Midland Madness

Bentley and I were lucky enough to visit my parents in Midland last weekend over the Martin Luther King holiday. My sister Brittany and her husband Colby were also able to drive home from Lubbock to spend the weekend with us. I LOVED being home and getting to spend time with my family, but I felt guilty for making the trip home because along with our luggage we also brought an awful stomach bug. Bentley and I were both really sick the night before we left and poor John spent the entire night taking care of Bentley and his throw up while I recovered in bed. We were both able to get over throwing up before we left, but neither one of us felt 100% and sure enough we infected both my dad and Colby before our trip was over. So sorry!

Shortly after getting to Midland, Bentley got such severe diarrhea that I could barely get one diaper and outfit changed before I had to change another one. What's worse is that he WOULD NOT eat and he was getting really dehydrated. By day 3 we were all getting pretty worried about him, and after talking to my pediatrician I decided to take him to the hospital. Sure enough, as soon as we got there he finally decided it was time to drink so we didn't have to stay for long! Thankfully a family friend (who also happens to be a pediatrician) was able to meet us at the hospital and clear him to go home. He didn't fully recover until after we got home so I was pretty stressed and concerned about him the entire time we were in Midland, but we did manage to still have a lot of fun and it's always nice to have mom around for help and comfort during an illness!

I made the decision to take Bentley to the hospital when I spotted him doing this with everyone:

Bentley does not cuddle, so when I walked into the living room and saw him just laying on Aunt Brittany's chest (without protesting) I knew that something was wrong. However, I am happy to report that ever since this incident Bentley now cuddles with me even if it's only for a few seconds at a time. I'll take whatever I can get!

Enough about being sick...Bentley sure loved all of the hugs and kisses that he got from Nana and all of the attention that he got from Papa and the rest of my family. He especially adored his Aunt Brittany and her long hair! It kept him entertained for as long as she was willing to sit there and let him run his fingers through it. He was really drawn to Brittany right off the bat. I think it's because he knows she's pregnant with his future cousin and playmate (we're crossing our fingers that it's a boy!)

Aunt Brittany

Uncle Colby

My brother, Travis also lives in Midland with his family so Bentley was able to meet them and perform Uncle Travis' trademark baby trick...

What would a trip to Nana's house be without getting measured on the growth chart. He is officially the shortest marking on the board.

A trip home also wouldn't be the same if Papa wasn't around to provide endless entertainment for the grandkids.

We left on the day of President Obama's inauguration, and were thrilled to be welcomed to the airport by this beauty:

Yes folks, that's Air Force One parked at Midland International Airport. Since Midland is President Bush's hometown, he decided to make his farewell speech there before heading off to his ranch. We were lucky that I was even able to catch my flight because they had almost every road to the airport blocked off. We got there just in time to watch Air Force One land and President and Laura Bush get out and wave to the crowds. I captured pictures of them with my cell phone, but you can't make out the images. It wasn't until after they got into their caravan to leave that I realized my real camera was sitting right on the top of my suitcase. O'well, at least I got one decent picture of the plane.

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us invade your home for a few days. We sure miss you and wish that we lived closer! Someday...