Trip To California......12 Weeks pregnant

Elijah and I just returned from what will probably our last trip on a plane for several years. I just don't see us traveling that way with three kiddos! We went to California with my mom and brother to visit Aunt Shula and to enjoy the sweet California weather.....and avoid a week's worth of Houston heat. It was a great trip and I took LOTS of pictures! :) I know. SHOCKING!

12 Weeks Pregnant

We left two days before 12 weeks and I was finished with progesterone so my fatigue was greatly improved, although still there. I can now quite easily pick up both babies' heart beats on my fetal doppler and I actually started feeling them move this week. Elijah I felt slight stirrings at around 14 weeks but nothing I was certain of until 18 weeks. This time around, it only took a couple of days before I realized I was feeling my babies. According to WebMD, babies can be felt around 13 weeks for second time moms.  Since we were out of town I was not able to do my normal baby bump pictures but I still had some fun getting a few shots. 

The Babies were as big as plums at 12 Weeks

12 Week Babies Bump

My two P's in a pod are getting bigger!

Can't wait to find out who is in my belly! Four More weeks!

Little Drummer Boy

One of the coolest things about visiting Aunt Shula is seeing all the neat stuff that she has that I remember from when I was little and my mom even has some similar memories since Aunt Shula is 14 years her senior. She has a thumb piano (that she actually gave to my mom when she was little), this cool toaster that was my great grandmothers, neat silver wine chalices and this awesome silver drum. Elijah, my little musician, immediately went for the drum! He had so much fun banging away. That boy has some rhythm! 

Dum Ditty Dum Ditty Dum Dum Dum

"That's loud Mama!"

Drumming is serious business

He liked to pick it up and carry it around. 

Sweet boy. Even drummers need a break sometimes. 

Elijah loved picking flowers for Grandmumsy and Mama. 

Right At Home

Elijah really enjoyed himself at Aunt Shula's house. In fact, he made himself right at home! There were lots of fun toys, some we brought and some Granmumsy sent ahead of time and Aunt Shula was very playful and fun. Elijah enjoyed going for rides on her legs and playing with her collection of stuffed bears and other woodland creatures. 

A lazy pj day in southern California

We used a cardboard box as a toy chest....it also provided Elijah with entertainment. 

"I'm just hanging....in my box"

Going for a ride on Aunt Shula's legs

Aunt Shula has an awesome garden with fruits and vegetables. Elijah ate strawberries off the plant every day and they were his favorite, followed by lemons. 

This little boy loves breakfast time.....and thinks his Grandmumsy and Aunt Shula are hilarious. 

Enjoying his waffles and blueberries!

My favorite little face

Elijah had lots of fun with Cinnamon. 

They shared snacks. 

And Elijah gave her lots of snuggles. 

Napping on Granmumsy. She can always get Elijah to nap. 

Elijah had figured out how to open the baby gate by the end of the week. Uh, not so childproof. 

Cinnamon adopted Elijah's inch worm for nap time.

Christmas Cookies

Butter cookies, or Dainty Tea Cookies as has always been written on the recipe in my grandmother's handwriting, has been a long running tradition in my family. When I was little, I remember "helping" make them with my grandparents. Poppy would feed my dough off his finger and it would taste like butter cookies and cigarettes. Sounds gross but it is a fond memory and SO him! I always had fun decorating the cookies. My mom and aunt decided that we would have Christmas in August. Well sort of. Aunt Shula is Jewish and although we used the same shapes I grew up with, we had lots of blues, purples and other year round colors to decorate with. Sadly, I could not enjoy the dough. Raw eggs and pregnancy do not mix. Elijah enjoyed his first cookie. (Um ,probably his last for a while but he needed to participate in this tradition according to Granmumsy.)

Some serious cookie baking about to happen here. I gave Elijah a granola bar to enjoy while he watched. 

"Mama, this does NOT look like a cookie"

The decorating sugar in bowls handmade by Aunt Shula. She has an Etsy store called Clay Mystique 

THE COOKIES!!!! 

We gave him one...a slightly burnt one....hoping he would not like it.....

Although it looks like he is giving it back here, he enjoyed his cookie very much. 

So much fun to share this with Elijah. 

Swim Time!

Granmumsy ordered Elijah a really cool blow up pool especially for this trip that was waiting for us when we got there! I think this was Elijah's favorite part of the trip. The sides of the pool were pretty high and at first I had to lift Elijah in and out but in no time at all, he figured out how to climb in and out all on his own. Such an athlete! He spent many happy hours outside in the cool breeze playing in his pool and running around the back yard....sometimes in a bathing suit, sometimes naked. Nope, he's not shy. But we already knew that. 

Enjoying Aunt Shula's garden

Thank you Gymboree for encouraging Elijah's athletic ability. I think he will be into extreme sports. Oh, the doctor bills 

"Peekaboo!"

I quickly learned that I needed to fill the pool BEFORE he came outside. I didn't mind him drinking from the hose. I DID mind him spraying the whole backward including my phone!

Typical Elijah face and one of my favorites!

Who needs a bathing suit?!

He was just so excited to be in his little pool!

These are shots from the first day when he actually wore a bathing suit. After that it was either naked or a swim diaper and LOTS of sunscreen. 

Splish Splash!

I just love this smile. 

My little water guy!

Hey buddy!

"This is how we do it in my neck of the woods!"

A Visit From Missy

My cousin also lives in the Los Angeles area and was able to spend a day with us. It was so much fun to see her. I grew up seeing her quite a bit although we lived in Pennsylvania and she and her sister, Susie lived in Texas. They spent lots of time visiting us and even joined us on many vacations. I told Missy on this trip that she and Susie are more Aunts to my kids and than cousins and it was fun for her to finally get to meet Elijah. When I was pregnant, she made all sorts of awesome baby items for him, some of which he still uses/plays with! It was nice for him to be able to give her a Thank You hug in person. I so wish Missy lived closer. She is really a cool gal and has lots of the same interests (homemade personal products, healthy cooking etc) that I do. We would have lots of fun "creating" together!

Love my cool cousin! 

Elijah just up from his nap. 

Elijah just adored his "Aunt" Missy!

Some Dinners Out

We had a couple of dinners out which is always fun, though some of the nicer places are getting a little more challenging because they take longer and certain little boys are ready to get up and go! One of my parents' favorite restaurants is Lawry's and they have an awesome one in LA! Elijah enjoyed the atmosphere and some, ahem, colorful characters eating there. We also had a great dinner at Cheesecake factory for our last night in sunny California!

All dressed up for dinner at Lawry's.

Elijah enjoyed a little people watching before dinner. 

YUM!

A little flower picking before dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. 

I just LOVE this little outfit!

Happy boy!

Mama, Elijah and Petite Parish A & B ready for a yummy dinner!

<3

How you a'doin?

Lunch with Uncle Brad and Then a Playdate!

My mom and Aunt Shula had big plans for a day of beauty so Elijah and I had a nice outdoor lunch with Uncle Brad and then we had a planned playdate at the beach with our friends from Houston that moved to California, Denise and Raymond and their two and a half year old son, Henry. I was so excited to meet Henry. The last time I saw Raymond and Denise, Denise was about five months pregnant! But I have watched Henry grow on social media sites (Denise is a picture Mama just like me!). Unfortunately, Elijah had not adjusted to the time change and ended up sleeping through most of the playdate but the boys seemed to enjoy each other in the time that he was awake and Henry was so cute! He wanted to play with Elijah so badly when my little Rip Van Winkle was asleep. We are looking forward to seeing them in Houston in October!

Lunch time! This boy can eat!

My brother, Brad, the other red head on my side of the family. 

Lunch with my guy 

Elijah loves to share right now.....everything....including food.  Fortunately for Brad, Elijah was eating french fries. 

My boy all ready for the beach!

He's just too cool. 

Ok, I only realized after my mom pointed it out (later looking at photos) that I had his swim shirt on backwards. I would like to say this is the first time I have done something like this.....but I cannot. 

Elijah enjoyed running from the water...but not so much when it got on him. The pacific ocean is COLD!

"Hey Mama, look! The ocean!"

Sweet little feet. 

Playing with his new friend, Henry!

These two are so cute!

Elijah snuggled up with his twin siblings and took a nap. 

That is one jet lagged baby!

Henry wanted to play with him SO BAD!

All cozy with Petite Parish A & B

I so love having him asleep in my arms. 

He woke up shortly before we had to leave but got to visit with Denise. 

Bob's Big Boy

Okay this may seem kind of silly but Bob's Big Boy is somewhat of landmark in the valley and since all the other landmarks we tried to go to were either too crowded or there was no parking, I decided we needed to get some photos here! 

Here we are....with Bob's Big Boy. 

Elijah was quite fascinated with the Big Boy. When we went inside to eat, he grabbed onto him and didn't want to let go. 

In the Valley.....with the Big Boy. 

My little outgoing boy....always ready to pose for the camera. 

My big boy with Bob's Big Boy. Had to say it. 

This boy is HUNGRY!

"Hey Mama, this is NOT a real burger!"

The Parish Baby Daddy picture. When I was pregnant with Elijah, we used a cardboard cut out of Justin Beiber. 

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We had such a great trip! Thank you Granmumsy and Aunt Shula for an awesome time! Elijah has now officially been on 13 flights (we flew to San Antonio on the way to California so we could fly with my mom). He is a well traveled boy and this was an awesome trip full of things Elijah loves; swimming, playing outside, Granmumsy and Aunt Shula, yummy new things to try and adventures.