The two most stubborn people I know!

There is almost nothing that will make me brave a drive into New York City on Memorial Day weekend. It is a very short list of things that would allow me to pile us into a car and pray that I-95 isn’t a parking lot. Ida Paley is on top of that list.

Sara’s amazing grandmother turned 102 on May 18th!! She lives in Queens, in the same apartment that she has lived in for SIXTY years! The opportunity for Cam to meet his great-grandmother was one we had been working on since he was born three months ago. We toyed with the idea of stopping off in Queens during our epic road trip back in April, but decided against adding a few hours to an already LONG journey. Sara had a rare three day weekend, and we decided to do a quick day trip down and back last Saturday.

I’ll save you the suspense. The drive was easy. Both ways. I, of course, feared the worse the whole time, and only when we were a few miles from home did I admit that the trip was a good idea. It was about three hours down and three hours back. Cam did great, Quinn was solid as always. The whole trip was routine enough that I can’t even complain thru funny anecdotes. We spent about three hours with Grams having lunch from her favorite deli, Ben’s.

The connection between Grams and Cam was immediate. As you can see from the picture above, and those that Sara posted on Facebook, it was all smiles from the moment they saw each other. Most of the afternoon was spent with Cam in the arms of his great Grams. She dressed up for the occasion and transferred her lipstick on his hands as she kissed him. Cam was mesmerized by his new friend, and just smiled and smiled.

He napped as we all ate lunch and we took that as an opportunity to get moving before he woke up. Saying goodbye to Grams is never easy. This time was no exception. We drove away thrilled that Cam was able to meet Grams and spend such a fun afternoon with her. He likely won’t remember his first trip to Queens, but we will. Thanks to iPhones, Facebook and hilarious blogs, he’ll get a chance to relive such a sweet memory one day.

Cam is blessed with such a loving extended family. He has met most of them in his first three months on earth. But no meeting has been as special as seeing him share smiles and laughs with his great Grams. More than 100 years of family history bridged in just a couple of hours.

I don’t plan on using this blog to wade into controversial waters. Maybe it is my background in journalism. The whole “fair and balanced” thing prevented me from seeing the news as a consumer for so many years. My job for a long time was to find snappy headlines and juicy soundbites, mostly at the expense of digging into the whole story. I’ll be the first to admit when I haven’t done the research. But on the issue of getting your kids vaccinated, I think I have a pretty clear picture.

On one side we have doctors, the CDC and just about every scientific study imaginable saying to get your kids vaccinated. On the other side we have the hot, funny blonde from the 90’s MTV dating show Singled Out claiming that vaccines lead to autism. Like any male of my generation, I was a big Jenny McCarthy fan. But I’m gonna go ahead and side with science in this case. My son will have enough to deal with in the decades ahead, I’d rather he didn’t get polio or measles while he’s cleaning up our messes.

Three days after returning from Las Vegas, we had Cameron’s two month check-up, aka the vaccination appointment. Our first mistake was scheduling a doctor’s appointment just a couple days after getting back from Vegas. Whether you are two months old, or 36 years old, you should NEVER get a physical the Tuesday after you get back from Vegas! Sorry Cam, won’t happen again!

I was on my own for this appointment. Sara had hoped to join us, but she was stuck operating. This was a big test for me. Most of my routine is based in the house, neighborhood, or at the local park where we stroll while Quinn runs off leash. I’ve done a couple of quick shopping trips with Cam, but I’ve been strategic about always being close to home.

We arrived at the office and got checked in, hiding in a corner trying to keep Cam from the germ factories running around the waiting room. Luckily the wait was brief, and we got going just about on time. I think the stay-at-home dad thing works in places like doctor’s offices. They (rightly) assume I have no idea what I’m doing, or at the very least could use some help. The Fogarty men prove to be a killer combination, securing free samples of formula as we wait for the doctor. I’ve still got it! *Editor’s Note: Turns out they give out free samples to everyone, all you have to do is ask.

Before the vaccine part of the appointment, I had to get Cam changed, weighed and measured. At just short of 9 weeks, he weighed in at 14lbs 15ozs. See what I mean about going to the doctor after a few days of Vegas buffets? At 23 inches, the doctor is pleased with his growth, and the rest of the check-up went pretty well. She thinks Cam may have a mild case of Torticollis, which means his neck muscles are tight because he’s always looking and sleeping in one direction. We will head to a therapist to nip this in the bud quickly. My guess is we will be ordered to take tummy time more seriously, which won’t be fun for anyone. Regardless, we are very lucky and appreciative with his continued good health.

The doctor leaves and here comes the nurse with the shots. I had NO idea what to expect. I knew he would be upset, but I completely underestimated his reaction. I thought I had heard all of his variations of cries. Hungry, dirty diaper, tired…..but the pain from the shots emitted a noise that was on another level altogether. The sound increased almost by the second, pausing only to reload the lungs. It was awful and went on for an uncomfortable amount of time from my perspective. We needed some time to regroup before packing up to leave. There were a few moments when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to stop at the desk and checkout or schedule our next appointment. Luckily he calmed down enough for us to get out of the office in one piece. We made it home and things settled down. He did great, no fevers or anything. The bad news? We have to do it all over again in July.

Our perfect little traveler.

I’m not a “Vegas every year” guy. I have plenty of friends who have to get to Vegas every March or whatever, but that has never been me. In my life I’ve probably spent 12-14 nights in Vegas (but who remembers EVERY night). That said, we happened to spend a four day weekend in Vegas for Sara’s birthday last February. I thought it would be fun to do a quick comparison of what that weekend was like, compared to the trip we just took.

What was the same: We stayed at the Bellagio

What was different: Everything else.

Our 2013 trip was the second part of a week-long vacation out west. We started in Kingman, Arizona, visiting my sister and our newest niece Claire. Kingman is about two hours from Vegas, and that is the closest airport, so there was no choice but to get a Vegas trip in. We convinced eight friends to meet us out there. They arrived on different days throughout the weekend, with the highlight being Saturday night when all ten of us went out to dinner to celebrate Sara’s birthday. We snuck in some spa time, spent every morning by the pool, gambled and a even took a couple of limo rides for our Friday night version of Sara’s birthday dinner. Most of us learned how to play craps on this trip, and after that Saturday dinner we essentially took over a craps table for two hours and made a LOT of money. We are pretty sure they called in a Cooler, and it worked. It was quintessential Vegas. The kind of weekend that makes you want to book another trip before you leave the hotel. Late nights, made some money, had a ton of fun.  For a co-ed Vegas trip, it couldn’t be topped.

The 2014 version of Vegas looked almost nothing like the 2013 version. It started as we were getting settled in our hotel room and it took three tries for us to get a pack and play that worked. This allowed me time to wonder what percentage of Bellagio guests ever even ask for a pack and play? Where were these even coming from? Spoiler alert, Cam didn’t even like it, he slept in his car seat the whole time. That delay cut into my late night gambling plans, but I managed to sneak out and win a quick 100 bucks on the roulette table. Roulette would treat me well over the course of the weekend. I never had enough time to get into craps. I’d hate to get on another hot streak and have to leave!

Sara was on a pretty tight schedule most of our time there, so I would mostly be on Cam-watching duty. My birthday was a few weeks ago and “Cam” got me a massage at the Bellagio spa. Sara had some free time Thursday morning so I was able to sneak off to paradise. The spa at the Bellagio reminds me a lot of the Albert Brooks/Meryl Streep movie Defending Your Life. Everyone walks around in white robes and you can pretty much get anything you want to eat or drink. It was heaven. I’m not ashamed to admit I am now a huge fan of hot stone massages (white robe and all). I guess after a man signs up for Amazon Mom, it’s pretty easy to be comfortable with all the rest.

Friday was Sara’s busiest day. Her poster presentation was that night, but she had a full day of lectures to attend. Lucky for me, it was 90 degrees and my sister was bringing three of her kids down from Kingman for a pool day and a cousin meet and greet. I acted as the pool raft for my niece and nephews. A great afternoon and Sara was even able to join in on the fun by the end of the day. It was during our pool time that I finally managed to secure my first alcoholic beverage while in Vegas. What used to take me less than an hour, had taken me almost two days. A different Vegas experience for sure.

Sara did a great job with her poster and we went out to a late dinner with some of her colleagues at the hotel. Cam came along and luckily slept the whole time. Before the dinner I finally left the comforts of the Bellagio for the first time since we arrived. I walked down to the strip to run an errand before our trip back on Saturday. The biggest Walgreens store you’ve ever seen is on the Las Vegas strip. Just a half a block from our hotel. A year ago I went to this Walgreens to get last minute cards for Sara’s birthday and Valentine’s day. And booze and snacks for our room. This year I was sent out on our last night in Vegas to get baby formula. We needed more of those travel size two-ounce bottles to get us all home in one piece. Walking thru that store and seeing the circus that is a Friday night in Vegas, I’m pretty sure I was the only person all weekend who would ask where the baby formula was located.

We left Vegas on Saturday. A big boxing match was happening that night and so was the Kentucky Derby. The temperature was expected to get up to 99 degrees. I think we got out at just the right time. Our flight out of Vegas left on time. The only one of our four flights that managed that feat. If Cam got an A+ for the trip out, he gets a B+ for the return flights. He was great for the most part, but too many messy diapers on the trip back to get a perfect grade. One on our way back to Chicago (again right as we pushed back from the gate. He was just toying with us now), and twice on our final flight. We were again delayed in Chicago. This time by over an hour. Our flight was also overbooked, so they kept asking for volunteers to get bumped. In our former life we might have jumped at the chance. A random night in Chicago where we have family and friends would be fun. Plus the voucher money is nice. But when you are one two hour flight from completing a trip as crazy as this one, we didn’t even consider it.

I think it’s time to see everything that Rhode Island has to offer. Because I don’t plan on leaving the state again for a while!

Cam is so money and he doesn’t even know it.

The Trip Out:

Less than 72 hours after arriving home from our nearly 20-hour beach road trip, we arrive at TF Green airport just after 3pm for a 5pm flight. Flying with an infant must require the same amount of prep time as flying to China right? Luckily the good folks at Southwest Airlines and the TSA were much less nervous than we were, and we were through security much faster than I expected.

I suppose it is important to explain why we are dragging a two-month-old baby to Las Vegas in the first place. As part of Sara’s fellowship she made a poster that was chosen to be presented at the annual breast surgeons conference. This year it was in Las Vegas- attendance isn’t really voluntary. The options were for all of us to go, or for her to go alone leaving me REALLY solo and her away from her baby for a few days. Option one was the clear choice for both of our sakes.

Neither of us are what you would call enthusiastic fliers. We probably fly too often to be considered “scared” to fly, but we avoid it if we can. The non stop news coverage of flight 370 hasn’t exactly helped us get psyched for this trip. I won’t ever claim to be very religious, but if I get a certain amount of prayers every year, I use them all up during Redskins field goal attempts and on airport runways.

Since there is no such thing as a direct flight from Providence to Las Vegas, we get the pleasure of going through Chicago’s Midway both ways. Our first flight is already delayed, bad weather in Baltimore (ironically) has our plane arriving late. Luckily, the airlines are generally incompetent in a domino kind of way, so our flight from Chicago to Vegas is already delayed before we leave Providence. This is gonna be a long day!

If you are going to fly Southwest airlines, you are actually better off flying with an infant or a child. That allows you to board between the A and B groups and takes away the stress of remembering to check in ahead of time. Sure, it’s replaced by the stress of traveling with an infant or a child, but it’s a small victory. One thing I enjoyed was watching the folks getting on after us very politely NOT sit anywhere near us. As if we are all in fourth grade and the aisle seat next to Sara and Cam has cooties. Big grown men were opting for middle seats instead of sitting next to us. All of our flights were full, so eventually someone had to sit with us, but it was always some poor schmo at the end of the C group.

In the run-up to this trip, I did what I always do when I’m about to do something for the first time. I went directly to the worst possible outcomes and worked backwards. What if Cameron just won’t stop crying for like three hours? What if walking him down the aisle does nothing? What if we are “those parents” who can’t control their kid and has everyone whispering “shut that kid up!” In my strange imagination I can picture us being told to stay on the flight after we land to get a lecture from the Captain. It’s entirely possible in my mind that Cam ends up on the no fly list before we get to Chicago!

Going into the trip we had a couple more logical concerns. We were given some good advice about trying to feed him on takeoffs and landings to keep his ears from freaking him out. We were also determined to not have to change him on the plane. These were two 2-3 hour flights and if we changed him just before we left and got really lucky we could pull it off. Otherwise Sara was going to have to take this on for the team. Any attempt by me to change Cam in an airplane bathroom would definitely resemble Chris Farley trying to change out of his flight attendant uniform at the end of Tommy Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkGFvtW0CSE

We board the plane with all of these what if’s and nerves floating in our heads. Wishing we could just magically arrive at our hotel in Vegas. Then a funny thing happened. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was perfect, he slept the entire way to Chicago. Takeoff was easy, landing was fine. He didn’t have to be changed. The guy sitting next to us was thrilled. All those people who passed us on the way in, stopped to tell us how great the baby was. “Your baby was terrific!” Translation: “I thought for sure that little guy was going to ruin my trip and drive me insane, he didn’t. So thanks!” The delay in Chicago was an acceptable length. It gave us a chance to change and feed Cam, and gave me an opportunity to inhale a 10 piece McNuggets. We were halfway there.

We did make one rookie mistake on the trip out. Nobody in Providence told us that we had to re-gate check the stroller/car seat combo. We had plenty of time but just didn’t know we had to do it. So we tried to board the plane with old luggage tags. The gate guy was nice enough to tell us our mistake but didn’t make us get out of line or anything. The stuff arrived in Vegas without tags, one less thing to worry about.

The second flight Cam was just as good. Quiet as a mouse, ate, slept, repeat. The only difference was he pooped his pants like the second we pushed back from the gate. So Sara sprang into action once the seat belt sign was off and cleaned him up. We landed again and got more props from having a perfectly quiet baby. We get off the plane and it is almost 1am our time. We find our bags and a cab and head to the Bellagio. Interesting sidenote: we weren’t allowed to leave the hospital without having the base for the car seat installed perfectly. I made appointments with experts to make sure I installed it right (surprise, I didn’t). But we get to Vegas and we just throw his car seat, unsecured in the back seat between us. With him in it. What a difference a couple of months make.

We arrive at the Bellagio, the site of the conference and our favorite Vegas hotel. We had made it. We order a pack and play (that was a first) and head towards our room. It is now after 11pm local time. Or 2am our time. As we push our two month old son through the noisy and smoke-filled casino floor, one thing became immediately clear. We might have to wait a little while before winning any Parents of the Year awards!

Come back later in the week for Part 2: The differences between this Bellagio trip and one we made just 15 months ago. Plus the exciting conclusion of is Cam really that good of a traveler?