Happy Thanksgiving

James, Lily, Sarah Ellen and I packed up and took off to Chapin Thanksgiving morning to feast with my family.  And feast we did. We had a wonderful meal that was enough to feed the whole neighborhood.  Since James and I traveled, we didn't contribute to the food, but instead cleaned the kitchen afterwards.  I believe we washed every serving dish, pot and pan in my mom's house.  We decided next year that we would pack a cooler.  Anyway, the food was wonderful and thanks to all the talented chefs who prepared it.  By the way, I need that shrimp/crab casserole recipe (inside joke for the fam). 

It is always nice to travel home.  Although a lot has changed in the once small town of Chapin, it is comforting to go somewhere so familiar.  We had a wonderful day to be thankful for.  We stuffed our faces with yummy food, enjoyed time with family, and some even went for the last boat ride of the year.  Unfortunately, I must say the good times ended with the day.  We didn't have the best of nights.  I was mostly worried about how Sarah Ellen would do through the night.  She has now taken over Lily's "room" (the bathroom).  She did great and woke up for her usual four o'clock feed and then passed back out.  Lily Bean, on the other hand, was a different story.  This was her first time to sleep not in a pac n play at my parents.  She was on a mattress on the floor in the room with James and me.  For some reason, she has never slept well while in the room with us and Thursday night was no exception.  She pitched royal fits almost all night.  James and I had both taken an Ambien, which did not make for a good combination with our screaming toddler.  We took turns in our drug induced states trying to soothe her, but to little avail.  Maybe, we should have given her the Ambien instead - now there is an idea.  Soooo, although we were supposed to stay through Saturday, we couldn't take the chance of repeating the same experience the next night.  We stayed all day Friday, enjoyed oysters (James did) with the Sandifers and headed back to Charleston that night.  Although I know Mom and Dad love to have us, I think they may have been a bit relieved to have a very quiet house Friday night after two days of a very busy and loud house.  Mom just might get her wish sooner rather than later of keeping the girls.  James and I might be bunking at Kami and Richard's next time!

One very positive thing did come out of these events.  We got back to Charleston around ten o'clock Friday night.  We normally don't give Sarah Ellen a late bottle, but thought what the heck since she was up.  That night she slept until 7:30 in the morning.  We have done this every night since and now have a wonderful little late sleeper.  I'll worry about dropping the ten o'clock bottle later as long as she has successfully dropped that five o'clock feed.    Thank you God for giving me two girls who both sleep until eight o'clock.   You know me all to well and that I'm just not a good mamma before eight AM.

Thank you family for a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I love you all and am thankful to have each of you in my life.