Whirlwind Weekend in Chicago

8.23.2016

Last month, Jordan and I drove with R to Chicago to celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday with my family. From Oklahoma, it is about a 13-hour drive. We have now flown with R multiple times (9, to be exact) and done a major road trip! She is one traveled baby.

I already shared the video I made with highlights of our weekend, but I wanted to make sure I shared some pictures too! It was an absolute crazy weekend, and we packed it in. I won't lie: it was stressful at times. Traveling with a baby adds a certain level of nutty that you can't really describe, but I feel like Jordan and I are getting better and better at going with the flow for the most part. Although I still have my moments, believe me.
^^^ Four generations! Doesn't my grandpa look good for 80?

We drove from Oklahoma to Rockford, where my grandparents live, on Saturday. We left at 3:30 in the morning and arrived right at dinner time. My grandparents make the best homemade ice cream. My grandpa used to own an antique store, so they have a lot of fun stuff, including this tandem bike! Jordan had never ridden one before, so we took it for a turn around the block, and he might have run us into a tree but it's not a metaphor for our marriage or anything so it's fine. It's FINE.
R did great on the 13-hour drive. Fantastic, really. Couldn't have asked for anything better. We had to stop every few hours to change her and eat, but she only cried when she was hungry or needed to be changed. It probably helped that both Jordan and I were sitting in the back seat with her. My brother drove the whole way and did a great job!
^^^ Sunday morning we drove into downtown Chicago to go to an afternoon Cubs game. First we checked into our hotel, and R had her first poop explosion. We stripped her down and gave her a bath in my grandparents' hotel room. Luckily, I had decided to wait to change her into her Cubs onesie, so the day was saved. Stellar mom move right there.

My uncle travels a lot and got us all the hookup with our hotel. The view of downtown was amazing, and R loved looking out the window.
It was so fun being back in Wrigley Field. Our seats were in the shade and there was a good breeze, so it definitely could have been worse for the middle of July. The Cubs lost 1-4, which was a bummer, but it was probably a good thing the game was short because R was getting fussy by the end, and we were all hungry for dinner. Pizza, of course!
R might have done well on the car ride, but she did not sleep well for either night, and Jordan and I were like zombie people. It would have been funny how terribly she slept if I wasn't too busy trying not to fall asleep while standing up. She woke up and cried all. night. long. both nights we were there, and it was as much fun as it sounds like.

Monday morning we woke up in the hotel and spent the day downtown. We walked over 22,200 steps. That's twenty-two THOUSAND steps, people. R, once again, did great! She was a trooper in the stroller all day, taking a few naps (ha! Because she was so tired from the lack of sleep during the night) and just people watching. 

Near the end of the day, we walked down Michigan Ave to Lake Michigan. We took R down to the water, and my brother looked over at me and said, "What's that on your shirt?" I smelled it and yep. Poop. It was all over my hands and down R's leg, and I ran across the sand back to Jordan so we could change her. Ah, memories.
^^^This photo does not even show everyone who was there for the Cubs game. It was a big group! You can't even see R sitting in the stroller sleeping.

I will spare you the rest of our pictures, but just know that I have tons more. It was a full weekend with lots of family, lots of walking, and lots of Chicago sightseeing. It's funny to me because I have been to Chicago so many times, and we always hit the major tourist spots like the Bean and Portillo's for lunch and Lake Michigan. All of those hold so many memories, so it makes it special to revisit those places even if they are "touristy." Plus, Millennium Park is where Jordan proposed.

I mentioned in this post about our terrible traveling experience home. Our flight was cancelled and then our new flight was delayed, and long story short we didn't get home to Oklahoma until the next day around noon. We immediately passed out when we got home for a few hours. Our weekend in Chicago was certainly was not relaxing in any way, but it was fun nonetheless, and I'm so glad we were all able to do it!

Chicago, thanks for the memories. I love you forever.
See my Chicago weekend travel video here.

p.s. Want to know how we budget for travel? Go here.

What city holds the most memories for you?
Do you go back to all the same spots when you're there or see new places?
Rachel Emily said...

You have simultaneously encouraged and terrified me about traveling with Camden next month. He's such an easy going guy that I'm not really all that worried about how he will do on the flights and during the day but I NEED SLEEP. Gulp. So fun to see more pictures from your trip!

Unknown said...

What a great trip! Your grandpa is looking great for 80!

jaime said...

My son was almost 9 months when we stayed in a hotel with him for the first time - and it. was. awful. I was running a half marathon the next morning, and we were all up for the day by 4 a.m. We cut the trip short and drove home. He's gotten a little better over the years, but nothing quite compares to sleeping in his own bed. :)

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

I cannot believe he is 80! He looks fantastic!

Audrey Louise said...

13 hours in a car is SO LONG (with or without a baby!). Dang! Too funny about the poop explosions :) I'm glad it was a fun trip for you guys!

Laura J said...

Your grandpa looks amazing! I can only hope to look that great IF I live to be 80! I love all your Chicago pictures! Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit! And R looks so cute in her little onesie!

erinhzauner said...

you don't even know how happy this made me to be done with the poop explosions (until October when the next baby comes haha). also, you sound like a freaking baby travel professional. teach us all your ways!

Kayla MKOY said...

I swear, R is a more traveled human than I am. Haha! Sounds like you're a pro now! ;) Homemade ice cream? Tandem bikes? Wrigley Field? What a FUN trip (despite the travel delays)!

Rebecca Jo said...

Poop... such is life, right? :)
Holy steps batman. That's how you can eat whatever you want on a trip, when you move like that.
Your grandfather looks AMAZINGGGGGGG

Brittany Fry @ The 26th of August said...

Chicago is definitely on my bucket list. Some day I will make it there. Love all your pictures and so sorry about all the poop incidents!

StephTheBookworm said...

Wow, R has traveled A TON! You are brave - haha! Caleb hasn't traveled at all yet.

Your grandpa does not look even CLOSE to 80! I can't believe it! He looks like he's in his 50s.

Erika Powell said...

It is so great you were able to celebrate your grandfather and he definitely doesn't look 80! R is such a good traveler! I feel like I am not that chill as an adult!

Michelle said...

I just can't imagine 13 hours in a car with a baby. 10 hours nearly killed me.

Katie @ Live Half Full said...

We are flying with Buel for the first time this weekend- let's hope he does well and handles the hotel well! That sounds awful!

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

So fun, minus the poop explosions and no sleep. You know, I have had several people tell me that babies know when they are in a new place and have to readjust as well. Your grandpa looks really good for 80! He looks more like 70. I'm glad you got a 4 generation picture.

And yes, I go to the same touristy spots every single time (unless Dave is there and he wants to know why????). In Seattle I go to Pike's Market, the 1st Starbucks, Le Panier for a pastry and I walk around aimlessly and it's grand!

Danielle said...

Lol! Love the bike story. And your grandpa looks amazing!

Julie @ Just the Joy's said...

The poop stories... The video highlights... The traveling you do with R... Simply amazing! (and inspiring!) ;) Sorry to hear the sleep didn't go well, but glad you all survived! I don't survive well on no sleep!

Kristen @ See You In A Porridge said...

chicago was the first american city i went to, so it always holds special memories for me :) oh poop... fun. i would not get on a tandem bike with KC, he would either crash us into a tree or go so crazy fast that I felt like the only way I could slow us down was to crash us into a tree.
that view from the hotel made my stomach drop!

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