new mexico in july

We went home to New Mexico for the 4th of July. Iris is still on oxygen after this most recent respiratory infection, so we rented a concentrator and flew down to Santa Fe. Had the batteries for the concentrator worked predictably, the flight out of Denver would have been very low stress... or at least medium stress. Unfortunately, we discovered that one of the batteries wasn't working while we were at the airport and that pushed Evan and me into disaster management. We don't handle disasters in the same way, which contributes to the stress. We were finally able to arrange for last minute oxygen service while in Los Alamos and were still able to make the flight without medical emergency. Phew.

The flight itself was easy. Iris loved flying in the airplane and napped on Daddy's lap as I daydreamed and looked out the window. We flew over the Great Sand Dunes and I was struck with regret that Evan and I haven't done more hiking since we've been in Colorado. Not that our lives have really offered that opportunity lately. 

Once we got to Granddad's house, Iris immediately wanted to play with Granddad. Her favorite things to do at Granddad's house are to play with water and to play the piano. We somehow haven't managed to get to a swimming pool this summer in Denver, but we did make a quick pre-rain trip to the neighborhood swimming pool in Los Alamos. Iris gets cold very quickly in the water, but she loved having Daddy throw her in the air. 

A sprinkler and a bucket

Singing, "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

A new favorite activity

Iris tolerated the oxygen cord well while we were on our trip. She actually doesn't like to take it off sometimes, which seems weird to me. We are doing twice daily Flovent treatments, which she barely tolerates though she likes them better when she can pass the mask around to everyone to make sure we all get our treatments. "Oh! I forgot! It's your turn!" she hollers.

Flovent treatment, twice a day

We got to hang out with my brother a fair amount, too, which is always valuable.  

Uncle Mike & Iris discover a pen with a light on it

Feeding the ducks at Ashley Pond

Incredibly, I didn't get any good photos of Iris and Granddad, but here's one of them as we go into the Santa Fe airport on our way home.

Photo with Granddad

The trip did feel like a vacation, in spite of the massive load of stuff we had to pack with us. Traveling with a toddler is much more complicated than traveling solo, and I think we're getting pretty good at it. I still haven't created a packing checklist, which my dad always suggests as a good way to prepare for any trip. Or maybe I have and I forgot about it... In any case, we're headed out to California next for Evan's parents' 40th wedding anniversary. We're very excited and Iris won't have to be on oxygen at sea level. Hooray. 

jemez springs visit

At the end of July we took a trip down to New Mexico for a short visit. Evan's sister and her family were staying in a cabin in Jemez Springs (well, really La Cueva). We stopped to visit my dad and brother since they are so close to the Jemez. 

Pit stop in Questa, maybe? I forget where. Iris was fascinated with the trucks

Evan and I had the bright idea to try to leave at 4am to make the long drive with Iris. The drive down to New Mexico wasn't so bad, we arrived at my dad's house around 7 hours after leaving home. Our trip back up to Colorado was not as easy. 

Iris can put her hat on all by herself. Backwards, but on.

We left at 5am and Iris basically didn't sleep the whole trip. It was hard to keep her happy and entertained while also being stuck in the car seat.

We spent two nights in the cabin and one night at my dad's house before heading back home. Iris didn't sleep well, so Evan and I were pretty exhausted the entire trip. I think the highlight was getting to spend time with family. Iris's cousins were so sweet. It is always really helpful to talk to parents of older children. It's good to get the perspective and advice.                       

Iris is smiling for the camera.

My dad and brother came up to the Jemez for lunch on Sunday. Luckily, my dad brought his camera. I failed to take many photos during the trip. Katherine took some, thankfully, too.

Uncle Miguel is entertaining Iris here while the rest of us order our food

Another big smile for the camera

Obligatory family photo

 Overall, we were pretty exhausted after this trip. We have recovered well, but are in no hurry to take any more trips for a while. We have Evan's work trip coming up at the end of August, but we are hoping that Iris's nanny can come with us so that Evan and I can get a little break.

vacation

I spent most of Friday getting ready for our trip to New Mexico. I know that all babies require a lot of gear but this baby's extra gear is a real pain to procure. I had an intention to be very calm and mellow for the whole day but the time spent frantically trying to get Iris her Digoxin refill after the pharmacy botched the refill order shot me right out of any serenity. I spent a good hour or so grumbling to myself about the whole thing. It's amazing to me how many times things would have gone wrong had Evan or I not spoken up.

The good news, however, is that I got the medicine, we have extra pulse ox probes to measure her oxygen levels, we're taking the oxygen concentrator with us, and she got her Synagis shot in the afternoon (a few days early). So she's ready to go...medically speaking. She may not be ready for the six-hour drive, but we're leaving super early so as to maximize sleeping time.

I'm always very happy to go home to Los Alamos, especially for Christmas. Evan is also looking forward to the break. Here is a photo of him packing. And he just said, "I'm really excited to go to New Mexico."