Mommy's weekend away

***This post has nearly nothing to do with Natalie, so you're welcome to skip it. More Natalie news in the coming days***
Because mommies need a break sometimes, I hopped on a plane Friday morning to visit my longtime pal Kristin and her husband Rick in St. Louis. I'd never been there so I was excited to see a new place, especially a new place where the high temperature was only expected to reach 74 degrees. It was tough to say goodbye to Natalie and her daddy, but I knew I would only be gone a short time and the trip really did go by quickly.
I won't bore you with too many details of the weekend. I got a short tour of some of the suburbs around St. Louis after I arrived, and then we went back to Kristin's downtown loft so she could work for a little while. I enjoyed relaxing on the couch knowing there were no bottles to feed or diapers to change. Later on that day, we walked down to the banks of the Miss. River and checked out the Arch (but didn't go up). That night, we went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then to an Oktoberfest celebration nearby. We didn't want to make it too late since we had to catch a train the next morning. We were heading out to Hermann, MO, which is also known as Missouri Wine Country (well, I'm calling it that, at least). It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the vineyards were all really cute and rustic. It's no Napa Valley, but it was still a beautiful little town and there were many people out with loaves of bread, chunks of cheese and bottles of wine, eager to enjoy the weather. I wasn't a big fan of the wines, but we had a great time anyway. We went to three wineries before heading back to St. Louis and by then it was getting late. We hit the sack early because I had to fly back at 8:30 a.m. I was very excited to see Natalie and Johnathan. Absence does make the heart grow fonder for sure, and I think Natalie got even cuter while I was away. She was never far from my thoughts and I was ready with the camera to show her picture to anyone who showed the slightest interest.
Johnathan says his weekend as a single dad was tough, but he made it through with minimal trauma. I think it was a good time for the two of them to bond. He never panicked or got overwhelmed. He's such a good daddy! Of course, I already knew that!