San Francisco

During Leah's Spring Break, we decided to take a short trip to San Francisco. Ava was such a wiggle worm on the flight. She waved and played pee-a-boo to everyone around us. While it was entertaining for 10 minutes, it was also pretty exhausting! We stayed at the Omni San Francisco Hotel in downtown which was kid friendly but make sure to request a high floor to decrease some of the street traffic noise. Since we didn't rent a car, we wanted to make sure to be close to BART as well as some of the destinations we wanted to visit. 

For sure my favorite activity of the weekend was going to Mission Dolores Park. We hung out at the coolest playground, ordered food to go at Dolores Park Cafe and picnicked at the park, and then finished off the afternoon with ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery. 

Obsessed with otters

Walking with Daddy around the Ferry Building

We also spent a day visiting the San Francisco Bay's Aquarium  and the Ferry Building Marketplace. We enjoyed a really yummy meal at The Slanted Door, and it's so kid friendly! The kids gobbled up everything! 

Traveling with two kids has definitely been a whole new ballgame. I'm slowly but surely working on a blog post with things I've learned. Stay tuned! 

New York 2014

Ava's first flight was a success!

We got invited to our niece's Bat Mitzvah in New York, and we jumped at the opportunity to see family and visit NYC. I have to admit though, pre-kids I would have been so excited and planned our activities and booked reservations at restaurants weeks in advance. This time around, I was a little anxious at the thought of traveling with two kids for the first time. Matt and I made tentative morning and afternoon plans for each day, but did not set anything in stone depending on what family activities might be occurring that day.  Overall, we had such a great time. Leah was so happy to play with her big cousins, and Ava happily let everyone hold her! 

San Diego 2014

We decided to take a family vacation before Leah started preschool, and it would be Ava's first trip away from home. We booked 3 nights at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, and I was excited and nervous all at the same time! Our friends with kids the same ages as Leah and Ava also joined us, so Leah could not stop talking about how she was going on vacation with her friend. 

We booked a junior suite which happened to actually come with a separate living room area. The Del provided a "pack and play" and mini crib for the girls to sleep in. This would be the first time the girls slept in the same room together, and fortunately, it went well! Besides waking up a little earlier than normal, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night to tend to either of them. {I was happy to have them back in their separate rooms once we got home though!} 

Ava's first time in the water! She loved it! 

We pretty much spent all day, everyday at the pool and beach. The kids were having so much fun swimming and playing...

... that they ended up passing out for 2 hours in the funniest positions!

The Del had a cute s'mores roast on the beach where they set up a bonfire and provide the crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. The kids might have had a major sugar high afterwards. :)

While I wouldn't say the trip was relaxing, we had a lot of fun. In particular, it was nice to have another family where the dads could play with the older kids, and the moms could hang back with the babies. Leah still talks about wanting to stay in the hotel and can't wait to take more trips with her buddies!

*this is not a sponsored post. all opinions and words are my own.

New Orleans

Happy Tuesday! Last week we were in New Orleans for a conference, and I did not touch a computer once! It was a nice break to enjoy time with my family, and my parents also joined to help out with Leah. I was 36 weeks pregnant during the trip, and luckily baby girl decided to stay in! For the first time ever, at both LAX and MSY airports, we were able to go through security through a separate family line. We flew Southwest airlines, which allows pregnant women to fly up to 38 weeks. I brought a doctor's note just in case I needed it, but was never asked any questions. I did receive a disability card since I was pregnant, and I was able to board first. Sitting in the bulkhead on our return flight was very helpful to stretch my legs out and give Leah space to play without bothering other passengers. 

Wednesday, I took Leah to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. She enjoyed seeing all the fish, touching sting rays, watching the penguin feeding, and talking to the sea otters. It's big enough to spend a couple hours there, but not too overwhelming. 

Leah was so excited when I told her po-po and gung-gung (grandma and grandpa) were coming to New Orleans too. She jumped into their arms the minute she saw them arrive at the hotel. We then headed out to explore a little while Matt was in meetings. The street cars in New Orleans are a really convenient and affordable mode of transportation. $1.25 a ride, and the best part is that Leah loved riding on them! We checked out Bourbon St. in the early evening to try to avoid the crazy party scene later in the night. The street definitely makes for some good people watching, but it also has plenty of yummy restaurants. We had a delicious dinner at Ralph Brennan's Red Fish Grill. I highly recommend it!

Bananas Foster French Toast. Mmmmm

The Superdome building is massive!

Thursday, Matt spent the day with us, and we started out by checking out the French Market and Jackson Square. We had breakfast at Stanley which was the perfect way to fill our bellies first thing in the morning. Afterwards, we took the Hop On, Hop Off bus to take a tour of the city. I love taking these buses! It's a really easy way to get a general feel of the city, and you can get off and explore different areas for as long as you want, and then just hop back on the bus and continue on your way! I wish I could have taken more photos while on the bus. The Garden District is really beautiful! If we ever go back, I'm definitely going to check that area out more! Leah fell asleep half way into the tour, so we just stayed on for the whole loop, which took about 2 hours total. 

After we finished the loop, we were right next to Cafe Du Monde. At first we saw the line, and it totally intimidated us! We found out that the line is for take out, and there was no wait if you wanted to sit down! Score! The beignets had the perfect amount of doughiness, and our bellies were all happy. 

Friday, we took Leah to the Louisiana Children's Museum. I love these types of museums which is similar to Pretend City and Zimmer Museum in California. They have a lot of make-believe sections like a grocery store, restaurant, and kitchen, a story time area, train tables, etc. My parents and I had just as much fun as Leah did.

While people often think of New Orleans as a party town, they also have so many kid friendly activities to enjoy, and we only covered a couple of them. This is our last trip before we officially become a family of 4! Getting a little nervous now... eek!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Mini-Babymoon

CHEERS!

With Leah, we had the opportunity to go on two babymoons - London and Hawaii. With #2, we knew we wanted to go on a little getaway, but neither one of us wanted to leave Leah for too long. I was researching possible places that weren't too far like Palm Springs or Santa Barbara, and then I stumbled upon Rancho Valencia in Rancho Santa Fe. This resort is a little gem! It's beautiful, quiet, and the quality of service provided is exceptional. We were often greeted with a "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Kelly!" whenever we walked around the grounds. 

Fresh squeezed orange juice delivered at my door step every morning!

Amazing coffee (including frother!), drinks, and snacks provided at no extra charge!

Matt bringing me my morning coffee in bed

We stayed in their standard room which was still 900 square feet with one of the most spacious bathrooms I've ever seen in a resort, and we were also impressed with the amenities provided in the room. We spent a lot of time just lounging around the fireplace, watching movies, snacking, and soaking up the sun from our private outdoor garden. 

As part of the resort's partnership with Porsche, you can take out for a spin the Porsche Cayenne, Panamera, or 911. We took the Cayenne for a drive to Encinitas for lunch, and Matt also took the Panamera out to golf. Definitely a nice little perk for car enthusiasts! 

The only picture we took of the two of us!

We had a delicious dinner at Veladora, and it was quite amazing to be able to sit down to a 4 course dinner without having to rush! 

Before kids, Matt and I went to the gym together, but now we have to exercise on our own time separately. We took advantage of the state-of-the-art fitness center while on our babymoon, and it was pretty fun to be able to work out together again. Next time, I definitely want to check out the yoga and Pilates classes. Of course, I also got a prenatal massage which was so relaxing and much needed. 60 minutes always goes by too fast! 

Even though we had a very restful few days, we missed Leah like crazy, and FaceTimed with her every night. She pretty much had her own babymoon with grandma and grandpa though! They took her to Disneyland, parks, and malls, and sent us frequent photos. When we arrived to pick her up, she was especially excited to see Daddy, and clung to him like glue. It was the cutest thing ever. 

I highly recommend taking a babymoon for all those expecting to rest and recharge before the craziness of having a newborn comes. If you get the chance check out Rancho Valencia! I was so pleased with my stay here and hope to come back to visit again!