Camping- Baby Style!

Ok, I've dillydalleyed enough.  It's my last hour with my work laptop (which, yes, I use for personal use such as facebooking and blogging and whatever else I may need it for), so I don't know when the next chance I'll get to blog away.  Gee Gobblesmom, you can't drag yourself up to the bedroom and use the 6 year old desktop computer to play around on the internets?  No, I cannot.  It runs toooo slooow.

Funny I should be without the internet at my fingertips this weekend because last weekend, out of choice, it was the same thing.  As well as no tv.  And it was liberating.  I haven't been that happy in a long time, just spending lazy hours with my husband and son.  Time just moved slower, it was amazing.  So next time I complain about having no time, please smack me in the face, tell me to turn of the tv and computer, and go outside and jump in a lake!

The weekend started off pretty hectic, as we were without power for over 24 hours leading up to our departure.  But I just wrote about that last week, so onward to camping!  With beautiful weather on the forecast for the weekend, the traffic to the mountains was a bit horrendous.  A typical 90 minute ride turned into about 3 hours, but it was worth it because I ended up installing google maps onto my blackberry and had fun watching it triangulize our location on a little map.  It's the little things.  And I'm a dork. 

Anyway, we made it up before dark and pitched our tent among the tent city our friends had made.  This year, we had to upgrade from a three person to a six person tent, just because of one 20 lb addition!  I'm sure I mentioned this a million times too, but damn to babies need a lot of gear.  I should also disclaim that we weren't exactly roughing it.  There was a small cabin with a working bathroom and kitchen.  Friends' parents get this place for a week every year and invite all of their children's friends to stay, in a tent, just outside the cabin overlooking the lake.  It is beautiful, and we are so grateful to be a part of this little family, even if we only see them once a year.

Gobbles was brimming with excitement because he was going to see his girlfriend for just the second time in his life.  After settling in and grabbing some grub, darkness set in and we all sat around the campfire chitchatting or just staring into it, enjoying the warmth.  It did get a bit chilly that first night, probably down into the fifties - we were up in the mountains after all.  Our tent was closest to the fire, so we put Gobbles down to bed in the pack & play and enjoyed our friends and some toasted hot dogs. When we turned in for the night and disrupted the little man, we just brought him onto the air mattress with us to keep him warm. 

The next morning it was warming up quickly, so we wasted no time getting Gobbles into his swimsuit and out into the lake.  His girlfriend was there waiting for him, and hubs found a couple of swim rings in the cabin, perfect for kids this size.  At first he was a little iffy in the water, but it didn't take long for my little man to start loving his swim.  His daddy took such good care of him walking him out into the calm, warm lake and letting him have fun. 

Hmm. This is interesting...

I love the feel of this stuff... whaddya call it?

Help!  I'm floating away!

Ahh ha ha. My feet are wrinkly

Why hey there pretty lady!  Come here often?

While the lake was pretty much the highlight of the trip for me, we also had good food, good beer (homebrewed by a friend, who will have his own brewery soon enough, mark my words), and an overall relaxing time.  We went for a few walks and played in the annual softball game, which I had to miss out on last year since I was knocked up.  My team won and I managed to contribute with a few hits, runs, and a lot of double plays (2nd base holla!). 

And the biggest thing I learned that weekend has nothing to do with camping, though it has a little to do with nature.  You know the myth about crying babies triggering a mothers' milk?  Um yea, it's true.  See, there was another baby there as well.  A three week old (and you think I'm nuts bringing a 6 monther?).  The newborn crying during our second night there, with the distinct pitch of wehhh wehhh wehh, had my 6 days of no production boobs leaking.  All over.  With clogged ducts that were hard and oh so painful.  I couldn't relieve myself by feeding the little guy because I'd been drinking all day, and my pump was back home.  I managed to find some relief by hand expressing (ouch) and using some warm compresses.   Looking back, it's kind of hilarious but that night I didn't know how I'd make it through.   But alas, I have survived.  I look forward to going back next year hopefully with more next generation campers.  As my friend's dad said - with these little ones comes a whole new era.

Thank you everyone, we had so much fun!

We'll miss you.

I am tired and Mommy's beer is empty.  So until next year!