Part 1: The Ride

We (my parents, my brother's family, and my family) had planned a short road trip to visit family and friends a few hours away. We planned it months ago. I should've known the plan was doomed when (a) my mom's company unexpectedly put a moratorium on all vacation time for the next two months, (2) my dad injured his foot weeks before and dashed all chances of taking vacation days, and (3) Tim had to take a trip to California the same week for work. I had wanted to see two good friends and most of my family in the area, but I chopped my plan in half when I realized I'd have to drive by myself, with Rain, of course. We decided my brother, his family (including their 4-month-old daughter), and my grandma would drive in one car, and Rain & me would follow in the other.

Let me go ahead and break it down for those of you who have never travelled with an infant under 4 months of age:
1. Don't.
2. If you must, realize that you will end up packing approximately two tons of kid gear, and at some point in the trip, you'll still say, "How could I forget her ___? Of course she'll need her ____! Dummy, dummy, dummy!" Memo to me: How many times will I forget to pack dishwashing soap? Bottles don't get cleaned on their own, honey. Was this not the second time I've had to rummage the hallways at 3 a.m. hoping the poor desk clerk will let me in the kitchen for some soap? Ay!
3. If you still insist on traveling, do NOT go it alone. On a normally 4-hour trip, our caravan stopped every 30-45 minutes. Rain ran through her bottles quick-like and insisted that I change her diaper every hour (why this surprised me when she does the exact same thing at home, I don't know). She cried from boredom, teething, gas, and the lack of kites in the air--just about everything, it seemed. My sister-in-law was kind enough to ride in the back with Rain for a while to keep her entertained (notice: she had to leave her own peaceful 4-month-old to do this). If I had to drive all by myself, who knows how many more times I would've had to pull over?

Once we got into the city, traffic was hideous. We hit it at rush hour (again, this was not part of the plan), and by then my brother had veered off on another road to stay the night with his in-laws. Rain & I inched along the highway--exactly 2o minutes from our hotel--while she wailed over the infliction of another dirty diaper. Tim asked me a few weeks ago, "How long do you think Rain would cry non-stop over a dirty diaper?"

Answer: 20 minutes.

The second I turned the ignition off in the hotel parking lot, Rain fell silent. I gripped the steering wheel, bowed my head, and said a catchphrase Tim & I began a while back:

"That's messed up, Rain."


PS- As much as it pains me to admit it, I can't blame Rain for whining. Who wants to sit in a car seat (sweat included) seeing the same scenery for 5-6 hours? Yeah, me neither.