Shortly after we arrived last Saturday, Nana & Pappy Braud came on by to help unload the truck; Nana unloaded my arms so that I could help with boxes, but Dad & Dylan did all of the grunt work - big, huge, massive hats-off to them! We ate pizza that night on boxes in the kitchen.
Sunday brought us to Mass at our hopefully regular church of The Most Holy Name of Mary. It's 2 blocks away, so I reeeally hope we like it. (Cute sidenote since then - every time we walk past it, Paul wants to go in! I don't want to deny the boy time with God, but it's always locked. How to change this...) After Mass, we walked across the street to a darlin café for an awesome brunch and real coffee. Real, Italian coffee. Mom ordered a macchiato and did not receive a(n albeit yummy) Starbucks macchiato but a tiny cup of thick brew with a careful little spoonful of froth. I traded her my café au lait, and we both were happy. That night, Mom made the first meal in the house, and we even got to eat it at the table - after a champagne cheers on the porch, of course.
Monday was a quick visit with Aunt Cyndi (Dad's sister) to say "Hi! We're here! Let's play soon!" before beignets in City Park ... next to the ultimate playground. Paul went nuts. And then crashed. (Between being really busy helping us and the heat, he's beat every single naptime and bedtime. It's great.)
Tuesday was our first family trip to the Quarter. We walked the 15 minutes to the ferry that hopped us across that big ol' bayou (PS, Paul now loves boats), and we met family on Mom's side for more beignets. Oh, darn. It was good to catch up with them and meet a new little addition to the family! And then it was a rainy walk through the French Quarter to shop for dinner fixins before taking the ferry back home. Home, funny.
Wednesday was our first grocery shop at Rouse's. Sounds uneventful, I'm sure, but we are very happy to soon get back to normal, healthy, home-cooked food. Eating out is always fun for a while, and then I'm done. Oh, and local grass-fed beef for the same price as our budget store in MN? Rouse's ftw!
Thursday was a little different and altogether familiar, too. Dylan went to a Louisiana Bar Association presentation in the morning, so I was alone with these two little humans in our new place until naptime. What do I do by myself with two kiddos in a small house with tons of "don't touch" things everywhere? I head to the park. The 3-blocks-away fenced-in park. And we run into cousin Rena and baby Francesca. That's what I do, and it was great. Ada's beyond content facing outward in the Björn, and Paul both rode in and pushed his stroller. That evening after nap, we headed to Lowe's because we need more things. We filled the truck, yes, but we didn't quite fill the add-on trailer, so we wanted to make sure that next time it'd be stuffed ... with organization/space-saving things to make use of small square footage but 14' ceilings.
Friday was our morning at the Office of Motor Vehicles getting Vince the VW Jetta registered in Louisiana and ourselves Louisiana drivers' licenses. We're official, y'all. And today has been a low-keyed Saturday. Dylan even made his signature blueberry pancakes for us, and we've lounged, unpacked, and cuddled kiddos since.
Generally, there's some sort of day's event either in the morning or in the afternoon, filling the rest of the day and evening with unpacking, and we've kept meals & naps at their usual times. Paul, however, has been beat, like I said, so we've even upped nap to 12:30, and he's out til 3! Lil Miss Ada-potada takes it one further and sleeps til 5. Wowza. I don't mind since their night sleep is keeping strong - mostly; they've been waking a little earlier than usual - necessitating daily coffee - but there's a little wiggle-room to work with, so I'll live.
I think life here will be good.
OH! In all this chaos, I forgot to mention that Paul and Ada have both shifted beds! Paul's in his Uncle Pete's childhood loft bed, and Ada's in the big crib (next to our bed still). Paul was a giddy little person when Nana dressed the bed Pappy put together with Thomas sheets, and Ada can have the space she needs to do her nighttime somersaults. I've yet to snap a photo of her in it, though, because I don't want to wake her, but there's this guy:
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