Next Stop - Vegas!

I had begged and begged for a "baby moon" before baby #2 comes, threatening hinting at the possible insanity that might ensue with a second child and no break from parenting! I love being a mom, it's the best job ever in the whole entire world, but I did feel like we needed a quick reset before the chaos of newborn  & toddler life sets in. Thankfully, Zach made it happen! Side note - I don't think we've ever planned a vacation more than a month or two in advance. Crazy right?! We are just last minute kinda people, kind of stressful, but I love looking forward to a vacation right around the corner and not having to wait a year for it. 

Anyway, Zach called up our go-to vacation friends - Shaun & Mindy! They are always ready to throw caution to the wind and jump on a vacation too. And the last time we went on vacation with them was two years when I was pregnant with Georgia. Why am I always the pregnant lady?!?! It is so infuriating that I have to be the fat uncomfortable one who has to be catered to and it doesn't help that Mindy is simply stunning and gorgeous without lifting a finger. Good thing I love her and she's the sweetest girl ever.

On Monday morning, we were ready to make the drive at 10am. Saying goodbye to Georgie was bitter sweet as I'm sure all mom's feel the first time around... but I had no room for tears... we were with friends and I wasn't going to turn into a basket case over it :) the drive wasn't too bad for being 8.5 months pregnant. Endless conversation with friends makes for a short trip - we were there before we knew it! And excited too, Zach had booked us a room at the Bellagio for a great price and we were so excited to feel so grand!! That was short lived... apparently it was March Madness and the valet was backed up to the entrance and the check in line was a 45 minute wait - totally packed with people! It wasn't the experience we were looking forward to (our room wasn't facing the beautiful fountains, we were off to the left wing and facing the freeway) but I still thought the room was beautiful and relaxing and the bed and pillows were like sleeping on clouds. I was happy to be there! And excited to be in the center of the Strip and right in the action for once - we have always stayed off the Strip which is such a pain to get around or walk around and have aching feet every night. I felt pampered :) already. 

We all met up at the pool and hung out while the sun went down and sipped on a Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daquiries. Mindy and I even got carded and wouldn't serve us at the bar because we didn't have ID's. Yep, they carded a pregnant lady and wouldn't serve me. They said we had to find a server who was walking around to get our order. Funny! 

The first night, I was totally surprised to be treated to a nice Ruth's Chris dinner!! I hadn't been there since our anniversary 3 years ago and I was so excited to eat a delicious steak and totally on a whim. I ordered a salad that was so so good and the 20 oz bone in ribeye (forget the filet mignon, I go for flavor) which is ridiculous! It's huge. I knew I couldn't eat it all but that Zach would be able to help me out - he always gets the filet. Our booth was so big we felt like we were sitting across the room from Shaun and Mindy!

It looks like a totally different restaurant haha.

It was a great end to the first night. We hung out a little and then turned in for a relaxing day tomorrow. The boys were going golfing so Mindy and I decided to order room service for breakfast, hit the spa, and then meet up at the pool later! 

I had never ordered room service before so that morning, I had to hang up mid sentence and really think my order through! It was not an easy decision. I realized that the only time I'd ever ordered room service was on the cruises which is all included and you can order everything on the menu and it doesn't matter if you don't eat half of it because it's included. I finally decided on chocolate chip pancakes and breakfast potatoes. The pancakes were perfect, I hardly had room for the potatoes! Not to worry - Zach polished it off 4 hours later when he got back from golf :) 

After breakfast I made my way to the spa. It was lovely, I only wish I'd had a friend with me to hang out and enjoy it with (and distract myself from the large naked women in the water) but Mindy had her massage in her room so it was just me! I was nervous about feeling weird/uncomfortable since I was so late in pregnancy but my masseuse was great and it felt wonderful. They even gave me a cute little Mama To Be gift of lotions and oils that I loved. The spa made me miss my sisters and family - the last time I'd been was our New Years gift a couple years ago when my parents got us all a spa day together at the Four Seasons. I'll always think of them now when I go to a spa! 

Finally it was pool time! Don't mind the old burnt-to-a-crisp guy in the background, spread eagle for the camera. Lovely. 

Zach met up with us to swim after golf and Shaun got lost to the Casino :) Swimming was a DELIGHT. Oh my gosh I forgot how it felt to feel so light and airy, it really did wonders for me. I couldn't stop dancing around in the water and only got out to eat more food. And the best part - that lightweight feeling stayed with me all night, I felt great! 

For dinner we ate at Holstein's - an amazing burger restaurant in the Cosmopolitan next door. I'd been there with my family last time and wanted to go again. The nomnom burger had cheese and lettuce and kettle chips on it and burger sauce and it's amaaaazing and so is their Brown Cow Float which is just a rootbeer float with pop rocks on it - mind blown! I resolved to go home and stock up on the candy of my childhood to make my own. But I didn't really have to. BECAUSE WE WENT BACK TWO MORE TIMES. And Shaun would have gone back again if we'd let him haha he loved it! We kept making plans to venture out and try new restaurants that were recommended by friends who lived there, but we always came back to Holstein's. We are just simple people and know what we like I guess. 

One of the nights we got dressed up and went to a Cirque Du Soleil show - "O". I forgot what it was like to wear fun clothes and not have to worry about a baby pulling on them!! Here's my growing bump:

I also forgot what it was like to DO MY HAIR. I totally forgot that I used to be creative and was good at up-dos! There was a time when I didn't ever wear my hair down. Now I never wear it up. Clearly I need to switch it up, I'm getting boring.

In the lobby of the Bellagio after the show:

Actually we all came out of it feeling like we were done seeing Cirque Du Soleil for a few years. It was so slow and dark that it almost put them to sleep and me into labor! I was so uncomfortable by the end. Part of the problem was that we went to the 10pm showing. Mistake. We resolved to seeing something exciting the next night but Jabbawockeez were already sold out by the time we went to buy tickets :( so bummed. 

One of the days, Mindy and I enjoyed some girl time and retail therapy while the boys golfed. Oddly, I do way more shopping when I'm pregnant then when I'm not!! It's so terrible! It just makes me feel better to think that someday I will be normal sized again and able to wear cute things. But I guess it all evens out - I stock up on cute stuff now because post-delivery, I'll be on house arrest, unsuitable for the public eye, and won't have time to shop for quite some time with two babies in diapers. Right?? That's my justification. Let me have it. 

The last night, we all hung out together, stuffed ourselves SICK with Cheesecake Factory (I know, really exciting... again with the not branching out) and after asking 457 times what we want to do, ended up exploring different hotels. And by exploring, I mean that Mindy and I shopped some more, admired the Gondola canal inside the Venetian, and somehow wound up in a completely different hotel and had to call the guys to come pick us up because my feet were swollen and I was about to collapse from exhaustion. The boys had also gotten lost...to the casino...and we were at a different casino trying to find them forever until I wanted to cry and thought I was going to have the baby right there on the floor in the middle of all that smoke. We finally went to the valet and they informed us that the shops wind around and connect to another hotel!! Aside from the exhaustion, it was pretty funny.

 My girl Mindy and I (and my awkward bump that is looking for action):

Meanwhile back in Orange County...

One of the first nights in Vegas, I was scrolling through my social media and saw this picture posted by our beloved Jordan (Zach's brother):

I just about died when I saw it, it made me so happy!! I missed her so much I just kept going back to check that picture again and again. She looks so silly, I love her! 

I asked Cathy and Frank to send me pictures when they could.

 And there's always FaceTime!

She really isn't impressed by FaceTime much anymore... she would just look at us, kind of laugh like "why are you on a screen..." and then go about playing some more. 

Video from Frank regarding the price of gold ;) :

One of the days, Cathy & Frank took Georgia to Disneyland with some of the cousins and I was so sad I couldn't be there! They were so sweet and sent us lots of pictures and videos. 

 Looked like fun but they did mention she didn't not enjoy the stroller much (shocker) and I was kind of glad I didn't have to chase her around or try to please her that whole day. 

 Or deal with this:

Haha what a gem. She had grabbed a water bottle and accidentally soaked herself. Drama queen!! 

So grateful to have one set of parents here to take care of our baby while we take a break :) they were wonderful and loved (or so they said) watching her. Said she slept well and was happy! 

When Friday morning came I was so excited to get home to her! I couldn't wait to see her reaction. When we pulled up, Nana brought her outside and at first she just kind of stared at us and then reached for us and was happy but no "MAMA" or "DADA" and clapping and laughing and screaming like we hoped. haha just kidding. She's so funny, as soon as she saw Mindy, she went right to her and started up a conversation like we hadn't even been gone. We spent a lot of time outside with her just playing and laughing. 

We were SO happy to have her back!!! Which lasted all of about 2 hours and then I wanted to permanently blow my ear drums out from the endless whining and tears and screaming that followed... oh joy :) 

I don't know if all the excitement of having us home again just made her extra needy and tired but she just wanted our full and complete attention all night long which was not helpful when I had to help decorate for the baby shower the next morning! Finally we just put her down to bed and then Zach and I got to go celebrate his brother's birthday that night at Medieval Times in Buena Park. We met up with Ryan & Julie and about 6 of their other best friend or family couples. I'd never been and figured it should be interesting! And it was indeed interesting :) you pay for dinner in an arena while watching a very animated show of horsemen competing in a jousting tournament for the title of champion. The acting was so funny, and we got to sit by the royal birthday couple, AND there happened to be a pretty big earthquake! It was actually kind of scary but before I realized how scary it was, I was more disgusted by the massive amounts of dust and debris floating down from the light fixtures and ceiling... all over our food and drinks... yummy! Haha. At the other end of the arena something like a light fixture fell from the ceiling but they didn't even miss a beat! Kept right on with the show. Funny that the only couple who ended up leaving the show were the ones with no kids... they were worried about the open diet cokes they left on their coffee table and were certain it was seeping into their white rugs :) funny! We enjoyed the rest of the show with these lovely people:

And sat through a couple of after shocks, but nothing big. The food actually wasn't bad and there were Sprinkles cupcakes to be had by all. I was so stuffed at the end and dying to get out of that stuffy arena and the TINIEST stadium seats ever - not a pregnant lady's ideal seating arrangement! But it was a great night and we had fun celebrating Ryan's birthday. A great way to end our Vegas trip and keep the party going for a little bit longer!