San Diego...with baby

We recently had the opportunity to go to San Diego. Dar & I were both anticipating a relaxing, sunny, warm getaway. A nice respite from the Oregon winter that has settled on the Valley with a vengeance. The weather was spectacular. The scenery everything we imagined.Relaxing? Not so much. Sigh. We are still such new parents. I mean, why on earth would we have thought Fee would enjoy being carted around, missing naps, snacks, & her familiar surroundings?!  

 I'm not sure how to say it without sounding like ungrateful & joyless. But the reality of our "relaxing getaway" was a full night of crying inconsolably, evenings where we settled for fast food, a little girl who hated sand & anything that didn't involve being held in her parents' arms. I kept telling myself, "We are in San Diego. I need to be enjoying this." As I was bleary-eyed & trying not to think a nap on our fast food food joint sounded more appealing than a stroll through Balboa Park. Am I glad we went? Absolutely. Was it a nice little getaway ala newlywed? Absolutely not. And when I look at this sweet girl with her (usually) sparkly eyes & the wonder of discovery in every breath, it is okay that my expectations for fun & relaxing were completely bombshelled. Because I love her dearly.

She did seem to enjoy Sea World. It was a lot of fun to see her show interest in the shows & aquariums. That was a foretaste of future vacations, I think. They aren't for the parents, that's for sure!

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 A little Southern California sunset. Enjoyed briefly while Fee slept in our vehicle (we stayed close enough to watch her!).

 Our fist beach experience was wildly disappointing for Fee. She disliked her feet in the sand & the sun in her eyes. Poor little Oregon girl! We enjoyed watching the surfers & basking in the sun.

 My favorite beach: Coronado. Also, forgive me for a little sappy trip down memory lane: it was Dar & I's first date after we got engaged. Life doesn't look quite the same as it did then. There was no charming picnic basket with gourmet goodies, a quiet romantic leisurely dinner (what are leisurely dinners again?), & a trip off Coronado where I drove (!!). Here we were again, on Coronado, with a baby. Despite the frustration, lack of quality time to connect with my man, & constant thoughts of "Sleep!", I wouldn't go back to that first romantic date. Not if it meant a life without Fee or all the little storms we've already weathered! Shucks, I'm glad to be where I am.

 And the real reason we came back:

They aren't the littles I nannied. Noah is almost as tall as me now. Sophie has long surpassed me. Just for fun, here's a photo from November 2012, when I first moved to California. Same spot on the driveway, two of the same kids. 12 inches taller. It makes me a little weepy when I think how time flies. 
Someday, I won't remember the awful 3 am at our hotel in San Diego on that one trip we went on when Fee was a baby. I will just remember how glad I was that we took advantage of the opportunity to go. That we were there for Sophie. And that those first years of parenting were just so sweet...right? ;P.