Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go

With my mom and baby in tow...

Tomorrow I start a week and a half of traveling for work. First stop Minnesota. My mom and Natalie will be joining me for this visit, which as I write this, I still have second thoughts about. I'm very happy that I have a baby who is easy to travel with and a mom who is willing to drop everything and babysit in a hotel room in a city she doesn't know. What will they do all day with no car and no knowledge of their surroundings? Play. Play in the room, in the lobby, at the neighboring hotel, on a bus to the Mall of America - there are options. Not great options in the cold, but options. Selfishly I think it would be nice to leave them home...

My mom will bring Natalie home on Thursday and the family will start their week of babysitting...because Phil is meeting me in Minnesota and we are heading to London for a week. I'm working and Phil decided to come along for the weekend. It is the first time I'll be away from Natalie for longer than a work day. It will be harder on me than her, I hope.

I'll report back with photos of both locations. My mom, Natalie and I are staying in a nice hotel in Minnesota. I've heard the beds are wonderful, so I hope Natalie will cooperate and we will both sleep like babies. Phil and I will be staying just outside of London and are looking forward to full days of sightseeing, eating and drinking. I'm thinking we will be even more tired upon our return than I am right now...although, I'm not sure that is humanly possible.

Dance Party

Natalie loves to dance. Any time she hears music she starts to bop around. My brother took a video of her rocking out to Paul Simon - you can find it on you tube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YSTeJT89s

I also took a little video of her dancing to the music her piano plays

Enjoy the show

Grandma + Nanny = granny?

While we were searching for a nanny my mom stepped in and babysat. She is a trooper, getting up early every morning for a week to come and watch little Natalie. On top of that, she has taken Natalie outside to put the snow suit we bought to good use. They go on walks and play in the back yard. Natalie is in shear heaven - she loves my mom and gets super excited when she sees her.

Our new nanny started on Monday (yea!) . She is working part time this week, so that Natalie "eases" into it. Monday was a half day, then we are adding an extra hour every day so that Natalie gets comfortable with it. My mom has, again, been coming over to help out when the nanny leaves, and she hasn't even complained!

While I was completely stressed out over the holidays looking for nanny (and knowing that I wouldn't find one in time), my brother, the God Father (or Ga as Natalie calls him), reminded me that the reason you live by family is so that they can help at times like this. It is so true. I was nice knowing that my mom, dad, and he were willing to come and help out when needed.