First night away

Last weekend Mike and I took a trip to Galena, IL.  It was a reunion of some sort.  We and his four best friends from high school rented a house.  I did a little shopping (no good kids stores tho!), got a manicure (which I think is a waste of money, but Mike made me), sat in the hot tub way too long and drank way too much wine.  We had a fantastic time, but it meant leaving Ava.

It was so hard for me.  I've never left her for more than a 12 hour (night) shift at work.  I had anxiety every day for months before this trip.  I worried about who would watch her, how would it go, would she be happy, etc.  I was so thankful that my brother and his wife (Billy & Leah) agreed to watch her.  Ava has been to their home many times and I completely trust them. 

Physically leaving Ava wasn't as hard as I thought.  I gave her a hug and kiss and walked out the door.  No tears from me, and no tears from her, as Leah is awesome at keeping Ava happy.  During the trip I thought about her non-stop.  It kills me to not know what she's doing every second of the day.  I tried to only text Leah a few times.  I didn't want to be the crazy mom, but mostly I wanted Billy and Leah to know that I totally trusted them.

I COULDN'T WAIT to kiss those cheeks!  When I walked in the door Ava looked surprised.  At first I don't think she recognized me (which made me feel like someone was ripping out my insides) but once I picked her up she realized that her Momma was home!!!  And I never want to leave her again. 

Here are some picture of the house where we stayed.  Five bedrooms, five bathrooms, hot tub!