What A Trip.

Lake Powell, with a baby, has proved to be quite different than without. While we did have a great time, we started the trip off with every mother's worst nightmare... a trip to the Emergency Room.

This is Jack and I on our way to the houseboat. He loved every minute of it (except, maybe, being forced to wear his life vest. Doesn't it look comfy?) and actually fell asleep during the 20 minutes it took us to get there.

Not an hour after arriving, we decided to go for a wake-surf run. Because our little man loved the boat so much on the way in, we decided to take him with us. In hind-sight, it probably wasn't our best idea; it was quite windy and the water was pretty yucky. On our way back in, the surf board that was carefully put on the swim deck was picked up by the wind and thrown in my direction - ricocheting off my jaw and hitting Jack, who was in my arms, hard in the forehead.

I have never seen anything grow so fast as the bump on his head did. Luckily we were seconds away from the houseboat - where we quickly made our way and handed him off to my dad where he ran in to put some ice on it. Needless to say Jack was screaming... and luckily, he stayed that way (with some help from me and Chris) all the way back to the marina and to the hospital. The blow to the head didn't break skin and didn't send him into unconsciousness, for which we were grateful.

He was a happy boy at the hospital (once we took the ice off his head) and was acting like our little Jack again. The doctor was fantastic and sent us on our way after about an hour, assuring us that everything was fine and he didn't need a CT scan (for which we were also grateful).

As if on cue, Jack fell asleep as soon as the doctor said he was okay to close his eyes. Having the rough morning that he did, he cuddled up in grandpa's arms, who came with us to the hospital.

He stayed asleep on our way back to the lake...

And seemed to be fine on the ride back to the boat in his dad's arms.

Over the next few days, we took time to ice his bump by trying to keep him distracted, either with something to put in his mouth....

Or grandma and his aunt Heather singing him songs.

So, with the help of Tylenol, he didn't get the black eye we expected. Instead, the swelling went down and the bruise, by some miracle, was almost non-existant by the end of our five-day trip. I'm told now how frequently boys get hurt. If this is any indication of how his life will be, I guess I'm in trouble.

The rest of the trip, other than the last 24 hours or so (at which time some kind of flu bug hit our boat, taking down seven of us one by one) was great. Both Chris and I wake surfed for the first time (without Jack on the boat that time around)...

I apologize for this picture. I realize that I look extremely awkward... but it was the only semi-decent one of me. However, here is proof that I actually got up, which I have to say is a thousand times easier than getting up on a wake board.

Chris is tubing here with five-year-old Alexa and seven-year-old Cessna. It was so fun to watch.

We hiked slot canyon, which was much more short-lived than the trouble was worth, I think... beginning (and ending) with a swim through a black abyss... that smelled worse than anything. Ever.

But since this was Jack's first trip, he discovered new things - like sand, which he loved.

And sunglasses, which were more funny than anything.

He drove the boat with Grandpa, too...

He liked the water, for the most part, until it hit his chest. Wasn't too sure about it after that.

Most of the time, he was just a happy boy.

Ah, we love this kid.