Out Of State Adventure

It’s no secret that’s Peyton isn’t well traveled. Being a micro-preemie, she has spent much of her nearly 2 years inside of a hospital or inside our home, avoiding germs. But, with the warmer spring weather, we’ve been taking P out more. And the holiday weekend prompted us to take Miss P on an out of state adventure!
Ok, it wasn’t cross country, but we did cross state lines. We traveled from Springfield, IL to St. Louis to visit my cousin and her family. We took in some shopping and P absolutely loved her first visit to a mall….I think she must take after her mom. Ryan is definitely panicking as I type this! We roamed the stores and checked out the crowds of people, but most people had their eyes on Peyton. She sure draws a lot of looks with her darling pigtails. It’s funny to hear people talk about her. “Look at that darling little baby!” Little do they know, she’s almost 2 years old.
It was such a special visit to St. Louis, even a bit sentimental. It’s wonderful having family less than 2 hours away, but truth be told, we haven’t been down there to visit in ages because of our situation. The last time we spent the day at their home was Mother’s Day 2013. I was 4 months pregnant with the triplets and I remember my cousin and the kids showering me with gifts since I was about to become a mom. Little did we know that just a week later I would end up in the hospital for the duration. I know that must have been a difficult conversation for my cousin to have with her three children, eventually having to explain that cousin Stacey lost two children. But as we know, Peyton’s personality is life-size, encompassing plenty of Abby and Parker within her.

The kids were completely enamored with Miss P, which was beyond precious to watch. They visited us last year, but their fond memories of Peyton were tainted with spit up and cries of a one year old. So this year was great. She is a completely differently little girl! P played on the trampoline and climbed endless stairs with her relatives. Peyton even got to experience her first Passover seder, and I must say, she’s a huge fan of matzah (a cracker)!!! Check out the pictures below of our fun St. Louis excursion. The kids were all excited when I mentioned that they will “make the blog” this week! We look forward to much more regular visits, now that Peyton is healthier and bigger.
The next day was Easter, and since we celebrate most holidays, the Easter bunny (and the grandparents!) went all out for Peyton…even gifting her a slide that wouldn’t quite fit into her basket! Peyton had fun checking out her new goodies and tasting her first bunny treats–fruit snacks. Our nanny’s family came over for brunch to end out picture perfect holiday weekend. Even though our parents live far away, Ryan and I feel so blessed to have been surrounded by our extended and adopted families! Things have been different lately, in a very good way. We’re getting to watch Peyton discover things that a year ago didn’t even phase her. Whether it’s a new food or a new activity at the park, it is pure joy watching P take in her surroundings. We’re so proud of her each and every day.

 
One final, and hilarious, note from the weekend. Peyton may be tiny, but she has a HUGE appetite. Three times on Saturday, people stopped Peyton to share how impressed they were with her eating skills. At our favorite local diner, Charlie Parkers, a man walked up to us and shared that Peyton actually ate more than the grown man. Peyton ate an entire pancake and eggs.
Then for lunch, a lady stopped us in St. Louis as P was eating grilled cheese. She had never seen a girl so tiny tackle an entire sandwich and not even throw any on the ground! And finally, our Passover seder meal. That little girl wouldn’t stop shoveling matzo ball soup into her mouth. Long after we were all stuffed to our limits, Peyton continued to chow down on a traditional jewish meal. I think she has her dad’s appetite!
 
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