Upstate Addie takes on NYC!

Upstate Addie takes on downstate NY!!  Or at least an underground parking garage, a beautiful apartment, and a wood fired pizza place. Friday was our first time taking the babe away for an overnight.  Since she was born (just under eight months ago) we’ve gone away twice, each time for just one night, while she stayed behind left under the love and care of her Gigi and Grandpa.  We decided to give those two a break for this excursion though and wanted to see how Addie would do on an overnight in a place she isn’t familiar with.  So, we hit the road, grabbed a hotel, and let housekeeping know where the diapers were in the event that they heard her crying from our room while we were out at a concert.  Kidding!

My cousin generously offered to let us stay at her place and babysit the little one while we went out for the concert.  A free place to stay in the city AND a babysitter…doesn’t get much better than that?  Oh, but it does.  Parking garage directly across the street, Tal Bagels, all three of my cousins (and little ones!) coming to visit, and getting to meet the lead singer from one of our favorite bands of all time.  NOW, you could probably safely say that it doesn’t get much better than that.

I was nervous both times that we’ve gone away without Addie, but found comfort knowing she was staying at our house, a place she’s comfortable with, and staying with her grandparents, both of whom she loves very much.  Taking the baby out of the area though came with its own list of concerns and worries.  I don’t think I’ve ever packed as much for an overnight trip as I did for this:

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Butt Paste
• Gloves, Hat, Jacket
• Pajamas
• Extra pair of pajamas
• Extra change of clothes
• Clothes for the next day
• Extra change of clothes for the next day
• Extra Socks
• Burp clothes
• Binkies
• Breastmilk (and cooler)
• Bottles
• Teething Toys
• Tylenol
• Pack N’Play
• Books
• Toys
• Stroller
• Ergo baby carrier
• White noise machine

And that’s just the baby’s stuff!!!  Usually for an overnight trip I pack a clean shirt, a clean pair of underwear, my phone charger, my tooth brush, deodorant, and a baseball cap so I don’t have to shower/do my hair the following morning.  Don’t say ‘ew,’ you either pack this way too or wish you could.  Step it up.

The entire trip went off without a hitch – with the exception of a spilled glass of red wine…you can be as prepared as you want for a baby, but sometimes you can’t prepare yourself for a Daddy.  We act up occasionally.  You’ve heard of the terrible twos?  They got nothing on the terrible 30s.

I was worried that being in a new place, with people she’s only met once a couple of months back, that Addie might act up or be unhappy.  Turns out it doesn’t matter if her Mom or Dad around, she couldn’t care less.  As long as there are people loving on her, paying attention to her, and there’s a steady supply of toys to shove in her mouth Mom and Dad can beat it!  My cousins took wonderful care of her, showered her with affection, and put any concerns I had to rest.  Soooo…more trips to the city in the very near future, yes please!  White wine or seltzer water next time maybe for Dad!

(Side note: Seeing how close/involved my cousins are with one another makes me hope very much that if (when) Addison has a sibling that they grow up to be that close.  It’s really heartwarming to see.)

We had a great time at the show.  We had VIP Meet and Greet tickets to a William Ryan Key show.  Never heard of him?  You’re likely not alone.  He usually goes by Ryan, and previously was the front man of the band Yellowcard.  Yellowcard is one of our favorite bands of all time, second only to A New Found Glory for me, and second to the Backstreet Boys for my wife.  I try to tell her all the time that N’SYNC is the better of the OG boybands, because duh, but she won’t listen.  Pssh, rude.  Anyway, we got to meet Ryan, talk to him a little bit, take a picture with him, and get some autographs.  I offered him an UpstateDad autograph and he seemed confused.  I’m sure he was just playing it cool, it’s intimidating meeting your idols.  He and I both know that now.  Prior to being let into the show, because the venue wasn’t open yet, we wandered around a very shady neighborhood looking for a place to grab a quick drink.  The only place we could find though was what I can only describe as the club from Sons of Anarchy.  Luckily, after the music came to a stop and the regulars were curiously looking our way, I rolled up my sleeves so that they could see that I too have tattoos.  This made them less suspicious of us and we were able to grab a seat at the bar without further confrontation.  Two suburban parents assimilating themselves with a biker gang in the city, not too shabby Mom and Dad, not too shabby at all.  Still got it.

We admittedly left the show a little early because we were missing our baby and it was getting late.  We can’t hang like we once used to hang, even without the beers 9:00 pm is usually time for Netflix and Bed.  No chill.  Bed, sleep.  Even with the most perfect child in the world, Addison, being a parent is exhausting – you did see my packing list, right?

The following morning, we were greeted with bagels, bacon, and even more stuff to take home for the baby!  Like I said, it doesn’t get much better than that.

We stopped to visit my Aunt and Uncle on the way home and grabbed lunch with them at the Yacht Club.  Sleeves down for that one!  One nervous waiter and a delicious hamburger later we were on the road home.  A very carb filled trip, worth every gained pound.  Upstate Dad may be doing a lot of downstate trips this summer and exploring the city, baby in hand.