Last Big Trip before Baby

We took one last big family trip last weekend before the baby comes. Let me just say my family is wonderful at traveling and we are so grateful that Leila is easy to take along. She chilled in the car with her movies while we were driving and was excited to sleep in her special beds "just her size." Patrick is great at navigating and packing the car and mom packs lots of snacks and plans the trip so it is fun and not stressful. We hope the new baby will travel as well as Leila!!


First we went to Austin for 2 days to see my sister Lisa and hang out with my Aunt Carla & Uncle Roy & adorable cousin Madison (age 9.) They are the best hosts ever and put up with all of our demands (baby gate, air mattress, etc.) and fed us delicious food! We wish we could see them more. We got to see Patrick's friend from college & his girlfriend and the guys played golf.

We drove straight from Austin to Sea World and spent one entire day there, in the heat, 7 1/2 months pregnant!!! But it was great. Not too crowded, and we got to do everything we wanted. Sea World is a really fun place. The Sesame Street Bay of Play is awesome. The highlight of the trip for all of us was when Leila met the REAL Abby Cadaby. She was on Cloud 9. We fed the dolphins and saw the Shamu show and the waterski show. They have rides for little kids that Leila & Patrick rode and it was just a great day.

Next, we went to a resort in San Antonio and hung out that evening. The next morning Patrick played golf with another college friend and I hung out at the resort pool with our friend's wife & daughter and my college roommate Lisa & her adorable daughter Campbell. It was really fun and did not last long enough. We had to leave that afternoon to come home, but we all missed Shrek so we picked him up first thing and boy was he glad to see us.

Our next family vacation we will be a family of 4, I can't believe it! I did not get any pictures of the 3 of us from the whole trip, oops. Chasing after a 2 1/2 yr-old kept me busy. Now I think I need a vacation from my vacation!!

Hanging out with Aunt Lili at Chuy's... why is the Austin restaurant so much better than the Houston ones??

Singing with her 2nd cousin Madison... So cute! Leila definitely looked up to Maddie and told me, "she's so pretty." Madison was so patient with her, and even told me she would watch Leila while I talked to her mom.

The highlight of our trip... Abby Cadaby herself!!!


And she got her picture taken with Zoe, which was so cool. Cookie Monster was not so cool and actually scared her, and she is not scared of much.

Feeding the Dolphins

Leila and Baby Campbell, who is about to have her 1st Birthday!!

City of Lights

We just returned from a 9-day trip to Paris to visit Patrick's parents. They have been living there since shortly after Leila was born but will be returning home for good in June, which we are all excited about. Our trip could not have been any better. To answer the question everyone is asking: Leila was WONDERFUL. Amazing. Super-baby if you will. 10-hour plane ride--no problem. Jet lag? Not this girl. We took her to see all of the sites and she was happy and friendly to everyone. The stewardesses on the plane and waiters at the restaurants could not get enough of her. We even had tourists pose for a picture with her, seriously!

The McKinney's were gracious hosts and we all had a good time exploring the city together. Their apartment in Paris is amazing. It is on the top floor of an old building with a spiral staircase and rickety elevator and overlooks the Seine River, the Eiffel Tower, and Napolean's tomb. We drank our coffee each morning watching the sun rise over the Eiffel Tower.

We probably walked close to 50 miles over the whole trip. We went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, visited Napolean's tomb and the military museum, walked to the Rodin Museum to see the Thinker, shopped at Galleries Lafayette, traveled to Versailles to see the Hall of Mirrors and Marie Antoinette's home, Notre Dame cathedral, Sacred Heart cathedral and Montmarte, walked up the Eiffel Tower, walked through the Tuilleries, took a dinner cruise down the Seine, saw a show at the Lido on the Champs-Elysees, and Patrick and his dad visited Normandy.

Patrick showing Leila her picture book on the plane.

Leila had a bassinet for sleeping on the plane. We loved Air France.

Chic baby. The apartment is on the other side of this bridge.

We figured out the heel of a loaf of french bread would keep Leila entertained the entire meal.

Patrick was a champ and carried Leila the entire trip. She even napped in the Baby Bjorn.

The view of the Eiffel Tower from the McKinney's apartment on Avenue President Kennedy.

The princess gets a kiss in the gardens at Verseilles.

A view of the gardens at Verseilles.

The coast of Normandy.

Walking through the park near the Eiffel Tower on our last day.

Leila's scarf was knitted by our sweet neighbor, Carson.

She fits perfectly into her Grandmary's shopping cart. Grocery shopping entails a 2-mile walk uphill and you can only buy what will fit into this cart.

A view of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night.