Planes, trains and automobiles-our journey to Vermont

Elliott and Daddy at the wedding.

At the Equinox Pond, Vermont.  From left to right: (Brooke, Elise, Carolyn, JC (the groom), Lauren (the bride), Meg, Eileen, Courtney and Christa.

Elliott sleeping during the ceremony.  It only lasted that long....She cried the rest of the reception.

The most gorgeous setting for a wedding and reception.  The Equinox Pond, Vermont.  It poured down rain all morning until the ceremony, was sunny and beautiful during the ceremony and then poured during the reception.  Luckily, the reception was indoors!  

This weekend the Wiegard clan and Babbie and Pop traveled to Vermont for my college roommate, Lauren's wedding.  Our journey began in Roanoke as Spence, Elliott and I drove to Charlottesville to meet up with Babbie and Pop and fly out.  So we drove 2 hours to Charlottesville and then flew on a 30-minute flight to Wash-Dulles Airport to connect and then fly for one hour and 1/2 to Albany, NY.  Now I know what you're thinking...Why didn't you fly out of Roanoke?  Well, because it was $200 per ticket cheaper to do so, that's why.  And anyone who has flown with an infant, let me tell you, it is a complete cluster.  We had our checked baggage, her car seat, the snap-n-go stroller (again, the best $50 I ever spent at Wal-mart.), her diaper bag, my carry on, the Baby Bjourn in case she got fussy, our nice camera, and Spencer's brief case.  It took 20 minutes for us to disassemble and get through airport security.  Upon the advice of numerous parent and our pediatrician, I nursed her through the entire first flight.  No screaming babies for us!  The second flight provided a little more tricky and I tried to nurse her through our descent into Albany.  But poor Elliott's ears didn't pop and she screamed while we tried to deboard the plane.  Then we began our 1 hour and 45 minute drive to Dorset, Vermont, the sight of the wedding festivities.  Let me reiterate the traveling we had done:  2 hour drive to Charlottesville, two flights and now an hour and 45 minute drive.  Needless to say we were exhausted when we FINALLY got to our lovely Bed and Breakfast:  The Squire House.

What a sanctuary it was!  Roger and Gay Squire were amazing inn-keepers.  They were so sweet and they even had a little crib all set up for our arrival.  The crib had a pink and green toile bumper pad and bed skirt!  So nice.  The next day Babbie and I and my other college roommate Brooke and her mother, Sherry, hosted a bridal luncheon for Lauren.  Brooke had warned me that Sherry would probably steal my baby for the weekend and right she was!  Sherry became our surrogate grandmother and certainly had the magic touch with baby Elliott!  She held Elliott as much as she could (Hint: Brooke-someone is ready to be a grandmother!  Watch out!)  

Surrogate Grandmother Sherry and Elliott-fussing but soon to fall into a deep sleep!

The Denison girls at the Bridal Luncheon:  From left to right: Courtney, Christa, Lauren (the bride!), Meg, Carolyn and Brooke.

It is always tough when you are away from home and your baby is out of her routine.  Well, Elliott also decided to begin teething this weekend.  Fabulous.  Spencer had thought she had an ear infection because she was getting severely fussy at night and grabbing at her ear and screaming.  So I took her to the doctor the day before we left just to be sure we weren't dealing with an infection.  Come to find out that when babies teethe, it is worse at night, they scream bloody murder and grab at their faces, especially their ears.  Our poor little girl is deep into teething.  So Elliott, whose ears weren't done popping and was teething was having none of this variation in routine and in a new place.  She hated the rehearsal dinner and cried through most of it.  Even though we FINALLY got a cute white bow in her hair and she looked adorable, you can see the look on her face below that will just illustrate her discomfort.  Spence and I took turns walking around trying to settle her down.  (Side note:  I have now nursed in just about every location possible:  hotel bars, airports, rental cars, hotel bathrooms, and flying at 28,00o feet.  I am the master nurser!)

But Elliott is a champ.  She slept through the night all three nights and we had to wake her up this morning at 6:30a to leave to begin our long journey back 1 hour and 45 minutes to Albany, on two flights and then 2 hours back to Roanoke.  She was a trooper and hardly complained the entire trip back.  She was so happy to be home (so were Mommy and Daddy) and to see all her furry brothers and sisters.  No official sightings of any pearly whites yet but man, they have to be on their way!  We'll keep you posted!  To the Bride and Groom-it was worth the trip.  We had a wonderful time and would do it again in a heart beat.  We wouldn't have missed this fabulous weekend for the world and were so honored to be a part of it all.  We can't wait to tell Elliott about everything she got to experience in Vermont!