Hanging out with the fam

By Friday (September 16, our last day in Utah), I could tell we had worn out our welcome and it was time to go home. Well, perhaps we hadn't quite worn out our welcome, but Phoebe was finally feeling comfortable enough that she started getting into mischief. 

Whereas she'd spent the rest of the week being shy and clingy, she spent Friday sneaking off to stick her fingers into electrical sockets and splash in the toilet and things like that. On the positive side of things, she was no only getting more comfortable with her surroundings, she was also getting more comfortable with the people in her surroundings. 

She really enjoyed spending time with Uncle Patrick, probably because he's a really low-pressure kind of a guy. He doesn't get offended if babies shy away from him, doesn't particularly care to be wanted by them, and thus, like cats, babies are drawn to him. 

Here he is coaxing Phoebe into the ball pit. She had been—to this point—a little afraid of the ball pit as well as of Patrick, himself, but he just made the ball pit seem like such a fun idea that she decided (ever so slowly) to join him.

Here's Auntie Josie getting some snuggles:

Auntie Josie was interesting because Auntie Josie has cats and Phoebe likes cats. And food. Here she is getting some snacks with Auntie Josie (while Patrick is doing some food prep in the background):

Here she is bouncing on Naanii's lap:

Hanging out with Bumpa:

And...I don't know where the pictures are of Naanii and Bumpa with Phoebe that we took just before we left for the airport!! They don't seem to be on my camera or phone. Patrick? Josie? Do you guys have those pictures?

I do have some pictures of Josie, me, and Patrick with Phoebe, who is resting her foot on Patrick (a sure sign of affection):

And these pictures that Patrick took of Phoebe lunging at him to start a chasing game:

Here's a picture someone—Patrick or Josie—snapped of us while we were eating lunch one day:

It was rejuvenating to get to spend some time relaxing and visiting with my siblings, in the literal sense of the word. I didn't feel like an old mom; for at least a minute I got to be just me and that was nice.