Summer Vacation & 1st Birthday
Sienna and I left Guatemala on June 17 at 2pm and flew to Houston where we had our usual three hour layover. My friend, Ruth, was on the plane with us and was a huge help! We had an empty seat in our row and were seated in the bulkhead, so we had ample room for Sienna to play. She was her usual princess-self.
In Houston, we got a bite to eat with Ruth before sending her off on her flight to Seattle. We spent an hour walking - Sienna is happy as long as the stroller is moving and boarded our flight to Minneapolis at 9pm.
We lucked out again and had an empty seat and were seated toward the back of the plane with a bunch of high school kids returning from a Spanish trip to Costa Rica. Sienna was smiling and they were entertaining her. One of the boys with several piercings made a comment that she's the first kid not to be afraid of him ;)
Sienna slept the entire trip and we landed in Minneapolis close to midnight. My parents and my niece were there with a cute sign to greet us and a few toys for Sienna. It felt good to be home!
Sienna decided she wasn't a big fan of sleeping and spent the next two months waking up every 2 hours. By the end of our trip, I lacked so much sleep I felt like I belonged in a psyche ward. I have a newfound respect for sleep and will never take it for granted again!
The rest of our summer was spent going to the zoo, parades, having picnics, visiting friends and family, taking walks and focusing on how we could get Sienna to sleep.
Sienna decided to walk on July 26 and shocked us all! I got up to move the television screen in the kitchen and when I turned around, Sienna had forgotten that she wasn't hanging onto anything and she walked about 10 steps toward me! My mom and I yelled and my dad came running up the stairs to see it. From then on, she took a few chances walking on her own, but preferred to use your finger for stability.
Sienna's top four teeth came through all at once - possibly part of the reason for her sleeping issues. But, she was a total gem through it all and we were all amazed that she wasn't the least bit cranky. She loved being home and spending time with her family, everybody doting on her.
Sienna had her first birthday on August 8 and we had a little party for her with family. My aunt and grandma were in town for a family picnic and high school reunion, so they celebrated with us. Sienna loved it when we sang to her - you could tell she felt special, which was cute! She opened her gifts, ate cake and ice cream and had a great time.
We headed back to Guatemala on August 10 and had two more excellent flights! My parents had bought a stroller that triples as an airplane and car seat. It was a dream! The first flight was full, so we couldn't use it and simply checked it at the gate, but on the flight to Guatemala, she had her own seat and was safely strapped in. I was able to play a crossword puzzle and eat with both hands while Sienna slept almost the whole way to Guate! The stroller was worth it already!
The first night home, Sienna decided to sleep like her old self again, waking only once and then falling right back to sleep. Ahhhh, the beauty of sleep once again.