Off to the desert!

We decided to take a trip for our 6th anniversary this year. The only problem is that having a toddler with us sort of limits where we go. My preference on vacationing is no plane rides, and no further than a 2 hour car trip. At this age, any travel outside of this range is usually more stressful than relaxing, so we've learned!

Another new requirement for traveling with a little one? No more hotels for us. On our first experience vacationing in a standard hotel room, we were so paranoid about waking her that we ended up sitting in the bathroom and watching movies on our phones while Elisa slept.  So now we have taken on the new habit of booking a house rental wherever we go, and it has worked out nicely for the most part.

We've been to the Palm Springs area a few times and have really enjoyed it each time. It's a nice escape and an easy trip from LA. There are great spas and some hotels have mineral water pools which I just LOVE. I also enjoy watching the terrain change on the drive eastward. And fall is a perfect time of year out there, not too hot and not too cold. I found this 2 BR house on a recommendation and thought it would be perfect for our weekend away, complete with a heated pool and hot tub for some relaxation after Elisa's bedtime. The plan was to cook all our meals, get some nice bottles of wine and champagne, and not bother with the mediocre/overpriced restaurant scene. In fact, we were fine not really leaving the place much. Kind of a homebody vacation.

The drive was beautiful, with Elisa napping peacefully and a cool but sunny day with lots of visibility.

The house was so immaculately designed that I almost hit myself for booking such a nice place. We were traveling with a small human tornado, after all. Elisa's favorite activity right now is throwing everything within reach onto the floor. We did a lot of outdoor walking to get all her energy out and also went to a nearby park. Here she is in front of our home for the weekend.

She later resorted to taking pictures of herself on the iPad. I forgot to bring toys. Big mistake.

 

But definitely enjoyed exploring the new digs.

The pool was inviting, but definitely not childproof either, so Elisa sat at the bar for awhile...

 

Then she went for a swim with Daddy, but did not enjoy it all that much for whatever reason.

We did a lot of cooking from my new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, which I am loving. And with a kitchen like this, who could resist!

Paul getting ready to feast on harvest roast chicken with grapes, olives and rosemary with a side of sauteed kale.

We reminisced about dating, married life before baby, and our current lives in the thick of parenting. Though we all had a great time together, it was still a little tough with Elisa not taking to the new place that well for bedtime. She cried for nearly an hour going to bed the first night, and then woke up again at 2am and would not stop until I finally just lay down beside her. We haven't slept next to each other since she was a newborn. I think she was really scared of the new environment and just needed reassurance that we were there. So I sang some hymns quietly to her until her eyelids started to droop. She clasped my hand tightly, her round eyes staring up at the ceiling, sniffling, trying to catch her breath, her lovey bear in her other arm. So sad.

At 16 months, fear has just become a very palpable emotion for her. When she sees strangers, hears loud noises, or is in a new place, she clings to me tighter or burrows her face into me. It's actually kind of sweet being somebody's source of security, to feel needed and wanted like that. But I think I slept maybe 4 hours that first night, which made the second day feel unbelievably long (despite the rough night of sleep for Elisa, she was up and ready to go at 6am, hitting my face until I woke up) until I thankfully got a brief catnap in.

While I lay there next to her that night, thinking about how different our previous trips to Palm Springs were, I looked over at her little face and saw her asleep, a sight that I rarely see up close since most of the time at home she sleeps well in her own room without interruption. I was tired, but that moment of being a source of comfort to my little girl in the middle of the night reminded me that my life has forever changed because of her. There will always be these nights, where my expectations of a full night of sleep are interrupted by her needs, and where her needs come before my own. It was a reminder that though she's not a baby anymore, she still needs us in a different way, and we have to constantly be flexible and adjust to her needs in every season.

The second night she went down beautifully, and slept straight until after 7am, which is a late morning for us! That night, Paul and I were able to enjoy champagne outside by the firepit, soaking in the hot tub and looking up at the stars in the clear desert sky. We woke up the next morning rested and ready for the trip back to LA. I even got to have a cup of tea and some quiet time by myself before Elisa woke up. After a lovely breakfast feast that Paul made of tomato, feta, and scallion omlettes, we were on the road by 11am, ready for a brief outlet mall and In N' Out stop on the way back.

So we had a few challenges, but overall a lovely weekend. I wouldn't have it any other way. So thankful for my dear husband and little girl.

Family Photos

We took family pictures last month. We don't usually do that sort of thing - we never took professional engagement photos or newborn photos, but I found a photographer running an end of summer special and decided to go for it.

In reality, the photo shoot was a total bust. Elisa drooled all over her outfit, so we had to put her in a backup outfit that the photographer didn't seem to like that much. She was super fussy by the end of the shoot, and I don't blame her, as it took about 2 hours and half the time she wasn't looking at the camera, nor was she remotely interested in all the antics we were pulling trying to get her attention. Then there was a mid-shoot poop situation and screaming diaper change. By the end, it was past lunchtime and we were all getting hungry and cranky. As we left Griffith Park, Paul and I were bickering about something stupid. I started crying. I'd wanted everything to look so nice and perfect, and it definitely was not feeling nice and not at all close to perfect.

So really, it was not a very happy situation.

It's funny that once you have a baby, people start calling you a family. And although this year has brought more challenges to our marriage than any of the 11 years that we've been together, we're doing our best to be a family. Which means that no, things are not always happy. Not everything goes perfectly, not every outing is free from tears and tantrums, and at the end of it, somebody is always hungry or has said something out of frustration. But we're trying, and being a family means we're not giving up. We love each other and that's what counts, and that's what I hope these pictures show. All in all, I think they turned out pretty well. Here are some of my favorites.

All photos by Bracha Jade. Elisa's denim smock dress by Kumquat.