Impromtu Family Road Trip

Thursday evening we came across several new rental properties in the Pittsburgh area via Craigslist. After calling, we discovered that the rental market is wicked hot right now and good properties have contracts within a few days.

With impending homelessness weighing heavily on our minds, Jeremy and I decided at the last minute we would make our first family trip to Pittsburgh and scope out seven rental properties.

First thing Friday morning we packed our little 3-week old cub in the car for the 4+ hour drive to Pennsylvania. He slept in the car and we pulled off to feed him half way through. We were hoping to make it the rest of the way with him napping but we got stuck in traffic for the last half hour of our trip, which incidentally cut into his eating time. Cue baby melt down.

Upon finally arriving at our first rental - I scooped up our very sweaty baby (with him rear facing in a black car seat the sun beat in on him and it was very hard to get air circulating back there) and headed inside. The owner had a 20 month old and was very accommodating. I BREAST FED MY BABY IN A STRANGERS BEDROOM LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES AFTER MEETING HER.

and thus begins the making of a suburban Mamma and baby figuring it out in the big city.

We stayed in a hotel, disturbed the neighbors with a crying infant and my boy shot projectile baby poo all over two changing pads and onto the hotel comforter. Jeremy and I were too busy laughing hysterically at the massive fart sounds coming out of our kid to notice the shrapnel and wonder if we were going to be charged for the splattered yellow mess.

Saturday Owen spent almost 12 hours in his car seat being carted from place to place and then for the long drive home.

I fed him in the backseat of the car in the middle of a business district TWICE.

Jeremy changed his diaper on another strangers kitchen counter (no explosions, thank goodness)

Owen had his first lunch date at a restaurant and spent some much-needed time out of the carrier being snuggled by his Mamma. He displayed perfect table manners.

It was hard, I'm not gonna lie. Being bound to a car with no where to cuddle and nap was very hard on all of us. Having a tiny baby who feeds every 2-3 hours makes an already stressful situation even more complicated. Changing a poop machine in the backseat of a small sedan IS CHALLENGING. Being car-bound and disoriented in another state with our little one and none of the comforts of home made us sad. But we made it.

And the good news is, 48 hours later - we are no longer homeless and Jeremy and I have a new found sense of confidence after our first road trip with our newborn.

Today is spent doing nothing but snuggling our little man.

What a trooper he was.

What a trooper we all were.