I'm here! On the bright side, my Mom's computer is kind of working for me. However, the space bar is having issues so my typing is painfully slow.

We got up at 6:30am on Wednesday morning and the limo picked us up at 9am. Normally I really like the limo company that we use, but this time they ignored our request for a rear facing car seat and installed a forward facing one. Those are only supposed to be used for babies over one year old. So, our trip to the airport was completely unsafe. *growls*

We got to the airport around 10am and there was no check in line for our airline (Midwest). We quickly got our tickets and headed for security. We declared our baby food and formula and then took the elevator up to the security line. Because we had a baby, we were allowed to cut in line. Now I know why. Carrying a squirming baby through security, removing shoes, and dealing with carry on items is not an easy feat. But we managed to get through it.

After getting into the terminal section of LAX, we grabbed some breakfast at Burger King. We then went to the bathroom and found out that there were no baby changing stations in the men's rooms there. *sigh* We waited for our flight (which was on time) and got to pre-board with Gabriel. Once we got his car seat/stroller combo fastened in to his seat, we were good to go. At the beginning of the flight Gabriel was not happy. It was super hot and he did not want to be trapped in his car seat. We got him to calm down by giving him a magazine which he then proceeded to destroy. Finally, he slept for a bit. He woke up about an hour before we landed and had a fit. He was super hungry, but didn't want to eat his food because we were using a different kind of bottle and his formula wasn't heated up. We most definitely have a picky eater. Oh, he also figured out how to undo his seat belt (that was holding his car seat in) and had to keep him from unlatching it over and over.

Our plane got in to Milwaukee early, but we were at a gate that was about as far away from baggage as you could get. I was thirsty, exhausted, had to pee, and my back was hurting. Gabriel was not happy either. We met my Mom right by the security entrance and headed down to baggage. Our bags came in very quickly and when we had them I headed to the bathroom while Rob changed Gabriel's diaper and my Mom got me some water. We lucked out yesterday because Gabriel pooped before we left the house in the morning so we didn't have a poopy diaper blow out at 30,000 feet.

We headed out to the car where my Nana (my Mom's Mom) and Gabriel got to meet for the first time and Rob installed the car seat. Once we were all in the car, we headed out. It's a three hour car ride from the Milwaukee airport to my Mom's house in Galena. We stopped for dinner at a Culver's on the way home. Gabriel went back and forth between sleeping and crying during the car ride. He wouldn't drink his formula, but Rob got him to eat some of his baby food.

We got into my Mom's place around 10pm. Gabriel was happy to have hot formula in a bottle he's familiar with and we just chilled out and watched TV before passing out in bed. Rob gave me my birthday card before I went to bed (actually he gave it to me around midnight).

This morning (my 32nd b-day) I got to sleep in. So nice! On a scary note, I got an AARP card in the mail. I'm pretty sure I'm not old enough for that yet. Harumph. When I got up I got cards and money from my Mom and Nana. I also got two bracelets (one is white, yellow, and rose gold and the other is titanium) from Rob. Before I left Berek and Pita got me the newly released DVD of The Fox and the Hound and I got a super cool bracelet and card in the mail from a woman who just plain rocks (you know who you are).

We chilled out around the house for a good bit of the day and finally headed out around 4pm. We made a stop at the bank so my Mom could get some stuff done and then headed to Wal-Mart for a few necessary items (baby tylenol, body wash, something to put under the car seat, and something to put trick or treating candy into). After that we headed to my birthday dinner at Backstreet Chophouse. Yummy! I ended up getting ribs. Gabriel was a bit fussy, but ended up falling asleep towards the end of the meal.

My Mom's space bar is now working fine. What the hell? Maybe it didn't like me pounding on it? I can just see it telling me to stop hitting it, it's already dead. Whatever, now I can type at a normal speed.

After dinner we came home and now I'm just getting a few things done on a painfully slow dial up computer. At least it's cooperating with me. If it continues to do so I'll continue to pop on here and post. Thanks to everyone who left b-day wishes on here and thanks to Lisa for leaving one on my cell phone.

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To drink my weight, I would have to chug 384 bottles of beer!
How big is your beer belly?
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