[Mini Vacation] Days 3, 4 and 5... and a trip to the ER

Welcome back to Part 2 of our mini vacation! You'd think with the title 'Mini Vacation' that it would only take one post for me to share, but I am what you call an 'over picture taker' and couldn't narrow the pictures down so I thought it would be better to break it up into two posts so I didn't bombard you with photos. With that being said, don't think you are getting off picture easy today - this post is just as picture heavy as yesterday!

Day 3 was forecasted to be the best day weather-wise of the 3 whole days we had to explore and Day 4 was forecasted for rain so we opted to hike on Day 3 and go to the aquarium on Day 4. Day 3's weather was GORGEOUS and definitely did not disappoint. We went to Point Lobos State Park and hiked around and explored the area. Gorgeous is an understatement. I could definitely get used to that view all the time!

But, although the scenery was beautiful, I'd definitely say that hiking with a two year old is not high on my list of things to do again. Not only did we have to watch out for poison oak, but Mason basically hated walking and made Seth or I carry him. Not so easy when you are climbing a mountain. BUT I am so glad we did it. Because, seriously. Just look.

Around 11:30am we decided that we would try to go find some lunch. Mason was starting to get cranky and even the gold fish weren't working their normal magic on him so we headed into town and found a lovely little deli to have lunch at.

After lunch, we headed back to the condo, stopped for gas and a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner (and a peach green tea lemonade #ofcourse) and then Mason fell asleep in the car.

I mean... those cheeks and those eye lashes!

all the heart eye emojis!

We got back, played, had dinner, took a bath, played some more, and then went to bed in anticipation of our Day 4 adventure at the aquarium.

It rained over night but the weather was surprisingly good in the morning. It was cold and windy but with no rain so we had no problem exploring the inside and outside exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

We came home from the aquarium with a few hours to spare before dinner so we hung out and played and then went to this delicious Mexican restaurant called 'The Whole Enchilada' for dinner. Seriously, for being in the middle of nowhere, it was delicious.

And the just when you start thinking "wow, Mason is doing SUCH an awesome job sleeping on the big boy bed, maybe we should get him one of his own" is when something goes wrong.

But let's start from the beginning. On Day 1, we knew we were going to have Mason sleep on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed. He is too big for the pack n play and he for sure knows how to climb out so this seemed like the better option. We had planned on getting a side rail for the bed when we stopped at Target but forgot and just hoped that he would be ok. And he was. For nights 1-3. We looked for anything that we thought might hurt him if he fell and we removed it - mainly the glass table covering on the table right next to where his head was. We thought we were good to go since the corners were rounded and was also slightly above head height if he were to fall.

Enter night 4. Mason went to bed at 8pm and I went to bed slightly later around 9pm. Everything we fine. We were both sleeping and Seth came to join us later around 10pm. Then all of a sudden, SCREAMING and CRYING. Seth jumped up immediately (he was on the side that Mason was on and I was against the wall) and I woke up and was slightly confused. Then all of a sudden Seth yells "LIZ GET UP". I knew something was wrong. I asked what happened and he said that Mason was bleeding. I can't even really remember what happened in those next seconds but I jumped up so quickly and I'm sure I must have slammed my leg on the bed because I have a huge bruise now but at the time, I don't remember doing it. Seth carried Mason into the bathroom and I started to freak out. Blood. So much blood. All I could think was "what happened to my baby?!?!?" Seth got a wash cloth and tried to stop the bleeding but there was so much blood that he said we needed to go to the emergency room. By this point, Mason is screaming and Grandma and Grandpa are awake. My Dad googles where the nearest hospital is, I put in my contacts, throw on a sweatshirt, feel like I am going to throw up and/or pass out, tell myself I need to pull it together, and we were off.

Thank GOODNESS the nearest hospital was only like 6 miles down the road and we got there relatively quickly. Mason was SO brave the whole time and was barely crying in the car. I kept holding his hand and telling him it was going to be ok, that he was so brave. We got to the ER and filled out some paperwork and checked in. The ER crowd was... interesting... but that's a whole other story for a different day. We got there around 11pm and got seen by a doctor around 11:30pm/11:40pm and then was done by like 12:15am. Mason was a rockstar the whole time and only cried when the doctor cleaned his cut to see if he needed stitches. THANKFULLY it was a small cut (maybe 1/2 a centimeter) and it clotted very quickly. They said he was ok, he didn't need stitches, and to watch him and make sure he didn't have a concussion (which he had no signs of having). They gave him some Motrin, told us to wake him up once in the night to make sure his pupils weren't dilated and he knew who we were and watch for any throwing up.

We got home and Seth and Mason were going to sleep on the floor but Mason didn't want to. He climbed back up on his big boy bed right away (so sweet - he loved that bed) so Seth scooted him over and slept there next to him to make sure he didn't fall again. We woke up at 4am to check him and then went back to sleep until he woke us up at 6:30am - totally back to himself and totally fine. 

So there you have it. Quite the way to end a vacation and scared the cr*p out of me and Seth, but thankfully my brave big boy was totally ok. We think that when he fell, he hit the bottom corner of the end table next to him (something we didn't even think to protect him from) and it cut his head. The edge was not rounded and was pretty pointy so that must have done it. The mama guilt set in HARD when I realized that we should have gone back and gotten him the side rail or put pillows around the bottom of the end table, but alas, you can't go back in time so we have learned for the future.

Despite the trip to the ER to end our vacation, we did have a great time and can't wait to go on another vacation with Grandma and Grandpa again... hopefully soon!

[Mini Vacation] Days 1 and 2

Last week we went on a little vacation adventure with my Dad and step-mom. We had had it planned for a while (it's so hard to coordinate schedules!) but it seemed like it would never get here. I was so excited when I flipped the calendar and saw the dates blocked off for a much needed VACATION. No joke. This trip couldn't have come at a better time. I was definitely in need of a break.

The past couple times that Grandma and Grandpa have come to visit, we have gone to Palm Springs. While we always have tons of fun in the sun there, I suggested we change it up and go somewhere that we could explore and not just swim all weekend. We ended up renting a VRBO (vacation rental by owner) in Watsonville, CA for a 5 day mini vacation.

Now if you look up Watsonville on a map, you will find that it is pretty much in the middle of no where. Yep, lots of nothing surrounding where we were staying. BUT our place was RIGHT on the beach so we got a gorgeous view of the ocean for a whole 5 days. Pretty awesome. Watsonville was also a pretty central location to our explorations, which was why my Dad picked that place to stay.

Day 1 started with us hitting the road around 7:30am on our way to Watsonville. We stopped for gas and then for breakfast - donuts and coffee - breakfast of road trip champions. Then we were off for our 6 hour trip up the coast to Watsonville.

from "get me out of this car!!!" to "let me help you Grandpa!"

We arrived around 4pm, unloaded, and hung out for a while before having dinner at the condo. Mason played with Grandma and Grandpa and then gave hugs and kisses to everyone and was off to bed in his big boy bed.

sleeping in his big boy bed aka bottom bunk of a bunk bed

(his first time in a REAL big boy bed)

Day 2 was when the fun started. We were on an adventure to ride on a steam train through the redwoods! And I have to admit. I think I was just as excited as Mason was.

We arrived about a half hour early and just let Mason run around and explore. It is 'off season' right now so not everything was open but we still had tons of fun checking out the place.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Roaring Camp Railroad // Felton, CA

Wild West Seth and Ticket Taker Mason

so happy to be in jail! // standing on the covered wagon // hugging my leg

train backing up to the water tank // filling the engine with water

Day 2 was SO much fun!!!

Our vacation was off to a great start!

Friday Favorites.

Hello and Happy Friday everyone!
Here are some of my favorite things from this week...

ONE.

The Husband's Secret.

via

I'll be honest. I'm not a big reader. I don't know that I should actually admit that because for the past 11 years I have worked at some sort of bookstore, but alas, it's true. But anyway, I was putting some books out at work this week and noticed a book that looked interesting called "The Husband's Secret". I immediately flipped the book to the back and read the synopsis...

Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not only the life you have built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive…

Sounds good! Now to find some time to read...

TWO.

Recollections Pen Set.

I've been on the hunt for some new pens for my planner. I've seen recommendations from lots of people but since I haven't seen the pens and how they write in person, I have yet to buy anything. Enter my employee Valerie. She had these pens from Michael's the other day at work and was ranting and raving about how great they were. I tried them, loved them, and was off to find them. They are the Recollections brand from Michael's - the fine line pen set - and they were only $2.50 ($4.99 for 20 pens and I had a 50% off coupon)! Total steal.

THREE.

Umbrella Stroller Recommendation?

I think we're looking to retire our old stroller and get an umbrella stroller. Mason has gotten too big for our regular stroller and while we still use it (not very often but whenever we think we will need a stroller), I think it's time to get a new one. We plan to take Mason to Disneyland for his birthday and would like a stroller so he can nap so I still have a few months, but I'd love to hear your recommendations and why you do (or don't!) like a particular brand of stroller. Thank you in advance!

FOUR.

Hanna Jams.

Nanny was kind enough to buy Mason some new jammies this past week - some of my favorite jammies! I LOVE the Hanna Andersson pajamas though I don't love their price tag. Nanny spoiled Mason with a bunch of new jammies for Christmas and she didn't disappoint when it came to summer pajamas either! I can't wait to see Mason in them.

yellow stripes // beach bus

Well that's all I've got for this week! We're up to some fun stuff this weekend and I can't wait to share next week!

Happy Weekending!

The Guys Behind the Blog // April Edition

Last month, I found out through Crystal that Betsy from Heavens to Betsy has this super cool series called The Guys Behind the Blog. Unfortunately it was a little too late to join for March but I thought I would join in April! While I do talk about Seth often, I don't really know if you all know him very well. Enter : this series. Every month Betsy has different prompts that the guys behind the blog answer.

So, here we go! Here are April's questions.

1 // Has Starbucks ever spellled your name wrong on a cup? If yes, what's the craziest way that someone has spelled it?

Seth : Yes. Z-E-T.
Me : Zet???
Seth : Don't ask.

2 // Who would play your wife in a movie or TV show about your lives?

Seth : Rachel McAdams.
Me : Can I have good hair? She has ugly hair sometimes.
Seth : Of course. She'll have dark hair. Like in the wedding crashers.

3 // What is your proudest accomplishment?

Seth : Mason.

4 // What is your favorite holiday and why?

Seth : Christmas/Hanukkah. 
They've become more fun because of Mason. I love seeing him open presents and get excited.

5 // What is your favorite breed of dog? If you don't have a favorite breed, describe the characteristics of your ideal dog (or cat)!

Seth : Siberian husky. I want a Shiba Inu. They are like little husky's.

And there you have it folks. He's a man of very few words.

Thanks for playing along, Seth!

You Know You're a Mom When...

... you are giving your kid a bath and know that that is the PERFECT opportunity to get those darn boogers out of your kids nose.... while they are good and wet (sorry for those of you not moms!). And secretly sing the victory song when you get a good one!

... you are putting your kid in the car to take him to preschool when all of a sudden the milk cup starts leaking. You freak and pull it back before it gets all over his shirt (and you have to take him inside to change) and while you pull back, he lets go of the straw and milk sprays in your face and your eye. You are a bit surprised but shake it off and wipe it off and put the kid in the car.

... you can multi-task like a pro (sorry dad... oh and any police officers maybe?) but I totally fixed Mason's leaky cup while driving (on the freeway) to drop him off at preschool. Maybe not the smartest thing (though I did have my eyes on the road the whole time believe it or not). Held the straw in my mouth so it didn't leak all over my pants and fixed the sippy cup inners with my hand and voila! Back in business.

... you have to wash the same load of laundry twice because you forgot to change it over to the dryer in a timely fashion.

... you turn the dryer on to "fluff" the wrinkles out of the clothes that you left in there over night ... or longer.

...you hear the toddler start to wake (or so you think) on the monitor so you as quietly as possible (because moving "too loudly" on the other end of the monitor will surely wake him), click the button to check on him and make sure he is still sleeping because it is (always) too early!

...you give your kid a half a banana and turn your head for a minute and when you look back, the banana is gone. Did he eat it??? Where is it??? Please tell me he ate it... What does rotting banana smell like? Oh no...

and speaking of food...

...you see something under the couch, remember that you STILL haven't found that banana that you are unsure of where it went, and wondering if that is it. You are too scared to touch it to find out. Then get up enough strength to touch it and realize... it is just part of a black bean taquito that your kid had for lunch THAT day and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

And you know you're a dad when... you are trying to take a small nap on the couch since you just worked the swap meet from 5am-2:30pm and have been up since 2:30am when your toddler runs to get a bag of chips and slams them into your chest to get you to wake up and open them for him. And when you say no, he climbs up on the couch on to you and shakes them in your face. Sorry Seth!

Weekending with my Mini Me

This past weekend Seth had to work so it was just me and Mason. Usually I have big plans for us (you know, big plans to go to Target, Costco, and the grocery store) but this weekend, I didn't really have any. Of course we still did go to our favorite stores, but besides that, I didn't really have any plans since we were both recovering from having colds.

The weekend started off on Friday night when Seth went to dinner with some friends. He told me kinda last minute so I didn't really have a chance to prepare anything for dinner (who am I kidding... I don't make dinner) so I did what any mom would do... I got In n Out. Really it is pretty dangerous that we have an In n Out so close! We ate dinner, Mason stole half my fries, and we watched a movie and our Friday night ended with a little snuggle session, Mason in bed around 8pm, and me actually NOT falling asleep on the couch for once and being awake when Seth got home. #winning

Saturday morning I was able to sneak in a quick shower before Seth left and then it was just me and the little man. We were having breakfast and watching some Disney Junior when Mason decided that it was time to go outside. He came over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to the door. I explained to him that we couldn't go outside in pajamas so we changed real fast and at 8:15am we were on our way to the park.

By 9am, Mason decided he was over it so we headed home and to Target. By 10am, we were home, picked up a quick snack and some juice, and were on our way to the grocery store. By 11am, we were headed home and by 11:30am I was making us some lunch. We had a very eventful and productive Saturday morning.

Mason took a nap from about 1pm-4pm, I made banana bread, we played, I made dinner (for real! not take out) and Seth came home around 6pm. We ate dinner, hung out, Mason took a bath and was in bed at 8pm, and Seth and I watched TV until we both fell asleep on the couch at... 9pm.

On Sunday, Seth left the house crazy early so I was on my own all morning. I opted to sleep a little longer instead of take a shower and was able to sleep until 6:30am before I heard Mason starting to wake. We got up, had breakfast, watched Disney Junior, stayed in our pjs and played with trains.

When we decided we were over the trains, Mason decided that he wanted to play baseball.  I tried to explain that that was for Daddy to do with Mason, but he wanted to hear none of it and insisted that we go outside. So outside we went.

I was actually thoroughly impressed with his swing and his ability to hit the ball relatively accurately. I kept forgetting that he is a lefty and would stand right in front of him and actually got hit with a pretty great swing of his once. With a little practice, I think we may have ourselves a future Angel!

After batting practice, we headed to the park again and then had a laid back morning, some lunch, a nap for Mason, and then Daddy was home. We had Sunday family dinner out and then came home to put Mason to bed and have a relaxing evening.

While the weekend was nothing special, it was still wonderful! I love a relaxing weekend with no plans every once in a while!