Report from the home front

Happy New Year!

We've been back home for 24 hours now. I'm glad to report that Isaac is nearly well -- from time to time he still has a runny nose and a phlegmy cough, but his spirits are high and his appetite is hearty. I guess he's making up for lost time -- for several days he would only eat cookies and dried cranberries. (Although he nursed with enough frequency that I was never worried about him being hungry.)

So far I've unpacked two suitcases and reorganized the diaper bag for in-town use (for example, I no longer need to carry my bottle of Purell in a one-quart ziplock bag). But there's still more luggage to deal with, as our days of traveling light are at least temporarily over. Here are the nine items of luggage we took for a one-week trip to South Carolina:

1. one carry-on size suitcase (for me)
2. one carry-on size suitcase (for Craig)
3. one very small suitcase (for Isaac)
4. one Pack N Play
   
5. one stroller
6. one shoulder bag (for our computers, cameras, and chargers)
7. one backpack (for food, toys, and books)
8. one diaper bag (for the obvious reasons; also serves as my purse)
9. one car seat

We checked items 1-4, gate-checked item 5, and carried on items 6-9. But don't forget the tenth item we had to carry: Isaac himself.

We carried him because for the most part we used the stroller as a luggage cart. I used to wonder why parents piled their stroller with stuff and then carried their kid, but now I understand. Isaac weighs slightly less than 24 pounds, and he's way easier to carry than a bulky car seat and about 35 pounds of personal electronics. It was funny to see one of the lightest strollers on the market (eight and a half pounds) hidden beneath one of the largest car seats (21 pounds) and several bags, but it worked beautifully. The manufacturer claims the stroller can carry up to 55 pounds, so we'll be able to use it as a luggage cart until Isaac is approximately seven years old.