Lest you think our stress unfounded, because it often can be, Wren almost screamed for three straight hours on the way there. What. A. Pill.
We pulled over multiple times, fed her, listened to music, but nothing was working. It was a little bit traumatizing for Layne and I, but we are so glad we did not turn around! Even once we eventually arrived at 1AM, and Wren was so worked up from screaming that she did not go down. Layne had to get a hotel room so Hayley, myself, and Hayley's roommate could sleep.
Once we were in St. George she did a lot better than expected with sleeping (prayers were answered!). The condo we stayed in with Layne's brother, Hillarie, and Kailey had the perfect set up and we were able to have Wren sleep in a giant closet away from the noise!
My sister took Friday off work so we spent most of the day with her while Layne took a long nap due to being up most of the night with Wren....! Once Layne's brother, fiance, and cousin arrived we went to dinner to get to know the fiance better.
Living away from family definitely has its perks, but we are sad we've missed Shannon's and now Sam's (Layne's sister and brother) engagements. Getting to know the new additions to the family is a lot of fun and we expect to do a lot more of it! Of course everyone knows the real reason family wants to see us is for the little princess herself, but we're more than ok with that.
Living away from family definitely has its perks, but we are sad we've missed Shannon's and now Sam's (Layne's sister and brother) engagements. Getting to know the new additions to the family is a lot of fun and we expect to do a lot more of it! Of course everyone knows the real reason family wants to see us is for the little princess herself, but we're more than ok with that.
Saturday we did one of our favorite hikes in St.George to Turtle Wall.
It's one of the best easy hikes in the metro area, and so easy to get to we rarely pass up the chance to wander. Most people know it as a climbing park, but it's so much more! To get there, start up Highway 18 (Bluff St.) and make a left turn into the trailhead just past Red Hills Pkwy.
It started raining as we neared our turnaround point, so we had to seek refuge in a red rock alcove. It was magic! I love the red rock when it rains, and the desert smelled amazing.
I hiked up to the top of the ledge and took a few moments to myself. I have really struggled lately because Wren has been such a hard kid. She has never slept through the night, eaten very well, and is pretty fussy throughout the day if you are not playing right next to her. Some days I feel so beaten up. I thought a lot about how I just have to be a good mom to her, no matter what. All too often I let her whine at my feet while I rush to do laundry, clean, or make lists. I just need to chill. I need to stop comparing her to other kids, and stop comparing myself to other moms. The desert really does wonders on the soul!
We all took pictures of the freshly washed sandstone until the cell blew over and made our way back to the trailhead. Wren took particular delight in "holding" Dessa's leash. It started to rain again as we packed into the cars to head home.
The rest of the weekend was mostly uneventful, but priceless as we continued to see friends and catch up on each other's lives. I love Southern Utah and hope Layne's gets a job at Zion NP one of these years!
Thanks to many wonders of the world, Wren slept for three straight hours until we were just an hour outside of Flagstaff on the return trip, where we stopped to all stretch our legs and explore the old bridge we've passed a couple dozen times but never paused to inspect closely.
It's one of the best easy hikes in the metro area, and so easy to get to we rarely pass up the chance to wander. Most people know it as a climbing park, but it's so much more! To get there, start up Highway 18 (Bluff St.) and make a left turn into the trailhead just past Red Hills Pkwy.
It started raining as we neared our turnaround point, so we had to seek refuge in a red rock alcove. It was magic! I love the red rock when it rains, and the desert smelled amazing.
I hiked up to the top of the ledge and took a few moments to myself. I have really struggled lately because Wren has been such a hard kid. She has never slept through the night, eaten very well, and is pretty fussy throughout the day if you are not playing right next to her. Some days I feel so beaten up. I thought a lot about how I just have to be a good mom to her, no matter what. All too often I let her whine at my feet while I rush to do laundry, clean, or make lists. I just need to chill. I need to stop comparing her to other kids, and stop comparing myself to other moms. The desert really does wonders on the soul!
We all took pictures of the freshly washed sandstone until the cell blew over and made our way back to the trailhead. Wren took particular delight in "holding" Dessa's leash. It started to rain again as we packed into the cars to head home.
The rest of the weekend was mostly uneventful, but priceless as we continued to see friends and catch up on each other's lives. I love Southern Utah and hope Layne's gets a job at Zion NP one of these years!
Thanks to many wonders of the world, Wren slept for three straight hours until we were just an hour outside of Flagstaff on the return trip, where we stopped to all stretch our legs and explore the old bridge we've passed a couple dozen times but never paused to inspect closely.
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Wren was only happy if she got to hold the leash       |
I think every parent thinks their first kid is the hardest kid ever. Things will get better! You are a great mom, never forget that!
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