Earlier this month I spent a weekend in Memphis, where Iris celebrated her big six month birthday! I was a host for a dear friend’s baby shower in Oxford, Mississippi, so I went a couple days early to spend time in my old neighborhood with old friends. It was my first trip with Iris minus Todd, but my mom was brave enough to drive us to Tennessee and help out while we were there. Iris hardly fussed at all in the car on the five hour journey and did just fine adjusting to a new temporary bedroom. All in all, it makes me feel better about the future trips we’ll take as a family… except for the part where I pack up her entire nursery.

Trip highlights:

+ Staying with Kerri, Joel, & Penny who welcomed us with pretty much our own apartment upstairs – complete with a crib, changing table, and fresh Irises by the bed.
+ A trip the Memphis Zoo. I’ve been going to this zoo since I was a baby, so it was a big moment for me to bring my girl. Iris only cared about touching the fence posts though, not looking at the animals behind them.
+ Erin’s lovely baby shower in the charming town of Oxford and of course seeing Erin pregnant! I can’t believe our little circle of four girls are all moms now.
+ Baby Carhartt bloomers from Hillary.
+ Taking Iris to the coffeeshop where I worked for many years.
+ Getting tons of cute baby clothes from my pals. You woulda thought I was the one having a shower.
+ Iris pooping twice on the way home. We pulled over in Weiner, Arkansas to clean up where a train literally scared the — out of her.
+ Last but not least, swinging through Jonesboro, Arkansas on the way home to visit my dad and family.

Here are a few Instagram photos from our trip: