Journey to P31: Easter 2011

Mary Elizabeth's first Easter was such a blessed weekend! My whole immediate family came into town and for most of them, it was the first time meeting her! Needless to say, she was the star of the show...and quite the hit! I hardly got to hold her all weekend and I think I changed half as many diapers as usual! Everyone loved her and was so eager to help in any way they could. My dad came in from Minnesota with his wife Debbie and her two girls Chelsea and Jessica. They all loved spending time with Mary Elizabeth so much that they offered (begged!) to take her for a night! Saturday, baby girl had her first sleepover with Papa and Granma Dubbie. Parker and I missed her so much but we were able to enjoy the evening with my siblings. She did great on her sleepover and they said that she had a good time, though I like to think she really missed me! Debbie was kind enough to send me text message updates all night so that I knew she was ok.

Krista and her fiance Brett came in from California. Her and my dad practically fought all weekend over who got to hold the baby next. My brother and his fiance Jessica also came in for the weekend. They drove in from Chicago. For the most part, we just hung out the whole weekend. I made enough food to feed a small army over the course of the weekend. Actually, I practically did feed a small army! Seven people for steak night, 11 the next night for smoked chicken and pesto rice, 15 for grilling our burgers and brats and then somewhere between 20 and 25 for Easter. I haven't cooked much lately but since there were so many people anxious to hold the baby the whole time, I didn't feel guilty cooking and doing stuff around the house. When its just me at home, I like to spend as much time as possible holding and snuggling her!

Easter Sunday Mary Elizabeth went to church for the first time. I had a very pretty yellow Easter dress for her and she made her debut at Browns Bridge. She got to meet lots of my friends and coworkers and I had a great time showing her off. It was funny, she slept through the music portion which is loud with bright lights. However, when the message came on, she woke up and started getting fussy. It turns out, she was just hungry so I took her to the nursing room and was able to feed her and still watch the sermon. It was great!

At the end of the weekend, it was sad to see everyone go. It is always sad when my family leaves but this time it was more so. I think its because I know how much they fell in love with Mary Elizabeth and I know how little they'll get to see her. Right now, I only see my dad, sister and brother about twice a year. Its nice that technology like FaceTime and Skype allows them to see her but its not the same. As my dad was saying goodbye, he told her how much he loved her and he started crying. As I watched, I found it difficult to hold my tears as well. I hate it that he won't be a regular presence in her life. I started to think about choices we make in life and the affect they have. I've never really blogged much about my parents divorce and subsequent re-marriages (and that's a discussion for a different day) but it makes me sad knowing that my children will be affected by divorce and a broken home. Parker and I talked about how important it is for the two of us to stay focused on our marriage, always putting it first and knowing that that is the best thing we can do for our children.

Daddy sneaking some snuggle time before the family arrives.