Hot Summer Days

It's been about 100 kazillion degrees for days now and I've about had it. I believe officials recommend that babies and the elderly stay indoors when it gets to this point. So here we are, indoors. I'm starting to think I need more toys for my little lady. I'm also wishing we had some more floor space for her to roll around. What I really wish is that we could be relaxing at a lakeside cottage or ocean front condo. As Sheryl Crow sang in her 1996 album, "a change would do you good."

The summer is quickly passing by and I'm realizing this is a summer of missed weddings, baby showers and outdoor concerts. These are all completely acceptable sacrifices but have made for a pretty unbooked kinda summer. We have one trip planned to Canada to visit family and I'm counting the days until we depart (12). I will be getting on a plane for the first time since last October and my daughter will be getting on a plane for the first time ever (although I guess she was technically on a lot of planes while I was pregnant).

The places we flew as one unit include:

• Omaha, Nebraska
• New York, New York
• Dublin, Ireland
• Los Angeles, California
• Ottawa, Canada
• Battle Creek, Michigan
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Montreal, Canada - the last hurrah.

I used to love leaving Washington and the feeling of being somewhere different. I must admit that I'm missing that lifestyle and am having to remind myself that this stage won't last forever. But I also have to remember it will never be the way it was before either. No more care free trips and unplanned adventures.

I was considering going to New York for my friend' baby shower last Sunday but ended up deciding against it because I couldn't imagine being away from my daughter for 12 hours. Since she was born 7 months ago, I haven't been apart from her for longer than a 2 hour stretch (embarrassing, but true), so adding an additional 10 would have been way too challenging for me. As much as I want to be getting on planes and exploring new territory, I have to admit I am addicted to my baby. These days won't last forever and I certainly don't want to be looking back in the future and wishing I'd appreciated them more.