California...part one...second

Sorry about the delay in the post (dad). I do have a "job", you know:)

Here are the pictures from the first half of the trip:

Wednesday: I mentioned that it seemed as if we gave Mallory straight sugar after the first plane ride. She went bananas crawling all over the hotel room and then she found her twin in the mirror. She was really excited to meet "Mallory". We then went to eat with my Aunt Barbara, cousin Corry and cousin Butch (he was late for the picture). Mallory really wasn't in the mood for Chinese food or for being a good girl in public. Can't really blame her after a LONG day of traveling and two 45 minute cat naps. This was meltdown #1.

Thursday: Before Mallory's first birthday, I was a stickler about sweets. Now, she has them every now and then (mainly if we are eating them in front of her). She LOVED the strawberry ice cream from Hubcaps. I think she ate more than I did!

The second picture is of Mallory sporting her leg warmers. They are really just socks, but I had to pull them up for her to keep them on her feet. I took her to a spray park the day before we left. Since she doesn't walk (and I didn't have any water sock shoe things), she crawled around on the concrete. It never bothered her. I noticed that the concrete had rubbed the skin off the tops of her toes and feet. Poor girl. The biggest scabs grew over the boo boos. Anyway. After a day of crawling on the hotel carpet, one of her scabs came off and her foot was bleeding. Gross, I know. The legwarmers were the alternative to trying to keep band aids on her feet the whole trip. I felt bad because I'm sure shoes rubbed right in the wrong spot. All of the boo boos have healed up nicely now. And I just purchased a pair of water socks for her in case we make a trip to the spray park before it gets too cool.

Friday: Kelly, Wade and Tate got in town this day. So, we loaded up and the whole fam went to eat at the Back Forty, which ironically was "Texas BBQ". Not Joe Allen's, but not bad either. This picture is immediately before meltdown #2 for Mallory and #1 for Mommy. Let me just say that it is really trying when you are the only caregiver to a 15 month old, in another state, on a different time zone and pregnant! Poor Mallory. She would not eat her dinner (until I put the mac n cheese on the table) or cooperate for that matter. I was very frustrated with her. Finally, she eats the mac n cheese, and obviously enjoys it (her hair was plastered to her forehead). I was wiping her face off with a wipee and she jerked her head forward and banged it really hard on the table. I felt horrible. I grabbed her, kissed her and then both of us started bawling. I will blame 80% of it on pregnancy hormones (I've still got 3 more months to play that card!). I couldn't control myself and had to give Mallory to my sister and head to the little girls room. Embarrassing. My family was very sweet though and didn't make a big deal about it. Thank you. Sorry you missed the show Becca!

Saturday: The big day. My mom was very gracious, and offered to watch Tate and Mallory while we all went to the game. Brad and I attempted a college football game with Mallory last Thanksgiving and it did not go so well (breastfeeding in the bathroom stall and missing the second half pretty much). So, needless to say, Kelly and I really appreciate you watching them mom, thanks!

My dad went to Berkeley, and was in his element at the game. It was really fun to be there with family and to watch a really good game. One of the best parts (other than the win) was when the sun went down. It literally dropped almost 20 degrees in minutes. I love California! Wade even got into the "spirit" and ran onto the field with all the college kids after the game. I wanted to reenact a picture that my sister and I took when we were at a Cal game back in the 80's...but we left our terry cloth jumpers at home and thought it would be too risque to let our underwear hang out the sides like it did back then.

Even though she wasn't at the game to cheer on the Golden Bears, she dressed up for them!

Here's my 83 year old (today!) grandfather at the game. UC Berkeley is a family tradition (grandpa, grandma, aunt, uncle and dad)

And here is the psycho Cal fan with his girls. Seriously, you should have seen him in the bookstore...embarrassing...but fun.

And that should wrap up the trip. Overall, I had a blast and am soooo glad that we made the trek out there. Thank you to mom and dad for ALL of their help and for letting us tag along! We had a great time.