For me, learning how to fly with a baby started years ago when I was trapped between two screaming children on a cross country flight.

I could tell you then what I’d tell you now: wait until the baby is 18. Done! Best advice yet, right?

Yeah, yeah. I know. Not a realistic option these days. I swore to myself I’d never fly with young children…and then…we had a baby. The grandparents don’t live close, and friends are getting married, and yada yada yada. It’s inevitable. Anna is nine months old and she’s already been on six trips / twelve flights. For the most part, she’s been a very agreeable travel companion thanks to some planning, some scheming, some sweat, and (a few times) some onmyknees prayer.

Here’s what I’ve learned: 

Planning ahead

If you have a newborn who doesn’t suffer from a condition like colic, the first three months are probably the easiest time to travel. “Easiest” is a relative term, okay? Let’s not get our expectations too high here…you’re still traveling with a baby.

In the first three months, babies still sleep a lot. In my experience, the movement and jet sounds provide a lovely rush of white noise that keep them sleeping and generally happy. In the event they are not happy, milk almost always does the trick. Boom. Done.

After the first three months, planning to fly with baby starts long before you board the plane. If you have the luxury of planning your flight(s) around nap times, I’d recommend doing so. Once we had a flight that departed right at that time we usually put Anna to sleep for the night. She was already tired and fussy by the end of the day, and it took more coaxing (and some crying) before she fell asleep on my chest. Since then I’ve tried to book mid-day flights. I make sure she gets a good morning nap right before we depart for the airport. By the time we’ve made it onto the plane, she’s usually ready to sleep again and does so somewhat easily as we taxi for takeoff.

Additionally, I usually try to book an aisle seat near the back of the airplane. It seems like people don’t like the seats nearest to the bathrooms, which gives us a greater chance of scoring an open seat nearby. I also figure that if she’s crying in the middle of the plane, she disturbs more people than she might in the back. An aisle seat allows me to easily hop up if she’s fussy, and hang out (and bounce) near the restrooms.

What to bring

All airlines are different in terms of the documentation needed for babies. JetBlue has never asked me for Anna’s birth certificate. Southwest does every time. Prepare to bring a birth certificate. When I forgot, her Kaiser ID card also worked. (It has her birthdate on it, which is what seems to matter.)

One of my good friends, Jenny, has two young children and she’s flown cross country with them multiple times. Before I started flying with Anna I asked for advice. It’s been invaluable. She said to avoid bringing our heavy (and expensive) stroller. Who wants to worry about it getting lost or broken? Instead, we bring our Snap ‘n Go stroller frame and car seat. I always take both to the gate. Why? In the event the flight has extra seats, you may be able to bring the car seat on board for free. (More about that in a second.)

If you have a carrier such as an Ergo or Moby Wrap, I’d highly recommend bringing it on the plane for multiple reasons. If you’re traveling without a partner, which I’ve done several times, you’ll need your hands free in the security line. Additionally, once the baby gets a little older, and heavier, the carrier helps limit the baby’s movement on the plane.

As for your diaper bag? Keep it strategic, folks. You might consider using a backpack if your normal diaper bag isn’t big, or isn’t easy to carry. Pack just what you’d normally need on any given day plus a few distraction items such as baby’s favorite book, Cheerios, and a toy. Cheerios bought us a good 30 minutes on our most recent flight. If I’m traveling alone, I slip everything I need (wallet, phone, magazine, etc.) into that one bag which then stays at my feet rather than the overhead bin. (If you’re lucky enough to get baby to sleep, who wants to risk waking him/her to get up?)

What not to bring

Don’t be stupid and travel with your laptop. Just take it from me. The last time I travelled with my laptop it ended up in New York City, and someone else’s laptop ended up in Southern California with me because I was so distracted at security. Oops. Laptops are one more thing to take out, fold up, put back, and worry about.

Checking in

When you check-in, make sure to remind the attendant that you’re traveling with a lap infant. In the rare case your ticket does not include the baby, they can fix it there rather than discovering the error at security.

Additionally, ask if the flight is full. If not, put on your best doe eyed smile and ask if they’d consider giving you an extra seat for the baby. You’d be surprised–it’s worked for us whenever the flight has room. Then we’re able to take Anna’s car seat on and let her sleep in her seat rather than being held. Score!

Navigating security

Remember when you didn’t travel with kids, you’d scan ahead in line and make sure you were never behind people  traveling with kids? Yeah. Forget that strategy. Now, find the slowest moving people possible and follow them. The elderly, people in wheelchairs, and families are your best bet. They will buy you extra time without feeling guilty you’re holding up Mr. Businessman behind you.

So, here’s what else you need to do if you’re traveling alone. Before entering the line, strap baby on your body. Remember, I told you to also have your stroller. Make sure the stroller is empty. Once your IDs have been checked, let nothing distract you. It’s game time. Shoes off! Jacket off! You know the drill! Everything off but the baby! (And if TSA tells you to take off the baby, tell them they’re wrong. New rules let you keep baby on.) Fold up the stroller and put it on the conveyer belt too. Once you’ve gone through, you’ll need your hands swiped to make sure you’re not hiding a bomb with the baby. This part is annoying, but, honestly, it’s better than asking a stranger to hold your child while you fold up all your crap. (If you are traveling with a spouse or friend, I’d recommend carrying baby through rather than in the carrier.)

Once you’ve made it through security, go straight to the gate. Trust me. Once I stopped for a burger, and then arrived to the gate late only to be yelled at by a gate attendant. It was awful, and she was really in the wrong, but I learned my lesson. Go to the gate first, get tags for your stroller, then (if you have time) look for food and a bathroom.

Pre-flight

I try to avoid bringing a warm meal onto a flight if I’m traveling alone. It’s one more thing to juggle. The one time I did buy a burger I didn’t eat it until landing several hours later. Now I pack snacks or I eat right before boarding. I also make sure to visit the bathroom and change baby’s diaper even if it’s barely dirty. Airplane bathrooms are tight and smelly.

Once on board

I mentioned that I like to travel during nap times, and this means that as soon as I board the plane I start working on getting the baby to sleep.

When Anna was still a newborn I would wait until the plane was taxing for takeoff, and then I’d make her nurse. Nursing is said to help sensitive ear drums, and in our case, it usually would also make her drowsy. As she’s gotten older, and I’ve traveled more alone, I try to avoid feeding her on the plane. This is mostly because I feel awkward nursing when I’m sitting so close to a stranger, and the pressure does not seem to affect her ears.

As soon as my seat mates have arrived and buckled in, I sit down too. Here’s where I get sneaky. Federal regulations don’t allow mothers to wear their carriers during takeoff and landing. I have mixed feelings about this rule. Part of me feels like the airline peeps probably know best. Another part of me feels that, in the event of an emergency, I want my baby strapped on my body where I can hug her and kiss her and not see her flying down the aisle. Morbid, I know. I also know it’s much easier to get Anna to sleep (and to stay sleeping) if she’s in her carrier. So, I put the straps over my shoulders but I don’t latch the back. Then, I put a blanket over the entire carrier. My strategy serves a few purposes. First, everyone assumes I’m nursing, and no one asks to see if she’s strapped or not. This way I get to break the law and do what works best for us. I know, I know. Some of you think a rules a rule. Whatever. I figure, if an emergency happened and someone did need to grab her from me, the fact the carrier is unlatched will actually make it somewhat easy to do. Second, the blanket over us helps make a nice dark space for the baby to fall asleep. I do a little bouncing and shushing in my seat, and she’s out! Victory!

How long she stays sleeping is completely at the mercy of loud noises and seat neighbors needing to use the restroom. If she gets 30 minutes in, she’s often happy the rest of the flight.

What I’m still learning

I haven’t yet taken a flight since Anna started crawling. Our Colorado flight, a month ago, was a few hours long. It was the hardest flight yet because Anna is at a grabby, squirmy stage. It helped to have a kind grandmother type sitting next to us who wanted to play and hold. I’m still learning how to entertain Anna when we’re surrounded by people who aren’t as kind or helpful. I can only say–the early toddler years will require a lot of imagination and hard work to keep her entertained on flights. This brings me to my final point:

What do you find works? What have I forgotten? I’d also love to know about your ideas for traveling with toddlers. We’re going to Hawaii this summer when Anna is 13 months. I’m already gearing up. Please, do help!

Once upon a starry night in Colorado, exactly nine March’s ago, the gals in this picture made a sacred commitment that I would count as one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

In Amy’s parents’ bubbling jacuzzi we decided that our spring break road trip could not and would not be our only adventure together. It was just the beginning, we decided, of many years of travel together. I remember all of us discussing the difficulty of such a dream–jobs that might not offer vacation days, bank accounts drained by school loans, perhaps future babies who needed their mamas. Yes, it would be difficult. We knew so and it has been so. But, none of us have ever regretted the effort required to nurture our relationships in a way that no email, phone calls or texting can.

And so, here is a peak at this year’s adventure!

Colorado has been the scene for many girls’ trips. With three of the seven of us living there, it’s often the cheapest option. It also makes the most sense when those three girls continue to get pregnant and have babies requiring us to come to them. Their babies are super cute so we don’t mind a bit.

This year, since Anna is still breastfeeding, she came with me. I love the girl to pieces but please remind me not to bring her or any future babies with me on a girls weekend ever again. She was great on the flights, and smilier than ever, but she also discovered THE WHINE which went on an on all weekend especially when I sat her down or left the room. Clingy, much? Teething? Who knows.

The good news is, after discovering the whine, she also discovered the wave. I don’t think I’ll ever forget saying to the gals, ” I think Anna just started waving hi!” and they all said, in unison, “HIIIII Anna” and then she waved. So.Cute. (Let’s NOT discuss how she also developed a fear of airport restrooms and dogs over the weekend. Sigh.)

Here she is, sporting her “Westmont Sweetie” shirt from Katie. It seemed appropriate for the weekend.

After hanging out with Amy, Danny, Brady and Addy on Thursday–we made our way to Boulder on Friday. Anne’s mom watched the little ones so we could nosh on Tapas and Sangria at The Med. I insisted we stop on the way back to her house for Bluebell ice cream which paired nicely with mini bundt cakes. No regrets.

On Saturday we stopped at the Salvation Army for a Thrift Store Scavenger Hunt. With babies, budgets and cold weather in mind, we had prepared to spend a decent amount of time inside. Erin came up with the idea of making crafts. A quick look at my “DIY Board” on Pinterest had me giddy with options. We all stocked up on old t-shirts, plates, mugs and a few other items including a $4 pair of J. Crew shorts I managed to squeeze into because it was 80 degrees. So much for cold weather, eh?

Jonathan’s parents let us use their timeshare in Estes Park which made life a bit easier in the whole sleeping baby department. Anna, her friend Jada, and their baby monitors, were just around the corner for naps and early bedtimes throughout the weekend. Jada belongs to Erin and Mike, and she’s only six weeks younger than Anna. And yes, we did intentionally bring matching outfits for them to wear on Sunday. Just as our moms forced Erin and I to be friends in junior high, so too will Anna and Jada.

My favorite part of the picture above is Jenny’s commentary upon taking it. “Here, Erin, put the blanket around your shoulder so you look like a mom.” (As if the lack of showers and our barely combed hair don’t already indicate our mom status…)

So, what else did we do? Well, we made t-shirt headbands, these and these vases, some personalized mugs and plates, and (copied) this incredible mobile for Shailyn’s nursery. In between crafting we ate really yummy meals like Lori’s Thai Sweet Sticky Rice, and Anne’s curry soup, and Amy’s carrot berry smoothies, and Katie and Erin’s homemade lasagna. During each meal we’d discuss one question such as, “Who is one person who has influenced you the most over the last year?” and “What was the biggest unexpected blessing in this last year?” Of course, most meals then also included crying, and saying things like, “Why am I crying right now?” followed by giggles. Any men reading this post right now are rolling their eyes. Yup, I get it. We’re so cliche. As if our intentional questions weren’t enough, we also read a book together before hand and spent some time chatting through each chapter. I highly recommend The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. Really, you should read it.

We also went on an all out hunt for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and stopped by Belts of Estes so I could collect another buckle for Jonathan’s tacky (yet growing) collection which Sam inspired years ago.

I came back on Tuesday to a clean house and a happy husband. I may not have come home as physically refreshed as I usually would (thanks, baby girl!) but I sure did leave feeling encouraged and loved. In fact, I got so excited for next year’s trip that I’ve already e-mailed a travel agent about booking a cruise! As much as I love my girls’ homemade food, we’re tired and want someone else to do the work for us. Counting down to next spring, gals!

…Our past trips…2011 wedding reunion in Santa Cruz, 2010 in Palm Desert, 2010 wedding reunion in Irvine,  2009 in Denver, 2008 trip to Denver, 2007 in Arizona, 2006 in New York, 2004 in Denver, 2003 in Hawaii and Denver.

P.S. Need a good friend song? Our “song” is Watermark’s More Than You’ll Ever Know. Give it a download people!

After a pretty horrible pre-Christmas week,  our vacation redeemed a lot of the feelings of tiredness and brokenness that we were feeling.

Sadly, there is not a photo of the fun fondue dinner party I hosted at my parents’ house. Sarah, Lauren and Katie all came and it was wonderful. I’ve known Sarah and Lauren since we were young and awkward, and I’ve known Katie since our freshman year at Westmont. We ate too much cheese and a lot of cookies. I wish I could do dinner parties with girlfriends every weekend.

I finally felt up to exercising by Christmas Eve day, so I took a spin class at my parent’s new gym. It kicked my butt, and I definitely ate extra sushi that night because I felt like I earned it. Yes, you read that correctly. Sushi. Huge, huge amounts of sushi at Christmas Eve dinner. I was happy to partake after 9 months without the stuff. Here is Anna and I with my grandpas, her great-grandpas:

The girl is plumping up so much that she doesn’t have wrists…it’s all baby fat! I, of course, am obsessed with her chunky thighs and cheeks. I can’t stop kissing them.

And then there was plenty of time with all Anna’s aunties and uncles. We spent Christmas day with both sides of the family–morning with the Sebeks, evening with the Millers. Somehow I missed a photo of her with Aunt Katie, but here is Auntie Allison and Aunt Sarah:

Funny, they kind of all look alike, huh? Sarah is my sister-in-law but the resemblance between all of us is striking, I think.

My mother-in-law always gives us pajamas as a Christmas gift. This year my PJs were leggings. I’d just like to comment that I have never, ever loved pajamas more than the leggings she gave me. Every person should wear leggings to bed. I wish I had 8 pairs. I have basically worn them for a week straight and never want to take them off. Go get some. Really.

Jonathan bought me the Adele album, a nativity set, an Etsy print, and the book Bittersweet. I’ve read Bittersweet before but didn’t have my own copy. I love that book, and it’s been so great to read it again this week next to our dying Christmas tree. I would like to suggest you buy a copy. I especially like the chapters called Alameda and 25.

All the Miller siblings and spouses saw Mission Impossible 4 together in IMAX. This girl NEVER gets popcorn and a soda but we splurged and got a huge tub, a huge Coke, and six candy boxes to split amongst us. The movie was a thrill and I left with a tummy ache. You wouldn’t guess so based on this photo:

The next day all of us drove to La Jolla for the day. It was about 75 degrees and gorgeous out. We strolled the beach, got Smashburger and cupcakes. The salt air was good for all of us. I’d like to comment that Jonathan still has his hair, and I think it looks particularly handsome in this photo. His hair is just starting to fall out which means it’s going to be buzzed here very soon. I will still think he’s incredibly attractive.

And then, before leaving So Cal on Wednesday, we squeezed in a visit with Erin, Mike and Jada who were visiting from Colorado. The last time we saw Erin and Mike was at Lori’s wedding last spring. All four of us shared a hotel room, and Erin and I had little baby bumps. Both of us were blessed with baby girls this year and they finally met. We walked around Balboa Island with our moms, while the guys got Starbucks and also caught up. Jada and Anna clearly had a connection. Next year we will force them to make cookies together just like our moms did to us years ago. Hopefully Lola Swanson and Addison Vogt can join. This was, clearly, the year of girl babies. We received eight baby girl announcements in 2011. Anna has lots of friends already and a few boyfriends too.

Today is New Years but it doesn’t really feel like it. No parade; no college games. We slept in (miracle!), stayed in jammies all day, never brushed our teeth, ate a huge breakfast, napped, and went for a walk (still in our jammies.) And now I’m drinking a little wine and blogging and writing resolutions. I’d say it’s a good start to a new year.

Carry Me, by Audrey Assad

Pain is a forest we all get lost in
Between the branches hope can be so hard to see
And in the darkness we’ve all got questions
We’re all just trying to make sense out of suffering but

You say I am blessed because of this
So, I choose to believe
As I carry this cross, You’ll carry me
Help me believe it

Fear is a current we all get caught in
And in its motion faith can be so hard to find
And we all falter ’cause we’re all broken
We’re all just trying to turn the shadows into light but

You get glory in the midst of this
And You’re walking with me
And you say I am blessed because of this
So, I choose to believe
As I carry this cross, You’ll carry me

And I know Your promises are faithful
And God, I’ve seen Your goodness in my life
And oh, I’ve found Your mercy is a river
Your love is an ocean wide

Pics taken while on our “working vacation” in Cayucos earlier this week. It was a working vacation because Miss Anna was with us…and that means we got some sleep but not enough of it. 

Jonathan had a work training last weekend in the Bay area so I used his hotel room as an excuse to visit my lovely little sis, Allison.

Allison lives in the Mission district which is a super cute/hipster area of San Francisco with unique boutiques and lots of restaurants. I’ve had the chance to visit her a few times since she moved there in January. She lives in an older apartment above a coffee shop, and her room looks out on a busy street. I think it’s super cool- although I’m sure at times it would be hard to sleep. She says covering her head with a pillow or playing white noise on her iPhone helps.

Allison has this super comfy and clean white bedspread which Anna emptied her stomach on as soon as we arrived. Classic. This is a photo of her, hands raised in victory, after accomplishing the task:

After everyone got cleaned up, I strapped the baby on me and we took BART to Union Square where we met up with Allison’s boyfriend, Matt, and my Grandpa Frank, aka Hawk. The Hawk was in town for Fleet Week and to see one of his favorite jazz bands. First up on the list of things to accomplish? Find Hawk a new sailor’s cap. Twenty minutes and $130 later, he found his treasure. Then, we headed up to Allison’s store so I could drop off my jacket. It was a gorgeous day but I was MELTING from carrying Anna.

Allison works for a consigner handbag company that resells expensive designer purses. The store is beautiful. Let me know if you’re interested in purchasing a “new” purse. Maybe she can get you a deal on this $42,000 alligator bag:

We all headed to Chinatown for a lunch of Dim Sum. I love LOVE love Dim Sum. So does Hawk. We ate all sorts of steamed buns and fried shrimpies and egg tarts. He held Anna for the first time, which melted all of our hearts. After lunch we walked to his hotel where he presented her with cowgirl outfits and a baby Christmas stocking. I received salt. We watched the air show from his window and let the baby do her poop. Not sure what was more entertaining- the air show or the multiple diaper changes.

Then, it was time for Anna’s nap. We shoved Allison’s earphones on her head to block out Blue Angel noises. I was tempted to pop into a dance club just to see if they needed a DJ for the night.

We did actually try to hit up a bar to watch Hawk’s jazz band but the baby wasn’t allowed in so the “kids” settled for gelato in North Beach while Hawk chatted it up with a mystery lady who met him at the bar. Yes, my grandpa is a popular guy. Must be the hat.

We finished off the day by having dinner with Jonathan back in the Mission before heading to Berkeley for the night. It was a fun weekend, and Anna was such a happy little city girl that I think we’ll need to go back again soon.

We took our first vacation as a family of three…and survived to tell about it.

The place: Seattle

The characters: one handsome husband, me, and a cuddly baby.

The reason: Zach and Dana’s wedding. Let’s be honest- who would plan to take a 9 week old on vacation unless there was a good reason? Let’s also just note that I don’t have one single picture of the rehearsal dinner or wedding because my baby was crying most of the time. I’ll get to that later.

The highlights:

After flying down to Irvine the weekend before, I felt like an old pro on navigating the complexities of traveling with an infant. It’s an art people. I am still a newbie, as evidenced by the fact that I left my cell phone at home, but here are the basics:

1. Look vulnerable and scared. Flight attendants will take pity on you and offer an extra seat and priority lines through security.

2. Keep the baby strapped on at all times. How else are you supposed to take your shoes off?

3. Do whatever it takes to get the baby to sleep. Nursing on takeoff helps. Nursing on landing helps. Nursing the entire flight might also help.

So, we got to Seattle on Thursday afternoon (sans cell phone) and immediately found the “family restroom” at the airport. I was sorta giddy about using the family restroom. I mean, I didn’t even know family restrooms existed! What fun! I can pee while Jonathan changes the baby!

I have always said I could live in Seattle because the two times I’ve been there it was sunny and beautiful the entire time. People claim it rains a lot. I don’t really believe them.  I was actually very anxious to experience fall weather because it’s been so hot here. I even bought new leggings from J. Crew (and, I will note, they are wonderfully comfy and cute…if I do say so myself.) Anna’s suitcase was filled with little pants, and little sweaters, and little hats. I couldn’t wait to put them on her until arriving to 75 degree temps and sunny skies. I still wore my leggings and Anna still wore her sweatsuit until she pooped all over it.

When we checked into the hotel we met up with Jenny, Chris and Lola. I couldn’t believe how much Lola has changed since Lori’s wedding. She’s still so petite but oh so pretty. Her mom dresses her in cute outfits and lots of headbands (my kind of gal!) While sitting in our huge suite, I soaked in the fun of raising a baby girl at the same time Jenny is also raising one. Then we get a call from the front desk that the huge suite wasn’t actually ours so we moved down the hall to a much smaller room that was just as comfy. We tried not to whine about this.

Note: hotels have baby cribs! This is a good thing because we decided not to bring our Pack ‘n Play due to its weight. Instead we planned on letting Anna sleep in her car seat. We’re superstar parents like that. She was really living the high life in her crib/our king size bed.

On Thursday night we dined at one of Seattle’s nicest restaurants, Canlis. And yes, we were that couple who brought THAT baby. I was feeling so lucky to receive an invite to the rehearsal dinner but as the night progressed I started asking myself this simple question: “What the H-E-Double hockey sticks were we thinking?!?” Apparently, Anna doesn’t like fine wine, crab legs, steak or chocolate lava cake. Weird. Jenny and I left early, determined to put the babies down to sleep and then hang out. Turns out, I also forgot the stupid (and expensive) baby monitor that we’d purchased for times such as these. Jenny and I talked on the phone for an hour in our respective rooms. It was very glamorous.

Miraculously, Anna slept 8 straight hours that night. We celebrated her behavior with breakfast at Citizen, where I had the most delicious savory crepe I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Then, we plopped her in the Ergo baby carrier and hauled her all over Seattle for the day, visiting Pike Place Market, getting clam chowder at Ivar’s, and taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island with friends. Did I mention it was maybe the most beautiful day in Seattle’s history? Anna loves the Ergo and didn’t make a fuss all day…until…THE WEDDING.

I won’t lie: I left Zach and Dana’s wedding very bitter. Caring for an infant while you’re trying to look all pretty, and dance, and eat pie is nearly impossible. I don’t blame Anna for hating her life that night. It was loud and hot and she’d been carried around all day like a kangaroo. Still, Mama was not happy when I had to leave the reception before I even got to bust a single move on the dance floor with all of our friends. Plus, I missed the pie buffet. I love pie. I had to keep reminding myself that at least I was able to attend the wedding rather than be at home. The happy couple are dear friends of ours and will be moving to Sacramento in June.

On Saturday we headed out to Woodinville, Jonathan’s hometown, because he hadn’t been to visit in 9 years! Lucky for Anna, her Uncle Matt happened to be in town for a different wedding so we got breakfast with him at the Woodinville Care. Anna had a major spit-up in the restaurant that involved liquid running down a wall. I decided not to notify management and cleaned it up myself. Major EW.  We also stopped by Jonathan’s old house, the church, a winery, and Red Hook Brewery. I nursed Anna while Jonathan tasted beers. Yes, we took a baby to a bar. It was awesome.

Later that night we picked up dinner at Dick’s (Jonathan’s favorite!) and took it up to Kerry Park for a picnic. The night was gorgeous, and the baby stayed sleeping, so we walked all over Queen Anne…chatting and soaking up one of the last nights of summer. I could hardly believe that it had been about 9 years since Jonathan took me to Kerry Park during our first summer of dating. My, how 9 years can change a couple…

And still…the weekend wasn’t over!

Sunday took us to Fremont Market, a suggestion from Ashlee. I’m so glad we went. The weather had shifted by that morning and we bundled up to brave the first crisp morning of fall. Besides looking at all the cute vintage wear, flowers and produce; we also stopped for samples at Theo Chocolate. I realize we could have gone to church- but- we got chocolate, people!

Speaking of chocolate, I have this secret wish I could be a famous food blogger. Whenever we travel, I love the idea of discovering new foods that no one has discovered before. Later on Sunday, after we dressed our baby in Seahawk’s gear and Jonathan headed off the the game, I braved Seattle with Anna.

We took the monorail to downtown where I made a bad food court sushi decision. (Seriously- if I want to be a foodie, why did I settle on eating at the food court?!) I tried to redeem my food choice by purchasing a Swedish Dream cookie at Pike Place. When that didn’t settle my desires, I noticed a long line at the Mee Sum Pastry shop. I was very full at that point and yet still got in line for a humbow. It was amazing and I don’t for a minute regret the side ache I suffered from the rest of the afternoon.

The only picture I have from Sunday’s adventure is a self shot taken in the Nordstrom Ladies Lounge where I retreated to feed Anna. I love Nordstrom for making my Sunday stroll possible.

By Sunday night we were exhausted and grateful for home cooked pumpkin chili and apple pie at a friend’s house from college. Phil and his wife Kara were incredibly gracious hosts, sending us home with a loaf of zucchini bread and a reminder that the expensive loans we are still paying off from college are totally worth it for the friends we now have scattered across the United States.

And that, my friends, is my very lengthy account of our Seattle trip. If you’re still reading- well- I’m shocked. Thanks for hanging this long.

Written while on vacation last week in San Diego…

I’m in a tank top and shorts this week. It’s a Thursday afternoon, and instead of pounding away at my desk I’m listening to Jewel and Sheryl Crow at a little coffee shop called Katy’s– “where friends meet and they serve it up hot.”

It’s my third time here this week. I’m steps away from the little condo we are borrowing from Tammy’s family. I can hear the ocean through the back door, still audible over the light chatter from locals who are stationed here catching up about their day. The sun is almost down low enough for a late afternoon walk on the beach. It will, hopefully, not be too tough on my already sunburned skin.

Yesterday I braved a bikini and sat on the sand all day with a book in hand. I borrowed The Help from Kara. It’s been on my reading list for awhile, and it’s just as good as everyone says. I love flipping the pages of a book that’s already been loved a little bit. I love thinking about the characters when I wake up in the morning; as if they are old friends.

Twice we got up and walked down the beach. Once for burgers; once for ice cream in waffle cones.

Each day, we have slept in late. I have time to stretch my back out, and read my bible. These things often get skipped over when I’m at home. We eat homemade granola with strawberries as we watch the ocean waves go in and out. One day, I ate gelato TWICE. Such an indulgence makes me feel like I’m in Italy again.

We had dreamed of time in Europe before having kids, or maybe a visit to the Carolinas. Both, we decided, were not meant to be. This vacation is slow and sometimes boring. We have caught up on rest. We have read. We have talked about all the things we hope go “right” in July…and expressed our fears about the things that might go “wrong.” Tonight we will splurge on a dinner that will cost way too much but offer beautiful views of downtown. I expect Jonathan to order a few good beers. I will settle on a mocktail that won’t be as great as wine, but will have to suffice for now.

I am rested, refreshed. I am ready to return to our home and nest…to start preparing for baby…to choose paint for her walls and find bedding that is perfectly cute but not too cheesy.

We may not get away, alone, for awhile. But it will happen again. (We have eager grandma’s waiting to babysit!) For now I will soak up this time with my love, and be in this fleeting moment until it passes to the next.

In just a few short weeks I’m going to find myself standing on this baby! She’s the USS Makin Island and right now she’s somewhere 90 miles offshore from San Diego. On February 16, seven other bloggers and I will take a helicopter from Coronado to the navy ship. Once there we’ll get a tour, lunch and seminars before flying back to San Diego. All of this is coordinated through the Avere Group, who I was lucky enough to be introduced to last fall. I can’t wait to tell you all about it once I return. Until then I’m doing pushups every morning just in case they make me prove myself on deck. I won’t let you down Dad…I won’t let you down.

I’ve been at this blogging business for over four years now, and if you’ve been with me since the beginning then you might notice a few names and faces who seem to pop up every fall: Lori, Amy, Erin, Katie, Jenny and Anne. These women are my sweet college friends; the women who have been making me laugh and do silly things for the past 10 years. (WHOA- 10 years?! How did that happen?) We have plenty of stories by now, and have gone through lots of phases together. (From sporting overalls our freshman year, to being obsessed with Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson’s reality show during our senior year.) We have successfully lived together, traveled together, and done life together. We even named ourselves, which is a whole other story I’ll save for another post.

During our 2006 trip to visit Jenny in New York, we decided to be very intentional about taking trips each year that allow us to relax and have a lot of time for conversation. So, most of the time when we get together we do a lot of sitting around, eating, and gabbing. We also make sure to have a few awkward moments and silly pictures to document our time.

This fall was the first time we tried a new trip planning technique. After reading a Real Simple article during our 2008 trip, we decided it’d be fun to have one girl plan the entire trip, including the surprise destination. Katie was this year’s organizer, and she did an AMAZING job booking our airfare, sending us fun packages with clues, finding a free condo in Palm Desert to use, making lots of sugary food, and choosing a book for us to all read and discuss. She even got us matching t-shirts, headbands and sandals which we had no shame sporting in public together. Combine the matching attire with three pregnant bellies. What do you get? People asking us if we were a “surrogacy group.” Um, no. Definitely not, but thanks for asking.

One of my favorite parts about the weekend (besides all the sunshine and sleeping, food, pedicures, and conversation) was my arrival at LAX. Getting picked up by friends is always so fun because Katie makes sure it’s super embarrassing. Based on previous experience, I was prepared to wait at the curb and be greeted with incessant honking and screaming. This year, the girls changed it up and “surprised” me at baggage claim. By surprise, I mean that Katie came up behind me, yelled, “Give me your money!” in a deep voice, and then sorta grabbed my butt. I think about 200 people stopped to stare at us while I put on my matching shirt and bounced up and down in excitement.

Girls, thanks for an amazing time together. You know that I’m already counting down to Lori’s big day when I get to see you and your babies(!) again.

…To read about our past trips: 2008 trip to Denver, 2009/2010 trips to Denver and Irvine…

When Jonathan and I were living in Shenzhen, China there were many nights it was just the two of us.  Our little studio apartment, while clean and livable, didn’t feel like home. Our “friends” there were loving and kind but spoke limited English. And, after blowing through the entire first season of 24 on DVD, we didn’t have much to watch. One night we took the bus to a bar near the harbor called, “Ex-ta-sea” where we planned to get a drink and play pool. (Do I even need to add commentary to the bar’s name? I think not.)

The bar was full of Chinese women, and about six or seven expat men who were all flirting with the young girls. Jonathan and I sauntered over to the bar where I waited to place an order. In the meantime, Jonathan went searching for the restroom. It took very little time for me to get myself in trouble.

A gentleman at the bar eyed me as soon as I sat down. He was in his fifties, graying and unattractive, wearing MC Hammer style pants in American flag pattern. He started conversation immediately. “Haven’t seen you here before… you new around here?” I answered in a friendly manner, telling him that Jonathan and I were in the country for several months. He explained he’d been living in the city for years. He loved China. The country, he explained, offered him the life of a king–a life he wouldn’t be able to afford in the states. Then, quickly, he said, “But, if there’s one thing I hate about this country it’s their women. They are idiots. Every single one of them.” I responded cooly, “Really? I haven’t found that to be the case at all. In fact, the women here are intelligent and kind.” At that point, I turned away, giving him the “I don’t want to talk to you anymore” vibe.

He faced the bartender, a young woman in her twenties. I can’t remember his exact wording, but he started yelling at her for not bringing him the right drink. I stared, my eyes wide, at the interaction. He continued to try and make conversation with me, his eyes never leaving the area just below my collar bone.

I don’t really know why I said the next words that came out of my mouth. They were probably not the smartest thing to say or the classiest, but they flew out unplanned.

“I don’t want to talk to you, and if you don’t leave me alone my husband is going to beat you up.”

Leave me alone would have probably been sufficient. Or even, “You’re a horribly rude person that also happens to be highly unattractive” would have also worked. But, my threat seemed to really do the trick. He shut up. Said nothing. Stopped staring. Looked at his drink. I won. Victory tasted so sweet until I realized my innocent husband could walk back to a brawl. Oops.

What did I do? I ran for Jonathan as soon as he got out of the restroom. And then I told him, “I think we should leave. Quickly.”

And so we did.

photo credit