Birthday Babymoon

Boomer and I enjoyed a little time away this past weekend. After the MLB play-off schedule was announced and we found out that the Braves would have a home game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday the 4th, we decided to book a spontaneous overnight trip to Atlanta. Both of us were hesitant to take a day off work, but Boomer's birthday was that same day and it seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate. Boomer also tried to pitch it to me as a "babymoon", although that may be a loose interpretation of the term. Yes, we enjoyed some time alone before the arrival of Baby Kennedy #2, but it wasn't quite the tropical resort or spa vacation that others might deem as a babymoon. (I am hoping perhaps that will come after baby at some point!) Babymoon or not, it was a fun adventure just the two of us. Even driving in the car together and having that much uninterrupted time with Boomer feels like a luxury these days. 

I should mention that the trip started off a little rocky on Thursday when our air conditioning went out! The beginning of October brought some of the hottest days on record, and when we got home from work on Thursday evening, the thermostat in our house was showing 90 degrees! As soon as I walked inside, it felt stuffy and stifling; there was no relief from the outside heat. We did our best to make it through the night, using fans and opening a few windows and taking cool showers before bed. All three of us were a bit grumpy as we tried to go about our nighttime routine, while also doing the laundry and packing. Even in the morning, the inside temperature of the house had only dropped to the mid-80s. When we got on the road Friday, we were glad for the AC in the car.

(Update: A technician came out on Friday, and $250 later, we have AC again!)

On Friday, we started the morning like a normal school day, dropping Emmy off at daycare before we hit the road to Atlanta. Just past Charlotte, we stopped for breakfast in Belmont. We had intended to go to a McDonald's, but when we saw signs for The Famous Toastery, we made a quick decision to try something different. It was more of a sit-down restaurant and very delicious. Later, when we hit Atlanta traffic, we somewhat regretted not doing a faster option, but it was nice to have a leisurely breakfast, which is quite rare for us. 

After five hours on the road, we arrived to our hotel in Atlanta around 3:15PM. The first pitch was at 4:37PM so we didn't have much time to waste. We hopped into an Uber and got to the stadium by 3:45PM. Our hotel was only 2 miles from the ballpark, but with temps in the upper-90s, we opted for the $12 Uber ride instead of walking. Even with our roundtrip Uber, we still came out ahead compared to the steep prices for parking at the stadium. Our hotel was in a good area off of Windy Hill Road, and it was very convenient for getting to the game. When we arrived to the ballpark, we initially had plans of eating at the Battery, the area just outside of the stadium with restaurants, breweries, retail shops, and live entertainment. Still full from our breakfast and also short on time, we opted to go to our seats to see some of the pre-game activities. Boomer had bought tickets on the 1st Base side, in Section 313, which were luckily in the shade. The temperature at game time was close to 100, so having the shade was a blessing. Since the Braves lost Game 1 to the Cardinals the night before, the stakes were high for winning Game 2, and every inning we were on our feet cheering. The biggest play came in the 7th inning when Adam Duvall hit a 2-run home run. After a nerve-wracking 8th and 9th inning, the Braves held off the Cardinals and won 3-0! Boomer is now saying that we should name our child Adam if it is a boy, and Georgia if it is a girl. Although not bad options, I'm not sure I would like explaining to people that we named our child after Game 2 of the 2019 Play-off series against the Cardinals! 

A very exciting part of this trip was crossing off another ballpark on the Kennedy Ballpark Tour! This game was actually Boomer's second visit to SunTrust Park (he went last year with his Dad and his brother Kyle, also for an October play-off game). However, because I was not with him, it did not count; we have to be together. After this game though, we have now checked off our second Braves ballpark and our 13th overall park on the Kennedy Ballpark Tour. Yay! 

After the game, we headed back to the Battery (along with everyone else!) Especially after such an exciting win, the atmosphere was unlike anything we've experienced at any of the other ballparks we've been to. There was live music; they were taping the televised Braves post-game show, and people were milling about everywhere. We waited only briefly for a table at Terrapin Brewery & Fox Bros Barbeque. Since we had snacked on a piece of pizza and a pretzel at the game, we got some wings and onion rings to share. I particularly got a kick out of Boomer getting carded for his Coors Light. Another year older, but he still has that baby face! Cheers to 34!

After dinner, we were both pretty tired from our day of traveling and from the heat of the game. We would have liked to have spent more time at the Battery, but we made the decision to head back to the hotel. We arrived back just before 10PM, and after sweating at home the night before and sweating all day at the game, it felt good to shower and then fall into the king-sized bed. We both slept in on Saturday morning until around 8AM. Then we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the hotel with made-to-order omelets before hitting the road back to Kernersville. It was a quick trip, but so fun! Since we had six years of traveling just the two of us before Emmy arrived, I always enjoy the adventures I have with just Boomer. I hope we can always continue these types of spontaneous (and planned) trips. 

The timing of this trip was a little tricky since my parents, our go-to babysitters, were currently out of town. We are so thankful that Aunt Megan and Uncle Zack stepped in to watch Em for the night. My sister picked Emmy up from daycare on Friday afternoon, and they had a fun evening eating pizza, playing, and then cuddling on the couch. On Saturday, they went to the Science Center. Emmy fit right in with her cousins, even going in to the petting zoo area. She hasn't been brave enough to go to the petting zoo in the past; I was quite surprised when I got the photo of Emmy with Casper the goat right behind her. However, there was a bit of a setback; immediately after Megan snapped the picture of Emmy and Casper, he surprised her by nudging her shoulder, thus causing a small meltdown. According to Megan, Emmy recovered after they quickly moved on to the next area. Temperatures cooled off significantly on Saturday, and Emmy had to borrow one of her cousins' jackets. She loved putting her hands in the pockets. Their Science Center outing ended with lunch at Freddy's, where Emmy got a special treat of frozen custard. I'd say she wasn't missing Mommy and Daddy at all!

When Boomer and I arrived back in town, we met the crew at Triad Park for some play time and dinner. When we first arrived, Emmy had fallen asleep in the car, even with Uncle Zack's rock music blaring from the stereo! Apparently Emmy had not napped after the Science Center, and the short car ride to the park knocked her out. She didn't even wake up as Boomer moved her out of the car seat. After a short 15-minute power nap, she jumped up to play with the others. The Williamses were there too, and we all sang to Boomer and had cupcakes for his birthday.

It was nice to have one extra day on Sunday before going back to work. Emmy and I wore our matching dresses, the same ones we wore on Mother's Day. As long as she will let me, I hope to have several more years of matching Mommy-Daughter outfits!