Chicagoing

You are probably wondering why I disappeared mid week . . . well, I'm back. We just returned from a wonderful weekend away in The Windy City.


Man, I love Chicago. And I'm not just saying that because we managed to enjoy this trip without somebody stealing $250 from us (remember our NYC trip this spring?). I really do love that town. I love the layout, the lake, the shopping, the parks. It's just such a fun place to visit. This is our 4th trip, Jim and I. We love going up there any chance we get.

Jim, Kate, and I boarded a plane on Friday morning to head up and attend the wedding of Jim's high school buddy. It was just a quick trip -- out Friday, back Sunday. The wedding was our event of focus . . . and we were very excited to see everyone that would be joining us for the weekend.

Because we had decided that we didn't want to visit the inside of every restroom in Chi-town, we left Meg here with my parents. I love her -- you know I do -- but 2 kids in a big city for just 2 days wasn't really worth it. Please don't think the kid missed out . . . she watching a coma-inducing amount of television with my dad, I'm sure . . . and kicked back enough apple juice and sugary snacks to rot out every tooth in her mouth. Meg loves her grandparents, and she didn't mind skipping the wedding.

There were two more on the trip with us . . . Jim's parents, Stan and Paulette. They came along as our babysitters so that we could go to the rehearsal dinner post-party and the wedding/reception without Kate. As you know, I'm a breastfeeding mom . . . and at only 4 months, Kate and I are not yet ready for a weekend apart. A few hours is very manageable (thanks to Medela), but an entire weekend would be very, very tough. We brought along the grandparents so that I could still continue to feed Kate without the ridiculous amount of pumping that would be required if she had been left behind. Here is a BIG shout out to Nana and Papa Dahlby -- THANK YOU. You came along this weekend for ME . . . not really for Jim. No matter what, he would have gone to the wedding . . . but if you had not come along, I would have had to stay home. Thanks for giving up your weekend to help me and our family!

In between the Friday night party and the Saturday evening wedding, we crammed in a little sight seeing . . . some time on Michigan Avenue, a trip to the top of the Hancock, and a morning in Millennium park. We ate stuffed Giordano's pizza and visited the Chicago Disney Store for a souvenir for Meg. The weekend flew by. It was awesome.

Some of the highlights from the weekend --

Visiting The Signature Room on top of the John Hancock building.

Jim forgetting his jacket. That guy -- he does that all the time. He once went to ALASKA with no coat. Being that it was only in the low 60s most of the trip, it was a little chilly at night to go around jacket-less . . . so he bought a new little coat while we were out shopping. (I should try that "Oh, look what I forgot!" trick sometime.)

All the shopping on Michigan Avenue . . . and State Street. I actually had more luck finding great things on State Street this time around.

Not being on a set schedule, except for the 3pm wedding on Saturday (which we were nearly late for because we goofed around all morning). Kate is still totally portable, so we schlepped her around Chicago and she napped in the stroller. I breastfed all over the place . . . at the top of the John Hancock, in a cab, and at Millenium Park, to name a few spots. I think I need a shirt that reads, "I Breastfeed in Public" so that people won't stare so much :)

Yummy stuffed pizza lunch. All the food, in general. I loved eating and not worrying about points for a weekend. Even the wedding dinner was awesome!

Having some time with Kate all to myself.

Saturday morning in Millenium Park, just wandering around.

The post-rehearsal dinner party at a midtown bar. When we walked in, the group screamed, "Dahlby!" and were all so excited to see Jim. It was a lot of fun . . . just to be out in a BAR again, like the 'old' days before kids!

The wedding itself, which was fantastic. I must admit that I was a little worried because these were all Jim's friends from home . . . mostly people I'd never met or spent much time with. Everyone was fantastic . . . very nice and very welcoming of new folks. It was so very much fun.

Being able to drink. Yes, call me an alcoholic, if you must. But I was glad to have a chance to let loose and drink a little. I've said it before -- I feel like I've been pregnant for the last 2 years. This weekend was the first chance (really, the first occassion) in quite some time that Jim and I have had to live it up together, so we took full advantage. I brought some milk for Kate and my pump -- and I did pump-and-dump after the wedding -- so all was covered on that end. I liked that I could drink more than one glass of wine without feeling guilty.

It was great. Now that I'm back home, doing laundry and tending to the girls, I keep thinking back to how much fun we had this weekend. I think Jim and I both needed it . . . and we are grateful to those who made it possible (the Bloom/Salb families for the invitation and the grandparents for the babysitting).

Now back to regular life . . . but first, a few more pictures of the fun in Chicago.