Dodged a bullet

This weekend was our ward camp out up at Pickle Gulch. We debated all week whether or not we were going because Ben was nervous about camping with two babies eager to crawl but nowhere to really do it--and the whole sleeping thing. I talked to a bunch of moms about it and some said it wouldn't be too bad and others acted like we were crazy to even consider it. I love camping. I love being up in the mountains and sitting by a fire. We didn't go at all last summer because, well... let's see- Ben was in CO, me hugely preggo, early babies, NICU, moving, etc. So we haven't been for two years. I really, really just wanted to give it a go and pestered Ben about it all week. But then we ended up not being able to locate our tent so it was decided that we would go up right after work on Friday and stay for the evening but drive home to sleep. Compromise.

I didn't take a lot of pics but we had such a good time up there. We went on a good walk, roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, sang camp fire songs, chatted with friends. We brought up a pack n play and the girls were angels. They loved watching the fire from a distance. I'm also the Activity Days leader in my ward so I have fourteen 8-11 year old girls who always want to hold and play with Rosie and Evie...so that made it pretty easy. I kept thinking the whole time how much I wished we were staying the night. But with no tent, there would be no more convincing or pestering. So around 10pm we loaded some sleepy babies into the car and drove home.

And I'm VERY glad we did. Rosie had a moderate diaper rash that day due to some weird stomach bug but we were staying right on top of it. She did just fine and Evie had been totally clear that day and evening. Friday night however, it hit her with a vengeance. It woke her up twice in the night (which was weird) with the worst fits I have ever seen her have. She was inconsolable. I think her tummy was bothering her, she was overly tired from all her camping fun, and her bottom was literally on fire with a diaper rash from hell. It seriously took at least a good 20 minutes to calm her down-- both bouncing and rocking her while Ben sang a made-up song about how cute she is to the tune of 3 Blind Mice. I have never seen her so upset or for so long and it was a little scary. Poor, poor sweet baby.

Around 2:30 am, after the first episode when Evie was finally back to sleep, we laid in bed and Ben asked me if I still wished we had braved the night in the forest. Oh man...I can't imagine. I get a pit in my stomach imagining us fumbling in a pitch black tent, trying to change diapers and quiet an out of control baby, surrounded by a million sleeping families with little kids...only for it to happen again a couple hours later. The worst baby night we have had in my memory could have been so, so much worse. I'm so thankful for our missing tent because even though Ben is a bit of a worrier-- he's also a bit of a softy when it comes to me getting my way. Boo me.

Happy to say that night was by far the worst of it...after lots of rest, air time, and about a million diaper changes-- Eve is feeling much better.