Whose Idea was it to Drive to Texas, Anyway?

Two weeks goes by really, really fast when you don't want to do something that is coming up. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready to go to Houston. Again. I found myself doing a lot of really menial tasks and never really accomplishing anything. I was trying to keep my mind off the impending surgery by organizing the craft box or the bookshelf in the computer room. It wasn't the most effective cleaning strategy, but it did help distract for a time.

I packed a few things, but knew that we wouldn't see many of the same people twice, and
I had made reservations at an extended-stay place because it was inexpensive and offered a laundry facility. With all of the things we would need during our stay, it was important to pack as lightly as possible (i.e. two rolling suitcases, 4 large canvas bags, and a small pink Hello Kitty backpack.) We needed a potty seat in the back seat, a portable dvd player, and snack, snacks, snacks.

There was a kitchen in our room, so we wouldn't have to take the baby out too much following her surgery. She could rest as needed, and, to be honest, the staring gets old really quickly. I don't really care for the pity, or the smart-ass remarks I hear from people, saying "Uh-oh, did your mom do that to you?" or something equally insulting. I don't mind the opportunity to educate someone on BPI; I am passionate about it, in fact. But, why not just ask? Why is it necessary to look at us as if we are less than a normal, loving family doing the best we can. As if there isn't enough guilt. YES, in fact, I did do this to her. I chose it for her, because she cannot choose it for herself. But, I did it because of love. I didn't just push her down the stairs or something.

Of course, these things are always harder on the parents than the children. When people stare, she smiles. She giggles. She waves. She's happy. She doesn't know any better. It's my favorite thing about her right now, at 23 months old. She just loves. Go, ahead, stare at her. If she chooses not to smack you in the face (which could very well happen), she will just be happy for the attention. It would never occur to her that she looks any different. What would you give to truly feel that way? Happy to be you, no matter what. I don't think there is much I wouldn't give. This Erb's Palsy thing teaches me something every day.

So, in we go, all of us, our potty, and our snacks. Our cds, our movies. Ourselves. Off to see our friend, our hero Dr. Nath. I dreaded the drive. I did not want to be stuck in an Impala with my husband and a 2 year-old, but it just made the most money sense. And guess who married a finance guy? We chose to drive through the night, so that our daughter would sleep through themajority of the 17 hour drive. Even though I don't think I slept a bit, it was completely worth it. To not fight to entertain a toddler strapped in a seat for a ride across the country, it was worth every wink I missed.

The whole drive was surprisingly uneventful, and we arrived in Hoston the next morning. Where we realized something. We couldn't check into our hotel until 2:00. Oops. We had a lot of time to kill, and we were exhausted. We visited a park and fed some ducks, and ate, but all my husband and I really wanted to do was sleep. So, when driving through the night, you might consider your arrival time!