A Grown Up Vacation.

This post has been slightly delayed due to the fact that I've spent the last couple of days battling the plague, or something like it.  Being sick is never fun, but being confined to the couch at 5 months pregnant with a highly energetic toddler to care for? That's a whole new ballgame that I don't care to participate in ever again.  Fortunately, I'm on the mend and slowly but surely returning to my normal "eat everything in sight" ways.  Sadly, what could have been a record setting week in terms of FitBit steps has been ruined by my bedridden ways.  

Anyways... onto the real point of this blog post. 

Last weekend I did something crazy.  Something completely out of my comfort zone.

I got on a plane with my husband. We flew thousands of kilometres away.  We even crossed the border and left the country.  I realize that none of this sounds out of the ordinary, so I should mention that we did all of this without our daughter.  

That's right... I, Clingy Mama, left my baby girl at home in the care of her grandparents while I took off for a long weekend getaway with my husband. And guess what? It was awesome.

Ryan and I had long discussed the day that we'd go on an adults only trip, but to be honest I didn't think I'd ever work up the courage. I love that little girl with everything in me, and the thought of being so far away from her made me anxious and a little bit sad.  However, I knew that a bit of time apart would be beneficial to all of us... for Ryan, myself, Aaralee, and for her two extremely excited Grandmas who would spoil her for the duration of our trip.  

So we jetted off to California, where we spent the weekend with Ryan's cousin Kor and his wonderful new wife Heather. They were the best hosts, touring us around and taking us to their favourite restaurants.  

We drove down the gorgeous coast and made many photo stops along the way.  I made numerous attempts to convince Ryan that we should move to a warmer climate, or at least somewhere a little bit closer to the ocean.

 We wandered San Francisco and stocked up on my beloved Ghiradelli chocolate, making sure to eat our fill of seafood. We shopped until we were ready to drop, picking up tons of cute outfits for Aaralee and a few larger shirts for my growing belly.  

I missed my daughter, but I must admit that it was wonderful being able to go for nice meals without worrying about temper tantrums and flying food, or to drive for hours without needing to stop to let her run off some of her endless toddler energy.  It was nice going for morning walks and breakfast dates with my husband, even if I checked out every double stroller that passed us by. 

The weekend flew by and before we knew it, it was time to go home.  Normally I dread returning home, but knowing that Aaralee was there waiting for us made it far more appealing than it ever had been.  We were greeted by the most excited, adorable little girl in the whole wide world and that reunion was by far my favourite part of the entire trip! Our little getaway had been great, but at the end of the day nothing beats spending my time with my sweet, tiny person. 

2015!

Happy New Year!!  

Whoa... It's 2015.  2014 is over and done with. People born in the year 1997 can legally drink (in Alberta) this year.  My husband turns 30 this year.  I'm having my second baby this year.  

I feel as though I blinked and 2014 was gone.  Not much can surpass the fun that I had last year.  Sure, previous years have taken me around the world and back, or have involved big exciting events. 2014 didn't have any of that, but with every month that passed by I was able to watch my tiny baby  turn into a tiny little girl. I watched her learn and grow and develop her own little personality.  She's a real little person and I can't wait to see how much she changes in the coming year. 

2015 is pretty decent, so far! After the chaos of the holidays (4 consecutive Christmas meals!) our entire household was feeling under the weather. We spent some time relaxing at home and enjoying a bit of calmness.  We rang in the new year surrounded by friends. It was a fun evening filled with far too much food. I woke up Aaralee for the countdown and witnessed Carley stabbing her boyfriend with a toothpick in a balloon popping spree gone wrong.  

The next day we cleaned up the mess and proceeded to dispose of all the junk food that remained. As per usual, we vowed to eat better this year.  Now that the first trimester is long gone, perhaps I can actually stick to it.  Ryan is doing well, and I just keep on piling on the weight... I don't anticipate a change in that trend any time soon! Thanks to our new FitBits, we have been very dedicated to getting at least 10,000 steps per day. Nothing like a bit of friendly competition! Not that it matters.... but... I'm currently winning.

Aaralee and I started a mom and tot program this week with the intent of getting out of the house for fun activities more frequently.  She's one of the younger kids in the class and thus a bit less of an active participant, but she seems to enjoy herself regardless. The outings are worth it just for the naps that follow!  

Baby #2 is also doing well! Today we got to see him or her, and in our typical stubborn family's nature, we were unable to find out whether Aaralee will have a brother or a sister.  No amount of jiggling my belly or flipping from side to side was going to make this kid spill the beans.  I think he or she will fit in perfectly... already so much like the rest of us.  

The year ahead looks exciting... a few mini-trips and a brand new baby! Happy New Year, everyone! May 2015 be (almost) as exciting for you as it will be for us!