California, Day 1

The business trip went very well, and the vacation side of the trip wasn't bad either. Having a 10-month-old does preclude you from doing quite a bit, particularly at night, so we didn't get to see or do as much as I would have liked. For instance, during my 3 days working, I got off work between 5 and 5:30, we would eat somewhere, and then Lucas had to be in bed around 7. So there really wasn't much time to do anything in that 2 hour window.

I am glad he got to go since we saw my grandmother and a long-time family friend, but the vacations will be more enjoyable in a few more years when Lucas is able to stay up a little later. The plane rides were also somewhat painful. Even though he only had a few meltdowns, most of the time was spent trying to keep him entertained (aka "not crying"). Now I love to play with him quite a bit, but it gets tiresome after 4 hours or so. I tried to watch the movie There Will Be Blood on Air Canada's nifty on-demand movie service (very awesome service for those of you not traveling with infants), which is a 2 hr and 45 min movie. I ended up missing the last 2 minutes, even though it was a nearly 5 hour trip. So for you parents out there who haven't made a cross-country flight, don't count on relaxation!

I should add that I don't regret taking Lucas along. It's just something one needs to be prepared for. And with that, on to the pictures from Day 1 of the trip.

Lucas spent quite a bit of this trip with the soother/pacifier in his mouth. Normally, we only give it to him when he is going to bed, but it helped keep him quiet and calm on the trip so we were all for it. In addition, he's figured out how to put it in his mouth by himself. Here we see him "helping" unpack.


"Whazzup!?" If you look closely, you'll see Marilu bought Lucas a very Southern California appropriate outfit.


One of the best photos from the trip. Hands down...or should I say, "pants down"?