Camping (or How We Set the World's Record for Waking the Most People Up in the Middle of the Night)

We went camping as a family over the fourth of July. We have been heading out to Portage Lake for the past three summers with some of our closest friends. Last year we took Bres for a couple of nights. This summer, we decided to take him all three nights. It's a great campground and is just east of Jackson, so it's not far either.



I think it's safe to say that the little man adores camping. At the site, he was loving being outdoors, eating camping food, and sitting around the fire. We also headed to the beach a couple times a day for him to swim like crazy. He liked swimming and playing in the sand a lot too.

Everything was going just fine until the last night. The first two nights, the little guy was so tired that he just zonked for 10 hours or more in the tent. The last night however, was a different story...



I woke up at about 2:30 am to hear Bres wimpering just a little bit in his portable crib on the other side of the tent. I went to check on him, thinking that maybe he got uncovered and was cold. As soon as I looked down, he saw me and was instantly awake...and MAD. He started screaming bloody murder...not exactly what you want to happen in a campground in the dead of the night. I'm pretty sure we woke up everyone in the place. They were not happy campers, so to speak. Colby and I tried everything, but we just could not get him settled down or happy. Finally, to the relief of all in the campground, I scooped him up and put him in the car, intending to just drive around a little until he fell back asleep. At least this way, everyone else could get some sleep. After driving for 20 minutes to no avail, we decided just to go home. Bres finally stopped screaming, but remained wide awake.


When we got home, I had no shoes on and our pillows we had left in the tent. Ergh. To make matters worse, Colby's younger brother was housesitting, so we had to wake him up too. Bres wanted to eat breakfast. I was toasting a frozen waffle for him at four in the morning! He seemed like maybe he wasn't feeling good, so I broke out the Tylenol. This knocked him out but good. Colby and I finally got to go to sleep in our own bed, using cushions from the coach that my little brother in law was now sleeping on. In the morning, Colby had to drive all the way back to the campsite and get our gear. Bres slept until almost 11 and was fine the rest of the day.


It's hard to think of it as a successful camping trip after that last night. I'm the type of person who tends to consider things in "all or nothing" terms. So if something goes wrong, I chalk the whole thing up to being a failure. But, we really did have a great time the rest of the trip.


In other news...


Today I had an ultrasound and we found out it's not a girl after all, it's a boy.


Just kidding.


Wouldn't that be terrible? I can just hear Kathy Sharp's (Colby's mom) heart breaking.


No, seriously, it's a girl. She's already over 7 pounds at 37 weeks, so I'm envisioning a giant baby with a huge head and getting a little nervous. I feel pretty good still, getting around fine and not being TOO moody, but anytime she wants to come would be fine with me. Well, that's not exactly true.


The baby's room is still not ready. We have it all primed now and it's ready to paint, but there is still so much to be done. I feel like I'm torn between wanting the baby to come and wanting it to hold off so we can get a few more things done before the craziness begins. I think that I am nesting, sort of...? I have been a little psycho about the house getting general updates and being clean. I feel bad for Colby. But this too shall pass, right? Maybe after I get this beautiful little parasite out of me I can flush some of these hormones out of my system and get back to normal again...well, as normal as I was before I guess.

Oh dear heavens...

Comments

MikeandJen said…
you my dear are brave for putting your swimsuit picture up! :) we had a GREAT time camping even with bres-monkey screaming the last night! :) life happens. we were lying there awake when i heard you guys get out of the tent and get in the car. colby started it, and he turned off the headlights shining into our tent and i said to mike... that was really thoughtful, except that we're awake! :) it was FINE though. i'm glad it was nothing more serious. we all had you in the ER with an ear infection or worse! and don't feel too bad... you didn't wake up everyone, meg and kevin never heard a thing!!! love ya, see ya thursday!
Anna said…
You are too cute!

btw- only a science teacher would call their baby a beautiful parasite- lol- it made me laugh! I hope you are doing wonderful!
Sara said…
We were thinking of taking Ewan camping, but your story makes me hesitate!
Anonymous said…
Alaina - you made me nearly shoot pink lemonade out my nose :) Not for the picture (you're gorgeous and I'm envious), but the pictures running through my head of you and Colby and Bres...I'm sure you weren't laughing then..but...

*insert foot in mouth*
The Ekloves said…
I loved this story!
I think at some point we've all probably had moments that result in, "well.....it could have been worse...." thoughts!
Megan said…
you look beautiful!! I love this story. I read your posts and I think of what is to come for me! Oh boy!

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