The first 6 days in Anchorage were exhausting. Ani woke up frequently at night, solely soothed by nursing, and Miles pushed back and challenged every request or boundary we set. As the days wore on our patience faded. Joanna and Laurie worked together but Andy’s absence was felt.

The challenges from the lack of sleep and what felt like having 2 toddlers, were offset by some sweet moments and quiet afternoon car rides where inevitably both kids slept.

We treated ourselves to daily milkshakes and set our expectations low.

Over the course of the week we managed to get out each day and see some cool things but each day felt LONG! Maybe Laurie was expecting too much of herself and the kiddos. The first week we drove through the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America and watched a salmon run.

We went to a Reindeer Farm where we talked to Santa’s reindeer (reminding them that Miles will be in Boise this year for Christmas), fed a moose, pet a pig and rode on a tractor.

We toured the Alaska vehicle museum where we walked through old trains and around fire engines from the 40’s. Unfortunately we were not allowed to sit or climb in the vehicles 😦

We pet 7 week old puppies and took a 10 minute dog sled ride. Each of these outings was an ordeal but in hindsight we did some cool things and managed to have some fun.

The low points were quite low. We attempted a 1 mile hike to a lake but only made it halfway as Miles refused to hike and Laurie couldn’t manage to carry both kids. We asked Miles to use his indoor voice countless times, had to take many deep breathes and do “do overs” in an attempt to remedy moments of pure frustration.

The worst part of each evening was trying to get both kids to go to sleep. Ani rarely stayed in her crib (or if she was, it was never a deep sleep and every noise was disrupting). Despite conversations and special screen time, Miles would inevitably come into the dark bedroom with a burst of energy and wake Ani up. In hindsight his actions were all attempts to get attention but boy was it frustrating! Laurie cried multiple times and felt levels of overwhelm and rage that were unfamiliar.

Andy drove like a champ and after a few 16 hour days he arrived 5.5 days after leaving Oakland. He arrived around 3:30 on Saturday afternoon, coincidently when both kids were napping, one on either side of Laurie with her arms trapped around each one. Andy was locked out of the Airbnb for over 30 min- not the welcome any of us had intended!

The kids were happy to see “dada” and Andy was thankful to elevate his swollen feet. Laurie wished things would magically improve and they did a little, but the power struggles and competition remained.

Our last day in Anchorage was rainy. We went shopping and did laundry at a laundromat (initially fun for Miles until the novelty wore off).

Around 4 pm we went for a little hike. Laurie secretly hoped that with Andy there too we could do the 3 mile loop, but that still proved to be too much. With rain threatening we opted for a short 1 mile loop. Ani initially walked more than Miles but once we started to descend he found his hiking and running legs. As we looped around Blueberry Hill we finally found some berries on the bushes, but they were green 😦 This brought hope to Laurie because now she knows we haven’t missed the opportunity to pick blueberries.

It spit as we finished our saunter. We played games of hide and seek in the trees until the meltdowns outnumbered the giggles and it was time to go home.

Our final night in the Airbnb was like many others, with Ani waking multiple times and only soothed by nursing. Miles has proven to be a great sleeper and didn’t seem bothered by the cries or the airplanes flying overhead.

The following morning we packed up and “moved” into the RV. The shuffle of stuff and food felt oddly familiar and annoying. Luckily this would be the last transition of sleeping locations for a few weeks, unless we go home early. The sleepless nights make that an unwanted but potentially necessary possibility,

This week we are grateful for vehicles and hopeful for sunny skies and sleep-filled nights.