// 7 Q U I C K T A K E S V O L 9 //

linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary for some more quick takes....

In case you haven't noticed, we're on vacation! This has been a really hard summer, in many ways, even harder than last summer when we were getting used to being parents of a child with a medical condition. All summer long we kept thinking about and talking about and yearning for August when Alex would be done with class and we would be on vacation. Now it's here and it's great. So for my quick takes this week I will be sharing 7 things that I love about being on vacation.

//1//

Alex is here - All The Time! Maybe this seems a little obvious. But I'm just so thrilled to get to spend so much time with my husband firstly because I really like him and secondly because it's nice to have some extra hands to help with the baby wrangling. It's also so nice to see him relaxing and having fun with son and all his siblings.

//2//

Extra sleep! Alex has been so great about taking Johnny in the mornings so I can sleep in a little bit. That extra hour (of sleeping by myself) makes a really big difference. I've also been napping more with Johnny than I usually do at home. Sleep, it's beautiful thing.

//3//

Knitting! I love knitting. It's hands down my favorite past time. I've gotten used to working on my projects for just a few minutes at a time since Johnny has been born. But on vacation I've had way more time to knit and it has been delightful. I even splurged and ordered some new yarn before we left in anticipation of knitting all kinds of things. 2 of my SILs are real whizzes at knitting, so it's fun to see what they're working on and nice to get input and help on my own projects.

//4//

Nieces and Nephews! I married into many nieces and nephews - I have 10! It's been super fun to get to see them all, and it's been fun to see how much Johnny likes watching them and playing with them. We got to meet our newest nephew EJ for the first time ever. My SIL Shannon shared what it was like to deliver EJ 10 weeks early in my series, NICU Diaries a few months back. It's amazing and wonderful to see how huge EJ is now. He and Johnny had fun poking each other in the face and stealing each other's toys.

//5//

A break from diaper duty! I mentioned to Alex while he was in the thick of finals that when his term was over I'd like to have a day where I didn't have to change any poopy diapers and that would be all the vacation I needed. I was mostly joking and didn't expect him to remember and follow through on that, but he did! He's been changing so many diapers! I think I only changed 1 all of yesterday, and it was so nice! I don't want to sound like we have forgotten the days of the colostomy bag when we just couldn't wait to start changing dirty diapers. We are extremely grateful that Johnny's digestive system is working so well. I mean really well. I mean he poops all the time! It's a good thing, but it gets old too, so it's been nice to have this little bit of relief. Thanks honey!!

//6//

Blogging! Blogging is quickly becoming one of my new favorite past times, but I have a really hard time blogging with Johnny around. I always wonder - how do other blogging mothers do it? Are you able to blog with your kids around? Do you wait til they are asleep? Do you have to leave the house? I'd love to know. Here on vacation with Alex around all the time, as well as many cousins and aunts and uncles to play with Johnny, I have had many opportunities to blog.

//7//

Not being in our house! I love where we live. I love St. Paul. I love our house with all it's quirks and it's long list of projects. It really feels like home. But sometimes it's nice to get out of your home, to not see those quirks, and to not think about the list of projects. It's nice to get away from the daily routine and the daily chores. And when the daily chores can't be gotten rid of, they're always more pleasant to do in someone else's house. It's always more pleasant to wash someone else's dishes, or fold clothes in someone else's laundry room. At least I think so.

I know we'll be happy to be home once we get there. But for now, we're fully enjoying vacation!