Big Day

I got my new crown placed and got some insanely painful deep cleaning on half my mouth today. Ramona hung out in the waiting room with her daddy and made tons of new friends. She was also called the cutest baby ever by a total stranger. Just in case you thought it was just me being biased.

I bought a plane ticket for Erin to come visit next month, and we're prepping for our trip to San Diego while she's out here. I'm super pumped Not just because we'll get to lounge on the beach and go to one of the best zoos in the world, but because I won't be at work. Everyone can use a break from the daily grind now and then, and I'm definitely not immune. Life is going as well as it can given our current circumstances, and all thing considered we are blessed with jobs and security and the ability to spend time together as a family. But it's still nice to get out and do something new and freeing every once in awhile.

I'm looking forward to fireworks in a couple of weeks as I take my little girl to see them for the first time. It's crazy to think that a mere year ago, Joe and I were standing on the strip watching the fireworks while baby fish kicked me in the ribs. Now she is the smiling ball of wonders that brings bursts of pride and happiness in my life on a daily basis. I wanted to go to Boulder City for the fireworks, but they're doing their show on Sunday night. We want to catch a Saturday night show, so it looks like we'll be going to North Las Vegas. I'm hoping it goes well. There is a good chance Ramona will have passed out by fireworks time, but I'm curious to see how she reacts if she's awake.

This past weekend we went to Vegas and got some stuff for our San Diego trip and went to one of the brewpubs to get a new shirt for the Brew Blanket. It was Ramona's first brewpub and she did awesome! The food was really good and Ramona tasted some of the toast and a little bit of artichoke dip. She was such a good baby and totally showed up the fussy baby that was there. One of the waitresses asked, "Doesn't it make you so thankful for your baby when you hear another baby fussing?" And I told her, "Yes, I'm thankful it's not us this time." Ramona has never been the fussy baby when we've been out, but I know damn well that she could be. Luck and my awesome powers of distraction have been on our side thus far, but easily could not be at some time in the future. So I am one hundred percent thankful for every time she is charming and adorable when we're in public.

San Diego will be a big test for her. It will be a lot of being out in the world and seeing lots of people. Hopefully we'll keep meltdowns to a minimal. But I'm super excited and feel like I'm just biding my time until my baby sister comes to hang out with my baby girl. There's only a few weeks until she gets out here and I'm obsessively planning and consulting everyone I know on what we should do while in San Diego.

Father's Day was pretty low key. We hung out at home and I actually cooked for Joe. Joe is the cook in our family, so me cooking was a pretty big deal. I made lobster rolls and clam chowder. It was super yummy if I do say so myself, and Joe said my lobster rolls were the best sandwich he's ever had. Score! The entire weekend was really great for me, and I think Joe enjoyed it as well. I made him the video I put in my last post, but the best part of the weekend for me was just the drive to Vegas. Ramona slept through it, and Joe and I were able to just talk for a couple hours for the first time in a long time. The opposite schedules we keep to accommodate our little girl leave us with little time together, so the opportunity to just talk and hang out made us happy.

All in all, I think the weekend was one of the best in a long time, but I think the trip to San Diego will be even better. I love going somewhere I've never been, and I love being around people who make me happy, so the combination of the two has me desperately counting down the days until we go. Come on July!