Mexico

If you had asked me a few years ago if I would take a 6 month baby to Mexico, I would have said no way. Well, times have changed. Last winter, my good friend Chrissy got engaged to her boyfriend Travis. I was so thrilled for her, Travis is a great guy and I knew they had a great relationship. Given Chrissy's adventurous spirit, I wasn't surprised at all when she started talking about a destination wedding. She and Travis decided on Riviera Maya in November 2009 and I was so honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid. At the time I was pregnant with Braeden and I quickly did the math on how old he would be when the wedding came around...6 months...hmm, would I be ready to leave him then...probably not. So, lucky for me, I have an amazing mom, who was happy to tag along on the trip, to be our on call babysitter. I am so glad I decided to bring Braeden. Since I stay home with him during the days, he is very attached to his mom, which I love :-) Additionally, I am still breastfeeding, and I wasn't sure about the effectiveness and logistics of pumping to keep my milk supply up. Lastly, Braeden is still struggling in the sleeping department, especially when other people try to put him to sleep, so I definitely would have worried a lot had we left him in Denver. All in all, I was glad to have him with me for 4 days in Mexico. Might the trip have been more relaxing without him...probably. Would it have been as good...no way!

So, on Wednesday morning, November 18th, Chad, Braeden, Grandma and I headed to the airport for the little guy's first international trip. Did you know they require infants to get passports!! The crazy thing is that they are good for 6 years, like it will look like him at all. It will be a good memento for the memory box. Luckily for us, Braeden has been a great plane traveler so far. With one trip to Wisconsin and now the trip to Mexico under our belts, I can honestly say he hasn't really cried at all on the plane.

The resort we stayed at was very nice and super kid friendly. They provided a crib in the room and they even had highchairs at all of the restaurants (and it was the same highchair we have at home.) We got to take Braeden swimming for the first time. They had a kids pool area with shallow, warm water and Braeden really liked that area. He was super cute in his swim trunks and sun hat. I am already looking forward to swimming with him this summer.

Chad and I stayed busy with all of the pre-wedding hoopla. There was a welcome party on Thursday, the Rehearsal Dinner on Friday and the Wedding on Saturday. Additionally, Chrissy took all of the bridesmaids on a snorkel cruise on Friday morning. That was such a great, relaxing time for me to hang out with the girls. I can't tell you the last time I sat in the sun, no worries, for 3 hours. It was great. All of Chrissy's bridesmaids were awesome too. We had so much fun hanging out.

As expected, the wedding was beautiful and Chrissy looked amazing. They got married at sunset on the beach and everything went perfectly.

A few funny things...a tractor that picks up seaweed, drove right behind the ceremony area just before the bridesmaids started walking down. Also, there was a nudist colony a few resorts down from our resort. Apparently, the nudists like to wear banana hammocks when they clothe. I didn't see them, but there was a couple standing 30 yards from the ceremony making out, and the man was wearing his g-string swimsuit. Chad thought it was humorous enough to take a picture :-)

The reception was a lot of fun. Great company, good music and lots of dancing. Overall, it was a great wedding. I am soo happy for Chrissy and Travis. I look forward to lots of fun years ahead as married couples.

The trip back to Denver ran into a couple slight glitches. Mainly, that our plane was delayed 3 hours and almost didn't take off. Apparently, the flight attendants oxygen mask wouldn't stay up in the compartment, and legally, they can't fly with it dangling down. Thank goodness, they found a way to fly at a lower altitude to get us back to Denver that night. I was so thankful, as I was definitely ready to get home. It was a great trip, but I was glad to get back to our own beds (and crib) and back into our routine.

I want to thank my mom again for coming with us. She was a godsend. We definitely couldn't have gotten by without her. Thanks for being a great mom and an amazing grandma. I love you!