Going South

A quick post from the road.... After a great visit with my family in Ohio, we headed south Saturday.  We managed to outrun the big snowstorm that dumped on Ohio and northern Kentucky (but not the cold wave), and we've had pretty smooth riding so far.  Zain's car seat tolerance level continues to go up, thankfully!  We're trying not to do more than 4 or 5 hours of actual driving each day.  We stop to feed him when he decides it's time for a snack.  Then we take advantage of his happy car seat time by getting in as many miles as possible, mommies' food and bathroom needs be damned.  We're taking turns sitting in the back seat with him, and we've learned all sorts of tricks for keeping him from having major cryfests and to get him to go to sleep - we're singing, humming, covering of the car seat like it's a birdcage at night, creating faux swaddles by stuffing receiving blankets around his arms.  So far, it's managed to be pretty peaceful.  He's never been one of those babies that falls asleep instantly in a moving car, but he's learning to enjoy it.  

We seem to be spending a lot of time at McDonald's - clean change tables, room to feed, big Cokes, and free wi-fi.  Their change tables are inside the accessible stall in the bathroom, which has led to a few adventures and more time on the learning curve.  The first time Shif changed Zain there, because the change table is right in front of the automatic-flush toilet, she accidentally set off the flush and sent Zain into a screeching fit.  Then, a couple days ago, she realized that the proximity to the toilet also leads to the very real possibility that your diaper bag could be kicked into it! 

Can you tell which city we're in?

Frog legs at McDonald's

We stopped for two days in Atlanta to visit Shif's uncle and cousins (and a surprise visit with an aunt who happened to be in town) and had a really nice visit.  Well, it was nice for us.  I'm not sure what they thought, considering the baby who seemed to be either screaming or sleeping, and was awake enough only for brief hellos. 

Practicing his new favourite trick - standing

Meeting Cousin Taz

With Gully Aunty

Unimpressed by all the attention

Today, we left Atlanta and we'll arrive at our new temporary beach home tomorrow!  We've stopped tonight in southern Georgia.  We got in while it was still daylight, so we went out for a family walk to enjoy temperatures that are finally above freezing!  I can't say the environs of the interstate Valdosta are much to look at, but it feels like vacation to us!