This morning we got up early to get ready so I could catch my flight. Right when we were ready to leave the hotel, Andy got a call from Delta saying that my flight had been delayed for 2.5 hours. We decided to stop and get something for lunch, so we pulled off of a random exit on the way to the airport. Whatever this neighborhood was, it was how I imagined San Francisco to be. It had an artsy feel to it, with eclectic and colorful buildings and clean streets. We found this little Thai restaurant, and it was some of the best food I've ever had. Delicious.
Andy left me at the airport and then headed back to the city for a week of work. I was really sad to go. It sounds cliche', but it's so great being married to my best friend. We had a lot of fun together, and we talked about me staying longer. But as much as I wanted to spend the week feeling carefree with quiet meals and uninterrupted sleep, I missed my little guy even more. I couldn't wait to see him. After spending a day at airports and on the plane, arriving three hours later than I had been scheduled, it was all worth it when Calvin squealed in excitement and gave me the hardest, tightest hug when he saw me. It was a great vacation and I'm lucky to have a husband who insists on whisking me away. I'm also lucky to have the sweetest toddler to come home to after it's over.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
San Francisco - Day 2 (August 30)
Here was a homeless man yelling at another homeless man. What a charming city.
Today we after finding a random church, we headed to the piers and Fisherman's wharf. It was a pretty cool day, hence the preppy look for Andy in the only long shirt he brought.
We wandered around a bit, enjoyed the masses of sea lions, and checked out some of the shops on the pier.
This is the restaurant where we ate lunch. We loved it. In addition to tables overlooking the pier, their was a fireplace, and a really nice trendy feel. Andy had crab legs, and I had mahi mahi. It was delicious. We lingered there longer than was necessary.
We had planned to take a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, but decided it would be more fun to take a cruise through the bay. We bought tickets to a big ferry ride that went directly under the bridge, around Alcatraz, and then under the Bay bridge. It was chilly and windy, but a lot of fun. Here are my favorites from the trip:
Alcatraz from a distance
The Bay Bridge
San Fran as seen from the bay
The boat left while it was still light, so we had a great view of the island and all of the buildings, but by the time we were inside the prison, it was sufficiently dark and eerie. The prison is the big building at the top of the hill, and the rest of the buildings are workshops and living quarters. I hadn't realized before that the warden and prison guards, along with their families lived on the island with the inmates. Even lots of little kids. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go for that, even though they said that since everyone's dad was a cop, it was one of the safest places to live.
Here are some shots from the inside (by this point my camera battery was dead, so these were all taken on my phone. Sorry for the poor quality.):
Isn't he cute in his headphones?
First the island was a military prison, but after it got too expensive, they evacuated it and the American Indians took it over as a retreat. They decided it was too expensive as well (electricity, fresh water, sewage, etc.) and handed it over to the federal penitentiary association, who turned it into a maximum security prison for convicts who kept escaping from other places. Al Capone and some other famous cons were there, so it was cool to see where they were kept.
This was the prison kitchen. I liked this picture because you can see the knife panel where the knives are painted on. This is so guards could immediately tell if one of the knifes was missing.
The night tour was really cool because they do things that they don't do during the day. For example, we sat in the prison while they told stories of some of the escapes that took place and the details of how the cons made it work. Also, at the very end of the day, they show you how the prison doors work. Apparently they were very high tech for the day, and they can open and close individually or together. They call it "the sound of the slammer" and open all of the doors along the row, and slam them at the same time. It was really fun to see it, but I can't imagine that it was a fun place to hang out for years on end.
Today we after finding a random church, we headed to the piers and Fisherman's wharf. It was a pretty cool day, hence the preppy look for Andy in the only long shirt he brought.
We wandered around a bit, enjoyed the masses of sea lions, and checked out some of the shops on the pier.
This is the restaurant where we ate lunch. We loved it. In addition to tables overlooking the pier, their was a fireplace, and a really nice trendy feel. Andy had crab legs, and I had mahi mahi. It was delicious. We lingered there longer than was necessary.We had planned to take a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, but decided it would be more fun to take a cruise through the bay. We bought tickets to a big ferry ride that went directly under the bridge, around Alcatraz, and then under the Bay bridge. It was chilly and windy, but a lot of fun. Here are my favorites from the trip:
Alcatraz from a distance
The Bay Bridge
San Fran as seen from the bayAfter the cruise, we ate some chili in a sourdough bowl from a little stand, grabbed a hot chocolate, and then did something else I've always wanted to do... We went on a night tour of Alcatraz Island.
The boat left while it was still light, so we had a great view of the island and all of the buildings, but by the time we were inside the prison, it was sufficiently dark and eerie. The prison is the big building at the top of the hill, and the rest of the buildings are workshops and living quarters. I hadn't realized before that the warden and prison guards, along with their families lived on the island with the inmates. Even lots of little kids. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go for that, even though they said that since everyone's dad was a cop, it was one of the safest places to live.Here are some shots from the inside (by this point my camera battery was dead, so these were all taken on my phone. Sorry for the poor quality.):
Isn't he cute in his headphones?
First the island was a military prison, but after it got too expensive, they evacuated it and the American Indians took it over as a retreat. They decided it was too expensive as well (electricity, fresh water, sewage, etc.) and handed it over to the federal penitentiary association, who turned it into a maximum security prison for convicts who kept escaping from other places. Al Capone and some other famous cons were there, so it was cool to see where they were kept.
This was the prison kitchen. I liked this picture because you can see the knife panel where the knives are painted on. This is so guards could immediately tell if one of the knifes was missing.
The night tour was really cool because they do things that they don't do during the day. For example, we sat in the prison while they told stories of some of the escapes that took place and the details of how the cons made it work. Also, at the very end of the day, they show you how the prison doors work. Apparently they were very high tech for the day, and they can open and close individually or together. They call it "the sound of the slammer" and open all of the doors along the row, and slam them at the same time. It was really fun to see it, but I can't imagine that it was a fun place to hang out for years on end.
San Francisco - Day 1 (August 29)
This morning we dropped the boy off at his grandparent's house, and headed for a weekend away. Andy has to work in San Francisco all next week, so he planned a few days for us to be alone before then. We hopped a short flight to SF, and were there in time for lunch. We picked up the rental car, got settled at the hotel, and then found a great little 50's diner where he had a club sandwich, and I had french dip. After that we did the most heavenly thing that we haven't done in ages -- we took a long, uninterrupted nap.
I like these pictures because we have this really nice room at the downtown Hilton, with all of the upgrades, and then in the middle of the room is this ghetto little refrigerator plugged in.
After our nap, we got dressed in our fancy clothes and went to eat at The Market Street Grill. We had heard rave reviews about the place, but after eating there, we decided it was more about ambiance than great food. I had a steak and Andy had a seafood gumbo. They were just okay. The butterscotch creme brulee', however, was divine.
After dinner we crossed the street to the Orpheum theater where we did something I have wanted to do FOREVER. We saw Wicked.
The play was pure magic and lived up to every bit of the hype I've heard about it. Andy said it was one of the few times as an adult that you get to feel like a child and see something you've never seen before. The actors were perfect, the sets and costumes were amazing, and the whole performance was just enchanting.
We had great seats. I wasn't supposed to take pictures, and my phone isn't great, but this shows you how close we were to the stage. Of course the whole row in front of us was little old ladies and tiny Asian women, except for the one seat in front of me which was occupied by a wide, tall man. Just my luck. Despite the blockage, the whole evening was one of the best I've ever had.
The one complaint that we have about SF is that it's really kind of scary. The traffic congested roads are all over the place with no rhyme or reason, the streets were filthy, and there were more homeless people than I have ever seen anywhere. Andy kept saying that he felt like if he looked at someone wrong, he was going to get AIDS.
We had walked to dinner and the theater, deciding that since we wouldn't be coming home until about 11:30 pm, we would definitely take a cab on the way back. The walk was only a mile, but there were a few blocks that didn't feel safe at all. The only problem was that when we came out of the theater, we weren't able to get a cab, and it was pretty cold, so we decided to start walking. We got followed, jeered at, and generally creeped out most of the way home. I had guys calling out at me, and I felt like saying "seriously? I'm 7 months pregnant and you're hitting on me? Life can't be THAT bad!" So we hustled back to the hotel.
Once we got in, I was on a high from the day and didn't feel like going to bed. I felt like some hot chocolate. The room's mini-bar didn't have it, room service didn't have it, the gift shop was closed, and the Starbucks inside of the hotel was closed. We had seen several Starbucks down the street, so I called a few of them and found one two blocks down that was open until 1 am. Andy was not pleased with the prospect of going back out into the scary, hobo ridden streets, but we dressed down and headed out into the cold. 20 Minutes later we were back in our room safe and sound with hot chocolate and an apple fritter. The perfect night cap after a fantastic day.
I like these pictures because we have this really nice room at the downtown Hilton, with all of the upgrades, and then in the middle of the room is this ghetto little refrigerator plugged in.
After our nap, we got dressed in our fancy clothes and went to eat at The Market Street Grill. We had heard rave reviews about the place, but after eating there, we decided it was more about ambiance than great food. I had a steak and Andy had a seafood gumbo. They were just okay. The butterscotch creme brulee', however, was divine.
After dinner we crossed the street to the Orpheum theater where we did something I have wanted to do FOREVER. We saw Wicked.
The play was pure magic and lived up to every bit of the hype I've heard about it. Andy said it was one of the few times as an adult that you get to feel like a child and see something you've never seen before. The actors were perfect, the sets and costumes were amazing, and the whole performance was just enchanting.
We had great seats. I wasn't supposed to take pictures, and my phone isn't great, but this shows you how close we were to the stage. Of course the whole row in front of us was little old ladies and tiny Asian women, except for the one seat in front of me which was occupied by a wide, tall man. Just my luck. Despite the blockage, the whole evening was one of the best I've ever had.
The one complaint that we have about SF is that it's really kind of scary. The traffic congested roads are all over the place with no rhyme or reason, the streets were filthy, and there were more homeless people than I have ever seen anywhere. Andy kept saying that he felt like if he looked at someone wrong, he was going to get AIDS.
We had walked to dinner and the theater, deciding that since we wouldn't be coming home until about 11:30 pm, we would definitely take a cab on the way back. The walk was only a mile, but there were a few blocks that didn't feel safe at all. The only problem was that when we came out of the theater, we weren't able to get a cab, and it was pretty cold, so we decided to start walking. We got followed, jeered at, and generally creeped out most of the way home. I had guys calling out at me, and I felt like saying "seriously? I'm 7 months pregnant and you're hitting on me? Life can't be THAT bad!" So we hustled back to the hotel.
Once we got in, I was on a high from the day and didn't feel like going to bed. I felt like some hot chocolate. The room's mini-bar didn't have it, room service didn't have it, the gift shop was closed, and the Starbucks inside of the hotel was closed. We had seen several Starbucks down the street, so I called a few of them and found one two blocks down that was open until 1 am. Andy was not pleased with the prospect of going back out into the scary, hobo ridden streets, but we dressed down and headed out into the cold. 20 Minutes later we were back in our room safe and sound with hot chocolate and an apple fritter. The perfect night cap after a fantastic day.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Rashes and Dogs
Last week Calvin had a temperature of 101-102 for a couple of days, but then it went away so I assumed it was part of his teething issues. On Friday I noticed a dozen little white canker sores all over his tongue. On Sunday we noticed a rash on his back and chest. By Monday, the rash was all over his face, arms, legs, and everywhere in between. I called first thing in the morning and got him into the doctor. While checking him out, he noticed that Calvin's tonsils were horribly swollen. He said that rashes often accompany strep throat, but his test came back negative. After going to the oh-so-professional source of Google, the doctor diagnosed him with Roseola, a virus that he probably picked up at church or from one of the kids at my party last week. Apparently young babies don't get it because they still have some immunities from their mother, so the most common ages are 9 months to 2 years old, and after that kids usually have the antibodies to fight it off. The biggest issues come from high fevers and sore throats, but it's supposed to just work its way out of his system in a few days. The poor kid seems miserable.
I couldn't get a very good picture because of the lighting and how much the subject matter moved around, but this gives you a general idea of what it looks like.
A few days ago the boy discovered the Fox and the Hound DVD. I think it's partly because he hasn't felt well, but he hasn't wanted to do anything but watch it over and over, all day long. At 5:00am he runs in and turns it on himself. He's obsessed. His favorite part, of course, is when Copper does his adorable, weak little howl. He loves watching Todd and Copper wrestle. He thinks the birds are hilarious. Watching his face while he watches the movie is much better than almost anything I can think of.
We found this little chair at Costco and Calvin was so delighted that it was just his size. We put it in our cart, and he rode it around the store like it was a little throne. For the last few days, it has been nearly impossible to get him out of that chair, and away from his friends Copper and Todd. He's oblivious to everything else. I hope he gets feeling better soon.
I couldn't get a very good picture because of the lighting and how much the subject matter moved around, but this gives you a general idea of what it looks like.
A few days ago the boy discovered the Fox and the Hound DVD. I think it's partly because he hasn't felt well, but he hasn't wanted to do anything but watch it over and over, all day long. At 5:00am he runs in and turns it on himself. He's obsessed. His favorite part, of course, is when Copper does his adorable, weak little howl. He loves watching Todd and Copper wrestle. He thinks the birds are hilarious. Watching his face while he watches the movie is much better than almost anything I can think of.
We found this little chair at Costco and Calvin was so delighted that it was just his size. We put it in our cart, and he rode it around the store like it was a little throne. For the last few days, it has been nearly impossible to get him out of that chair, and away from his friends Copper and Todd. He's oblivious to everything else. I hope he gets feeling better soon.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sleep Issues
As I mentioned a while back, we are not doing well with sleep in our house these days. Calvin has gone from the most ideal sleeper, to a little nightmare. Every night we have to go into his room 3 or 4 times through the night, and sometimes every hour. We decided to try the tough love approach and let him cry it out. Unfortunately, Calvin has learned that if he throws his blankies out of the crib and then cries "want that, want that, want that, want that...." over and over again, we always give in. It's just too sad knowing he's up there alone in the dark sobbing, reaching for his blankets, and wishing we would come and rock him to sleep. Lately Andy's been the one going in. He has the magic touch. When I go in, he wants me to take him out. When Andy goes in, Calvin lets him rock him for a minute and then he'll reach for his crib. Most of the time we trade off throughout the night. Life is painful when Andy is out of town.
At about 4:30 every morning, we usually just give in and bring him into bed with us. The other day, I heard Calvin making fake snoring noises so I opened my eyes. His face was less than an inch away from mine, with his eyes scrunched tightly closed, pretending he was snoring. I'm assuming he was copying me as it seems to be an unfortunate side effect of pregnancy for me. It made me laugh. As opposed to the mornings where I'm trying to sleep with him in the bed next to me, and he sits and bounces on my face or stomach, drives his train over my head, kicks me in the ribs, or throws blocks at my head.
Today we walked into his playroom about 20 minutes before his usual nap time, and this is what we found:
He looked so peaceful, it was hard to be upset that his parents are beyond exhausted, yet he manages to curl up wherever he likes and just doze off.
At about 4:30 every morning, we usually just give in and bring him into bed with us. The other day, I heard Calvin making fake snoring noises so I opened my eyes. His face was less than an inch away from mine, with his eyes scrunched tightly closed, pretending he was snoring. I'm assuming he was copying me as it seems to be an unfortunate side effect of pregnancy for me. It made me laugh. As opposed to the mornings where I'm trying to sleep with him in the bed next to me, and he sits and bounces on my face or stomach, drives his train over my head, kicks me in the ribs, or throws blocks at my head.
Today we walked into his playroom about 20 minutes before his usual nap time, and this is what we found:
He looked so peaceful, it was hard to be upset that his parents are beyond exhausted, yet he manages to curl up wherever he likes and just doze off.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
