Baby On Tour

Living at the intersection of three jurisdictions, it's easy to start racking up one's state count at a young age. By day one, Xavier had been born in Maryland and returned home to the District. Various appointments and activities in the first several weeks led to numerous trips back and forth between and around the two. At two weeks of age he went apple picking in the country, and a few weeks later joined us on a 250-mile tour of the Eastern Shore. Soon enough he'd also been across the river to Virginia to see cousins and up to Baltimore for Thanksgiving.

Since then, however, Mid-Atlantic Baby has become Intermountain West Baby, having spent a third of his 4-month life out there, with most of that in Idaho. We've been fortunate to see all of his aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, 3 of 4 great-grandparents, and a huge number of other relatives in our recent travels. He's been greatly adored all along the way.

And what a way it's been!

By four months of age Xavier will have crossed the country six times, logging 12 flight segments, over 3,000 miles on the road, and around 75 miles on subway and commuter trains. He's been through 9 states and the District (though Texas and Kentucky are weak claims from layovers). He's passed through 9 airports (including all three in the DC area) as well as Union Station. He's crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Hoover Dam. He's seen snow and freezing winds as well as warm sunny days and cacti all in the same month. He's been to a funeral and he's seen babies younger than him.

And through it all, he's been remarkably well-mannered and adaptable.

The pace of travel will no doubt slow very soon, and he'll have to get reacquainted with DC, but it's been a remarkable time together as a family. We have so much enjoyed seeing our relatives and giving them the opportunity to meet our son. We've enjoyed seeing the country.

The only sad thing is that years down the road, Xavier won't remember any of this, except through the photos and stories we've recorded. But hopefully our travels and his good temperament will continue in the future as we build many more adventures together.

Christmas Travels for Family

I made it out west to be with Cherry and Xavier, and we've been on tour ever since. It's been refreshing to see all my far-flung siblings even though we ostensibly came out to have Christmas with Cherry's folks. We spent a day with Alyssa and Coreen after I got into Salt Lake, getting to spend the night at each of their places, seeing Isaac play as Joseph in a nativity presentation with his Joy School group, hitting the ward Christmas party and playing with the nieces and nephews. Plus, Alyssa made these awesome spinach balls that are sure to be a finger-food hit at many future social events, since pretty much everyone who tasted them asked for the recipe.

On Sunday we saw our good friend (and distant cousin) Russ on the way up through Salt Lake to Idaho, and he got to meet little Xavier for the first time too. He left DC while Cherry was pregnant so it was a treat for all of us to meet back up along the way. Sitting in Church singing the congregational hymns together made me miss the many many times we'd joined our voices in the past.

Fog enveloped the route to Rupert, but fortunately no snow, and we made a quick pit stop with Cherry's parents for dinner. With weather looking promising for our trip to Oregon, we continued on to Boise to stay the night with Karma, one of Cherry's friends growing up who was living out in DC when we got married but had returned out west.

Finally on Monday we made it out to Oregon before the storm hit, bringing at least an inch or two of snow and rendering the landscape even more enchanting. The bulk of my nieces and nephews are here and I'm amazed how they've grown, even in the brief six months since we saw them last. It required a good bit of travel, but I'm really glad we came, since moments together with Shannon and CarrieAnn's families don't come often. Amazingly, in only three months Xavier has already hit six states (half of them large western ones at that!). In January we'll add a seventh and perhaps eighth. Last night was filled with games and fun (and laundry, which needs to be done even on vacation when you've got a baby in cloth diapers). Today we're getting ready to build a gingerbread house castle, and Marc has engineered quite the fortress.

We're at the beginning of our life with kids, and it's interesting to glimpse at what life will be like in five to ten years as they grow in number and age. The holidays in many ways are more fun with children, whose excitement and activities make the season special. Last night we made clay ornaments, including one for Xavier's first Christmas: a footprint of his, now captured in time. He'll grow and our life will continue to change as the years go by, but that will remind us year after year of our sweet little child who was with us this Christmas.