Robbie and I decided it would be nice to go out of town for a little while. Since we don't have very much money, we were pretty limited in our options. So we decided it was about time we go visit my great grandfather so that Meo could meet him for the first time (his great-great grandfather!). My great-grandpa lives in Belfast which is about 3 1/2 hours away from us. We figured 7 hours was a bit much for Meo to be in the car for one day, so we booked a hotel in Belfast for the night.
On the way there we stopped at a place that sold wraps. Meo got to sit in a high chair for the first time at a restaurant and enjoyed looking out the window at the cars and people zooming by. He was such a cutie! It was much easier to eat without having to hold him on our laps and having him try to grab everything.
Checking out his Tigger
Looking out the window
Hi Little Meo!
Visiting my great-grandpa was wonderful. My mom and grammy drove up to Belfast as well so we all got to spend some time together. Despite being a bit hard of hearing and not quite as mobile as he once was, my great-grandpa is still full of "piss and vinegar" as the saying goes. I think he really loved little Mattimeo. At first he thought his name was a little out there, but after I explained that it came from a novel and that we call him Meo, he seemed to soften up to it. Meo and Grandpa had some nice conversations together as Meo sat on the table and chewed on his rubber giraffe (Sophie).
My Mom, Grammy, Great-Grandpa and Meo
After getting caught up in the kitchen, we moved to the living room to take a five generations photo. It is pretty amazing that we have had this opportunity and I will treasure these photos.
My mom, maternal grandmother, maternal great-grandfather, me and Meo
Five generations
We spent the rest of the time chatting, playing with Meo on the floor, and eating pizza. I love my great-grandpa; I'm so glad we decided to go visit him.
Hanging out with Meo
Robbie and Socks
Robbie and Socks
Meo meeting my great-uncle Doug
Meo and my great-uncle Doug (one of my grammy's brothers)
Socks snoozing
Meo touching Uncle Doug's beard
napping with Mema
Meo patting socks
Meo gets so excited around animals
Attack!
Meo and GG
Meo and GG
Socks is taking a nap on me (note my sweet nursing necklace)
Here I should note what the wooden "bling" I am wearing is all about. This is a nursing necklace. It is made out of maple wood and acts both as something for Meo to hold and play with while he nurses (to keep his attention in a busy place) and as a teething ring for after he eats and just wants something to chomp on (I would rather he not chomp on my nipple).
Giving Meo a snack before we headed out to the hotel
Here I just have to add that my great-grandpa's choice of home decor is pretty fantastic. Every since my great-grammy died, he has kept things the way she had them. So there are all sorts of homemade dolls, funky colored furniture, and an assortment of other wonderful oddities. Here are a few pictures to give you a taste:
I love the throw pillows
the photo all the way to the right is my mom's family
Great-grammy's old bed
We made sure to select a hotel that had a swimming pool because we really wanted to play with Meo in the pool. He loves bath time, so we were eager to see how he would take to being in such a large body of water. Turns out, he loves it! He was splashing with his hands, kicking with his legs, and chatting up a storm. He loved floating on his back and being guided around the pool. He thought splashing Mommy and Daddy in the face was hilarious. Whenever we tried putting him on his belly, he just tried drinking the water, so we refrained from doing that too much. There were a couple other young kids who joined us in the pool and Meo liked watching them. They brought a toy fish that swam around in the pool, and Meo thought that was just the best thing ever. He actually was able to reach out and catch it a few times and we had to pry it away from his mouth as he tried to eat it. He was so much fun to swim with! We are excited to take him to swim lessons in the future.
Meo's first swim diaper
Meo's new swim suit
Wearing his first swim suit
Mommy and Meo in the pool for the first time
Splashing Daddy in the face
Meo's first time in the pool (6 months)
The Robinsons!
Going fast!
kick, kick
Drying off
The next morning, after a delightful snooze in a king-sized bed, we enjoyed a complimentary continental breakfast. Little Meosaur got to sit in a high chair again and enjoyed some bananas as well as trying some oranges for the very first time. He love sucking the juice out of the orange wedges, but we had to be careful when he bit off chunks so that he wouldn't swallow them.
Trying an orange for the first time
"Mmmm, orange"
The same little boy and girl were eating breakfast at the table next to us, and all three of them enjoyed each others company. Meo and the little boy (1 1/2 years old) had long staring contests, while the little girl periodically came over to check Meo out and at one point patted Meo's head.
Looking at the little boy
Meo and the little girl
After breakfast, Meo and I were both ready for a nap, so we took a quick snooze in our king size bed before checking out.
nap time
On the way home, we passed through Camden so that we could visit Camden Hills State Park and go for a hiking. Initially, we were hoping to go snowshoeing, but as there wasn't very much snow the snowshoes were unnecessary. We chose a short hike up Mount Battie, which was perfect. It started lightly snowing as we tip-toed through the forest. Robbie and I tend not to talk very much while we hike so it's usually pretty quiet to begin with. But with the snow falling all around us and not another person in sight, the world was so silent and peaceful. That hike was just what we needed; a quiet retreat into nature and some exercise. Mattimeo fell asleep shortly into the walk so he got in a nice nap.
Cutie
Daddy and Meo
Hiking Mount Battie
After our hike, Robbie and I were starving so we stopped at a sweet Mediterranean restaurant in Camden. This place did not have high chairs unfortunately. It is surprising how quickly we had come to depend on that luxury (24 hours!). We made do though; Meo fortunately is very good at sitting unsupported now and had a nice cushy seat on some cushions. Robbie ate some yummy felafel, I had a spicy squash soup and a garden salad with garlic and feta dressing, and Meo munched on some complimentary cucumber sticks.
Lunch
Munching on a cucumber stick
Yummy soup!
Overall, it was a fantastic trip and a great way to spend our Valentine's weekend together as a family. This trip really made me excited for camping and hiking this summer. Meo is a joy to travel with. He was quiet the whole car ride, fun to go out to eat with, was great about taking naps when he needed to, and is in constant awe of his surroundings. I love exploring the world with him!
