All-Star Week

The all-star "break" has never left me as weary as this one did.  Matt, Sienna, and I traveled to Buffalo, NY for the Triple-A All-Star festivities.  I am certainly not unappreciative for the opportunity to have experienced the endless luncheons, galas, pre-parties, after-parties, and of course baseball games, but three sleepless nights will color anything (no matter how fun) a bit negative.  Our dear Sienna mastered night time sleeping months and months ago, a fact that I will be eternally grateful to her for.  However, she will not sleep in the same room as us.  She woke up 2-3 times a night all three nights.  I thought I was ready for another baby, but those sleepless nights have me doubting that optimistic idea.  Wow, were we tired.  

There is a silver lining though.  The second night we brought her in to bed with us, she would not be content unless she was completely draped over me, which was kind of frustrating because I can not sleep like that.  Twice during the night, she had almost dozed off apart from me, but then she woke up, crawled over to me and tenderly laid her head on top of my head, cheek to cheek.  In those moments, complete heart-bursting love replaced any frustration that was left in me.  I will never forget her sweet desire to be as close to me as possible.

In spite of our exhausting nights, the all-star events were fun and we were treated wonderfully. But the best part was the time we spent with family!  Matt's Uncle Rick and Aunt Denise came up with their daughter, Bianca, Denise's brother, Bob, and his son, Michael.  Also, my mom's family lives in Buffalo, NY!  So my Aunt Elizabeth and cousins, Tyler and Nicole attended the home-run derby and then brought my Grandma to visit one day.  I can sincerely say that this experience would not have been the same sitting in the stands by myself.  Matt and I felt so blessed to celebrate his outstanding season with loved ones.  

Nicole, Tyler, and Aunt Elizabeth

Grandma, Sienna, and me.  Three generations!

Uncle Rick, Bob, Aunt Denise, Michael, and Bianca

                                               

The fun didn't end in Buffalo!  Matt, Sienna, and I then traveled to Indianapolis for the Clippers five game series.  Matt had to play a double-header the day we arrived after four hours of sleep, a 7 am flight, and 2 1/2 hour lay-over.  Gotta love triple-A baseball ; )  
But lo and behold, Sienna slept through the night all three nights we were there.  No, she didn't just miraculously figure out how to sleep with us.  Don't give her that much credit!  I had the brilliant idea to shove her crib in to the bathroom and close the door.  The magic of the closed door kept Sienna asleep all night.  And thank God because I am pretty confident Matt would have sent us packing back to Columbus, if not.  So now we know to only stay at hotels where the closet or bathroom is big enough to put Sienna in.  The best part is Matt peed in a cup twice and I had to hold it since Sienna was in the bathroom.  One day we will look back and laugh : )
Matt's dad, Vince, came to Indy and had an adjoining room, so we had a lot of fun spending substantial quality time with him.  As wonderful as it was to see family and travel and spend extra time with Matt, I've never been so ready to get back to Columbus and back to our so-called "normal" life.

Sienna gouging out Grandpa's eye

A new scrunchie face!  How exciting!

Sienna Climbing

Now maybe this is normal for a 10 month old...I really can't be sure.  But normal, average, or not, I was impressed!

Happy 3rd of July?

Here in Columbus, Ohio they put on a huge event every year called "Red White and Boom" for the 4th of July, but the funny/odd thing is that it is on July 3rd.  Nevertheless, Sienna and I took part in the festivities, July 4th or not.  Matt was out of town, and so again I found myself incredibly grateful to be a part of such an amazing team of baseball players who just happen to have awesome wives!  Even better, most of the other wives have babies!  As it turns out I am not the "old wife with a kid" as I had feared several months ago. : ) 
So on July 3rd, Sienna and I trekked (if not for the energy-sapping heat it would be a leisurely stroll, not a trek) over to Alice Ray's apartment where the 4th of July parade would be coming by.  Sure enough a bit after six o'clock, here they came.  Now "they" consisted of a couple of marching bands, a few beauty queens, an absurd number of semi trucks honking their obnoxious horns, and my personal favorite, a real life bearded Jesus atop a hill overlooking the earth as "God Bless America" played in the background.  Alas, I have frequented better parades, but Sienna especially enjoyed the marching bands, as did I.  We went home before the fireworks started, but definitely heard and even caught a glimpse of them from our downtown apartment. Sienna reacted a bit apprehensively towards the fireworks, but was not terrified either.
So July 4th rolls around, and I thought to myself, "Certainly, there will be some festivities going on downtown.  Afterall, it is ACTUALLY the 4th today."  Nothing, nada, zip.  Downtown was empty.  It strikes me as so funny...even now as I write this.
The 4th of July is my favorite holiday and though the 3rd was fun, how I do crave a good ole' fashioned 4th of July BBQ in Florida with friends and family.  But I do have something to look forward to...Matt told me when he was out of baseball, we would make up for the 4th's I've spent not celebrating my favorite day of the year.  I hope he knows what he's promising...boats, beaches, lakes, watermelon, cheeseburgers, sparklers, jet skis, and sweet tea.  That is what the 4th of July is to me.  As my friend, Chris Breslin so eloquently stated on his facebook status yesterday, "Freedom tastes like watermelon."

Sienna in Pictures

Sienna's favorite place to play...

at the window, behind the shades!

The best picture of my favorite people

10 Month Old Sienna

Sienna turned 10 months old yesterday, July 4th.  How did that happen?  It's slightly (actually wholly) devastating.  As I held her yesterday and breathed in her sweetness, sadness overcame me.  Yes...sadness.  I realized I only have a few more years of holding her close- you know, REALLY holding her.  Down the road all I will get is hugs and occasionally she might sit in my lap, but that can't possibly compare to wrapping her whole body in my arms and breathing her in, can it?  I think not.  In just the last few days, I have so much more compassion for my own mother.  She says I stopped cuddling before I was two years old.  I fear Sienna is well on her way to that sort of expression of independence.  Before, I rolled my eyes when my mom struggled with or grieved over the steps that led me to a new stage of maturity (going to college, getting married, moving away, etc.), now I will commiserate with her.  As a matter of fact, I probably owe her an apology over those rolling eyes and maybe I even need to let her hold me a little more often.  

So in conclusion, Sienna is only 10 months old...it would seem I have plenty more years left to cradle my baby, but I have a sinking feeling that 10 years will go by and it will have felt like 10 months.