I can't think of a better place for Naomi to go on her first road trip/vacation than to good ol' San Diego: the place where it all started for her Mommy and Daddy. Richie and I first met while we were in college and now, here we are bringing our daughter to visit the land of our alma maters.
The special occasion which brought forth this journey is cousin Arabella Seraphina's baptism. But before we get to that exciting day, let's talk about how we got there. We left on Thursday afternoon at 4pm and Naomi probably woulda slept all the way out to the I-5, but we got stuck in some commuter traffic. The stop and slow and go was disturbing her beauty sleep. Eventually she got hungry and fussy, so let's just say "whatever happens on the freeway, stays on the freeway!" All I can ask is this: if you were a baby, would you rather sit strapped into a seat facing a blank canvas or be cradled in your mother's loving arms or sitting in Grandma's lap? Hmmmmm... Let's just say we did whatever we had to do to keep the 8 hour drive as cry-free as possible. Mimi digs her carseat, but she also digs her freedom a wee bit more!
Auntie Leia was awesome in getting a 5-bedroom rental house in Mira Mesa for everyone to stay, and I mean everyone! At one point there were 17 people spending the night, including 4 young boys and 2 little babies =) My parents shared a room with Naomi and myself and on Friday morning, they were surprised that she didn't cry. My mom even told me that she heard Mimi awake and talking to herself. I was so knocked out that I didn't even hear Naomi as she put herself back to sleep. It took FOREVER for the whole family to decide what the plan was for the day and actually get us all out the door. Once decided, the agenda was to get something to eat and head out to Balboa Park.
You can't go to San Diego and not have Mexican food... especially Carne Asada Fries! Weren't we so lucky that Santana's was so close by =) Even though I fed Mimi before we left the house, she decided that she wanted to eat more since everyone else was eating. So after I nursed her in the restaurant, Richie tried to hold her but she started squirming. We thought her diaper might be wet, so he laid her down on a table and get this: Naomi starts smiling and playing with her hands. Babygirl must be so used to laying out while Mommy and Daddy eat, that she already knows the routine! It wasn't so funny to us, but everyone else was getting a kick out of seeing little Mimi on the tabletop =)
Our first official tourist stop was Balboa Park. Grandpa Titong brought along an umbrella stroller and it was Mimi's first time sitting in a "big girl" stroller =)She was able to hold herself up but she still looked so tiny it. I'm pretty sure she was having a good time riding in it, but she also had such a serious look on her face, too! She must have been thinking "Hey, this is a new view!"
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| From San Diego |
The only time she really cried while we were at Balboa Park was when we rode the trolley from the parking lot to the Model Train Museum. Richie and I tried passing her back and forth to see if she was more comfortable with one or the other and tried different ways of carrying her, but she was clearly upset. Perhaps she was getting hot since it was crowded, that plus the funky weather; it was humid but overcast.
The sun eventually came out and it was really starting to feel like San Diego, so I took Mimi's sweater off and let her catch some sun. She can't wear sunscreen yet since her skin is still sensative, but she wore a cute little hat to block the bright rays from her eyes. We spent the afternoon walking around and enjoying the scenery. We thought about going to the beach later, but we were pretty pooped out and went back to the house.
When it was Naomi's bedtime, around 8pm, she went to sleep rather quickly. Richie and I, along with Craig, Cathy and Genina, contemplated going out to check out the nightlife, but ended up staying in while Richard and Paulina hung out with us at the house. We were watching music videos and lounging on the couch, when at 1AM, we had a tiny visitor. Naomi had woke up and patiently sat on Auntie Paulina's lap for a good half hour, soaking in the strange environment. She slept well the rest of the night and when she woke up, she was super talkative. She was cooing to herself fairly quietly until she heard Grandpa and Grandma talking. Then she started cooing loudly to make sure that they knew she was there, too. I was lying right next to her, but I knew she wasn't talking to me because she glanced over, looked at me and smiled, then turned back toward the ceiling and started calling out again, as if to say, "Hey, I'm over here! Good Morning!"
Grandma Lily gave Mimi a bath to get her day started and she didn't mind being passed around while Richie and I got ready. At the baptism, Naomi didn't want to stand still, so Richie walked her around for a good portion of the ceremony. It was really HOT both outdoors and inside as well, so she was kinda sweaty. For the most part, at the reception, she enjoyed the loving arms of all the family who wanted to hold her.
I had been the one driving my parents Prius around town, but after the party, I sat in the backseat with Naomi and Lola. It was a long day for all of us, so I assumed that Mimi would fall asleep on the drive. Instead, she began socializing with me. I guess, this was the first time that we were able to share a conversation without too much distraction, so she was smiling and cooing so happily. Well, she eventually figured out that she didn't want to be in the carseat anymore and began wiggling and twisting her body while letting out small cries. We were so close to our destination and I kept telling her that we were almost there, but that just made her more mad. The crying intensified so much that she was gasping for air and turning so red! As soon as we pulled into the driveway, I picked her up and got out of the car. The crying immediately stopped and she even smiled =) Grandma and Grandpa said that they had never heard her cry so loud! I told them that she didn't even cry that loud or that much when she got her shots or her ears pierced!
That night the Mommies and Daddies decided to take advantage of the grandparents and we left the kids to party the night away. I didn't want to wake Naomi up before we left since she was fast asleep, so I crossed my fingers that she wouldn't wake up while we were out. As I was walking out the door, I told my parents to call my cell phone if they needed me. Since I was the designated driver, Grandpa Rally said something like, "Yeah right, you can't come home without everyone else; we'll be fine." That said, we headed to the Gaslamp District; I left my cellphone in the car and we had a blast at the Eden Rooftop and Club Envy at the Ivy Hotel. Once we left the party, my momma instinct kicked in and I started missing my babygirl. We had the option of going to an afterparty, but Leia and I both declared that our bodies were telling us it's time to go home and nurse our daughters!
When we got back to the house, we noticed the light on in the room where Naomi and my parents were supposed to be sleeping. Upstairs, my mom and dad were sitting on the bed and Naomi was sound asleep. "Did you get our message?" OOPS. Grandpa said he felt like a new dad again because he was dancing and singing trying to entertain the baby and keep her from looking for me and her milk. They tried giving her some of Weslee's formula in a bottle, but that didn't cut it. Eventually my dad was able to rock her back to sleep. I asked them what time she woke up and realized that it was right around the time we left the hotel. That sixth sense is no joke; my gut had told me that she was awake and missing me, too.
****Well, Sunday is a whole other episode of the vacation, so I'll have to save that for later. I'm realizing that I have less time to blog now that Mimi doesn't nap as long as she used to! Part II to follow shortly =) Stay tuned...
That night the Mommies and Daddies decided to take advantage of the grandparents and we left the kids to party the night away. I didn't want to wake Naomi up before we left since she was fast asleep, so I crossed my fingers that she wouldn't wake up while we were out. As I was walking out the door, I told my parents to call my cell phone if they needed me. Since I was the designated driver, Grandpa Rally said something like, "Yeah right, you can't come home without everyone else; we'll be fine." That said, we headed to the Gaslamp District; I left my cellphone in the car and we had a blast at the Eden Rooftop and Club Envy at the Ivy Hotel. Once we left the party, my momma instinct kicked in and I started missing my babygirl. We had the option of going to an afterparty, but Leia and I both declared that our bodies were telling us it's time to go home and nurse our daughters!
When we got back to the house, we noticed the light on in the room where Naomi and my parents were supposed to be sleeping. Upstairs, my mom and dad were sitting on the bed and Naomi was sound asleep. "Did you get our message?" OOPS. Grandpa said he felt like a new dad again because he was dancing and singing trying to entertain the baby and keep her from looking for me and her milk. They tried giving her some of Weslee's formula in a bottle, but that didn't cut it. Eventually my dad was able to rock her back to sleep. I asked them what time she woke up and realized that it was right around the time we left the hotel. That sixth sense is no joke; my gut had told me that she was awake and missing me, too.
****Well, Sunday is a whole other episode of the vacation, so I'll have to save that for later. I'm realizing that I have less time to blog now that Mimi doesn't nap as long as she used to! Part II to follow shortly =) Stay tuned...
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