The State Fair

We ventured to the State Fair tonight. Yes, I took a 6-week-old baby to the State Fair. Got a few weird looks (not sure if they were simply because Macie was THERE, or if it had to do with the fact that it was pretty COLD and she was there...), but for the most part, everyone just wanted to know "how old is she?!?", and followed it up with a comment about how cute she is. Yes, I'm aware that people call all babies cute to their parents' faces. But I'm certain with Macie they really meant it...!

Since we're still working on the whole bottle thing (Macie still prefers nursing - and she's much quieter and more efficient when nursing than she is sucking on a bottle!), I was a little nervous about the bottle at the fair. Not only was it a bottle, but it was also going to most likely have to be in the middle of a bunch of noisy people. And Mac is used to eating in peace and quiet in her room. So I fretted most of the day about it. Unnecessarily, it turns out...

Thanks to the folks in the random food booth that let me have some of their hot water from their coffee maker to warm the bottle, it was ready to go when Macie woke up hungry at 6:00p. So it was off to Dorton Arena (I think that's where we were?) to find a place to sit while the rest of the clan took in some of the animals and other displays. As luck would have it, there were some empty chairs off in a fairly quiet corner (I didn't know those existed at the State Fair!), and Macie set to work on the bottle. 4 ounces and a poopy diaper later (which miraculously stayed IN the diaper, instead of escaping out the sides onto my jeans), we had successfully completed the "eating-away-from-home" that I was nervous about. Macie, as usual, was a champ and didn't seem to mind all the kids (and some adults!) that came up to her and peered into her face while she tried to eat.

Ivie had a wonderful time at the fair, too... Much of this, I think, was due to the fact that she was able to hang out with her buddy, Laney Beale. Laney is 4, so she's Ivie's hero. And she was very sweet to hang out with Ivie, holding her hand as we walked from ride to ride (and food stand to food stand!). Last year Ivie was scared of the rides, but with Laney by her side, she had a great time this year on the train, the teapot, and the swings. They even got their faces painted - Ivie went with a lady bug. I've got a couple of pictures to show the fun they were having, which I'll post below. Too bad my camera battery died after about 4 pictures. And too bad the spare batteries I brought along were dead when I put them in. Otherwise I might have MORE pictures to share!

As I wrap up, here are the food items that were consumed by the Herman and Beale families tonight, though I might miss some, since I was inside feeding Macie while the others were outside eating...

Al's French Fries
Foot-Long Hot Dog
Several Corn Dogs
Fried Turkey Leg
Cotton Candy
Fried Snickers
Fried Pecan Pie (the new item at the fair for this year)
Caramel Apple
Swirl Soft-Serve Ice Cream

And I guarantee you that if we weren't chasing kids around all night, the adults would have found a way to add a few more items to that list!

Are your mouths watering?!?