checked out of the Navy Lodge, jumped in the car and headed south as we began our trek across country.  We were excited, Finn wasn't screaming and didn't have a fever for the first time in days, and we seemed to be making good time.  All of a sudden, we heard some coughing, looked back and Finn was puking everywhere. Lovely. Just lovely.

We pulled over, cleaned up the mess, Googled "car sickness in infants" and "ear infections cause motion sickness," and continued on.

This was one of our longest days so we prepped ourselves and Finn with lots of snacks, toys and podcasts to keep us entertained.  For the most part, Finn did great! He had Cheerios and lots of toys, so he stayed entertained until nap time and then he napped. I moved back to sit next to him for the last couple of hours.  I needed a change of scenery as much as he did! 

The long drive was worth it because this was our view!!!









We walked around (a very cold) campus and introduced Finn to his future alma mater (don't tell Mike!). Most of the students were on spring break, but we ran into a group of students taking pictures with James Madison and it took all of my energy not to bombard them with questions about their experiences. 

Finn was clearly loving his time on campus.




Three of my favorite guys!

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After spending all day in the car, the thought of making Finn sit in a high chair at a restaurant was extremely unappealing, so we ordered Dave's Taverna gyros to the hotel.  Let it be known that Dave's is much better after 10:00pm and when you're under the age of 25 :)  Regardless, I went to bed with a happy heart in one of my favorite places.  Day one set the bar high, but day two helped channel another one of my loves. 


PS at the rate I'm posting, we'll make it through this trip by the end of 2018. :)

Friday, March 23, 2018

Leaving Groton

Well, we made it to Washington!! It's been a whirlwind of a move, but we are here.   I'm going to recap the entire move, but let's just start with our departure from Connecticut.

The week before we left was busy.  We had all of the stuff that comes with moving out of a house, such as movers coming, move out inspections, and Mike's graduation.  On top of that, Finn decided that it was the perfect time to get sick with a fever and nasty cough.  Poor guy.

We booked the movers to come on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Monday and Tuesday were designated as packing days and then the guys would come and load the truck on Wednesday. They ended up packing everything on Monday, so Tuesday we just sat amongst the boxes. #thatmovinglife

Finn was a HUGE help packing


Wednesday, Finn woke up with a fever, so he got to hang out with us and watch the movers load the truck.  I think it was his plan all along to stay home because his fever disappeared and he was in heaven watching all of the moving fun. The movers came and it ended up taking all day for them to load the truck.  We thought this would be the easy day, but we were wrong!


We moved into the Navy Lodge Wednesday night.  Finn seemed to be feeling better so we decided to send him to daycare for his last day on Thursday, especially since we had errands to run and things to do.  I dropped him off, ran some errands and met Mike at our house for our walk through with the rental agent.  Everything went well so Mike and I headed to the gym. We were only there for about 30 minutes before I got the call that Finn had puked and we needed to come get him.  Not quite the way I envisioned his last day of daycare, but what can ya do?  We brought him back to the hotel, gave him a quick bath and put him down for a nap.  I spent most of naptime freaking out about how we were going to move across country in 48 hours with a sick child, 


Friday was Mike's final day of SOAC (Submarine Officer Advanced Course) which was really just graduation.  Mike had to be there early, so Finn and I dropped him off and headed back to the hotel to hang, nap and pack a little before we headed back to the base for the ceremony.  Finn seemed to have rallied and really enjoyed singing the National Anthem and contributing to the Pledge of Allegiance. 

I love seeing Mike do his job.  So much of it is top secret that I get excited for any glimpse of his Navy life. The ceremony was small, but nice. The entire class did extremely well and worked hard, so they have lots to be proud of.  Finn and I are so proud of Mike and the rest of his class.  Way to go guys!




We all headed down to Mystic for lunch to celebrate and had a lot of fun.  It was the last time everyone got to hang out before people headed to their next duty station, so it was bittersweet. We really enjoyed our time in Groton and Mike's classmates were a great group.  We were sad to end this chapter, but were anxious to get on the road and get started on our chapter in Washington.  Thanks for a great six months Groton!

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Finnegan: Eleven Months

Finn's eleventh month was a big one for travel!  He traveled to Virginia to hang out with Nana, Grandpa and his uncles and he continues to impress everyone with his airplane travel skills. HWe are in the middle of driving across country to our new home in Washington, so Finn has been checking off states as we travel.  He said goodbye to his friends and teachers at daycare, which made me even more sad than he was.  As far as travel goes, he has far exceed our (very low) expectations of riding in the car and traveling in general. 

Outside of travel, this guy is constantly on the move and keeps us on our toes.  There is never a dull moment with this guy and we couldn't love him more! His infectious smile melts our heart and his personality makes him my favorite person to spend my days with. Happy eleven months Finny! We love you!


Finn's first race!

It was clearly exhausting. 

Eating: Finn has given up on baby food and is all in on real people foods.  Over the course of our travels, he has implemented an all-carb diet with the occasional banana, but when at home he is a great eater.  He's still not a big fan of raw fruits, mainly due to the texture, with bananas being the exception.  He does still allow applesauce to be spoon fed to him, but he definitely prefers to grab things with his hands and feed himself.  Breast feeding is still going, although he is very easily distracted and not nearly as interested in it as he was.  I thought he might be weaning himself, but he still seems to want to nurse, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. 





Sleeping: Guys, I don't think Finn is ever going to sleep through the night.  Ever.  Before we left Connecticut, he was waking up once during the night, usually around two.  That's not terrible, but still not great. That being said, I knew going into this month that it was going to be a rough one sleep wise.  He doesn't sleep well when traveling and has been known to wake up every hour when not at home.  He hasn't been that bad, but he still hasn't been great.  Add in illnesses and he's ended up in our bed every. single. night.  The good news is that he has become a solid napper. We can pretty much count on two naps a day.  His better nap is the morning and is usually around an hour and fifteen minutes and usually takes place around nine (when he wakes up around six).  His afternoon nap is usually around one and lasts about an hour, maybe a little bit less. His consistency with napping is a lifesaver and I'm always grateful for the peace and quiet. 

Finn's favorite sleeping position:my arms 

Hey Mom! Thanks for hanging out with me all night every night!

Noises: Finn is quite the talker.  In fact, he never stops talking.  We constantly hear him talking in the back seat of the car and when we are out and about.  We are waiting for his first word, but for now, all we hear is lots of babbling.  He also squeals a TON and has started laughing more which usually makes me laugh, as well.  He's a happy guy and makes it known!




Milestones: Finn is on the move! Well, with a little assistance.  He can walk across the room with his walker, but doesn't always rely on that to help him.  He's been known to push a table, his stroller and a luggage cart (empty) if he wants to get places.  He's still not steady enough to stand by himself or walk, though.  When he's not cruising around, he's waving at everyone and anyone.  In fact, I think he waves when he sees a new person, even if they aren't looking at him. It's the cutest thing and just confirms my belief that he's going to be a huge people person. 

Likes and Dislikes: His biggest dislike right now is food.  He'll eat carbs any time of the day, but otherwise it's hit or miss.  He does not like the little pouches of fruit puree that every other kid seems to be obsessed with and fruit in general is usually a no. My heart aches.  He loves beans and I can sometimes get a cooked vegetable in there if I'm lucky, but he definitely has opinions when it comes to food.  His dislike for the car is pretty much gone.  He discovered that he can see us in his mirror and that helps immensely, as does the infinite amount of toys and snacks that he gets in the car. One thing we discovered he doesn't like is grass.  Well, I just don't think he knows what it is, but he refuses to crawl in the grass and it's pretty funny to watch.  Generally though, he just likes to be on the move. He loves to play on the bed with us and will nose dive into a pillow or three if given the chance.  An



I caught you red handed, Finn! Thanks for taking all of my taco supplies!

Nicknames: Finn, Finny, Buddy Bear, Shaggy (he needs a haircut desperately!), Pooper (for obvious reasons), Bud, Buddy, Dude

Clothing Size: 9-12 months still, but once our stuff arrives in Washington, we'll break out the 12-18 month stuff.  It's time. 

Diaper Size: Four

Weight: 19.5 lbs

Height: 30 inches! A growing boy!

Travel: So much!! We kicked off the month with a trip to Virginia Beach and then began the trek across country.  He went to James Madison University (go Dukes!), Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. 






Hanging out with J Maddy


Taking a walk in Memphis


Helping unload luggage



Hiking in Zion

Oh Finny, 

You make me so happy.  There's no other way to put it.  Your infectious smile and your affection for people brings pure joy to those around you. You are constantly on the move and discovering everything around you, which keeps us busy, but it's so fun to watch you do your thing.  You have shown us how smart you are as you figure out how things work, which never ceases to amaze me.  I can't believe that you are almost one.  As much as I wish I could stop time and just savor these days, I'm so excited to watch you grow and learn. 

We love you big guy.  More than you know.