Toddler Log: 2 Years and 18 Weeks Old

Marlie missed school this entire week. She was sick the first half of the week with what turned out to be a double ear infection. Some ibuprofen and antibiotics and she was on the road to wellness. Then on Thursday the two of us had a red-eye flight to Miami. I felt like a villain taking her on a plane when she wasn't 100%, but we bought these tickets last-minute after my brother was released from jail. I think I mentioned him on my blog before. He has been languishing in jail for 11 months on bogus charges and lacked decent legal representation until recently. His new private attorney is aces. Within a few weeks he was able to secure bail for my bro after demonstrating to a judge all the flaws in the case and the conspicuous lack of evidence. The judge stopped short of dismissing the case, but he did grant bail which is huge for his type of felony charge.

Anyway, I haven't seen my brother in three years. He's never met Marlie. I was determined to get to Miami before the holiday travel rush. Then Marlie got sick. We saw the pediatrician on Tuesday morning and she gave us the okay to fly on Thursday. If you think traveling with a toddler is rough, try traveling alone with a toddler while 5.5 months pregnant. On the flight, Marlie would not sit in her seat (that we paid for) and she would not go to sleep (except the last 15 minutes of the flight). I deplane with a toddler slung over one shoulder and a backpack on the other. I make my way slowly to baggage claim where I pick up the car seat and our suitcase. Thanks to the Smart Carte we make it to the rental car shuttle without incident. The shuttle drops us off at the rental car facility located outside the airport. There are no carts, and our agency is on the bottom floor. A nice lady helps us down the escalator. I find the line and it's 12-15 people deep. I put Marlie down and rummage in my bag for my reservation papers. She takes the opportunity to run off. I catch up with her halfway down the terminal. By the time we get back in line, six more people are in front of us. I am sweaty, frustrated, and exhausted. I am balancing a cranky Marlie on my hip when a concierge from the rental car agency comes by. She sees Marlie whining and tells me that Santa Claus  is here and asks would I like for her to go get him to cheer Marlie up. I give her a look that I hope causes her ovaries to shiver in terror. Look, lady who obviously doesn't have any kids judging by your perfect figure...when you see an obviously pregnant woman standing in line and struggling to calm another kid, you DO NOT offer her Santa freaking Claus! You offer to hold her place in line while she goes to sit down!!! Luckily, a sweet couple up front remembered I was in front of them and beckoned me over. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers! Concierge lady saw this and it must have made her feel guilty because she carried our bag and car seat to the car. Things didn't get better though. I split my pants while getting the car seat in place, and I almost got lost on the way to my mom's house. Our trip to Whole Foods for provisions was just as stressful (and Whole Foods usually makes me serene). By the time I pulled up in front of my mom's house three hours after leaving the airport, I was beat up. But when I saw my brother's face, I knew it was all worth it and I'd go through it again.

Miami is the same. Warm and sunny and just electric.So how did our visit go? Let me preface with this statement: I love my family, but they drive me crazy. They are loud and disorderly whereas I am quiet and orderly. I never felt like I fit into my family dynamics and this trip has proven my feelings correct once again. After three days of fighting for space to put Marlie down for naps and bedtime and having my family constantly overstimulating her and/or barging into the room were she was sleeping...I left and checked into a hotel. It was for the best. We need our own space and my mom's house was just overcrowded and too noisy. Anyway, we did have a good time in between the chaotic parts. We went to the park, flea market, visited neighbors, Marlie played with her cousins, and tomorrow I am taking her to the beach before we head back to Texas. All in all, our trip was a fun kind of torture. I only see my family once a year and I usually can put up with their b.s., but being pregnant has shortened my fuse. I will post pics this week.