California pt 1

We went to see our families for the week of July 4th. We did the same thing last year, when I was almost 7 months pregnant and Matt had appendicitis. Good times. Our flight there went fantastic. It was Mariah's 9th flight, just a few days before she turned 9 months old. Baby be travelin'.

 

 We went straight to see Steph, Michael, and Madeleine. It is so sweet to see these two cousins together, 22 months apart, exactly the same as Stephanie and me. I think Mad was glad that Mariah is a little more fun to play with now, but she still didn't want Mariah to get too close to her precious princess dolls. She kept a close eye on her. She calls her "Riah" as in "Baby Riah's eating my princess."

When we went to see the Morris/Murray families, it was the same story with little Rhysse. After she gathered up all her princess dolls in her arms so Mariah couldn't touch them, I asked if she could give just one princess to Mariah for her to play with,  and she looked around the room and then gave her a pillow. When I asked if she could get a toy for her, she disappeared for about 15 minutes then eventually came back with some miniature Barbie sunglasses- probably the one toy she eventually decided she didn't care if she ever saw it again.

We went paddleboarding one morning with my family and the Skidmores, lots of fun. We went to a lagoon just down the road that I had driven by every single day growing up but had never really been to.

 

"Grr. Stop taking pictures and hold me." 

 

 

This picture sums up so many moments on our trip. She is fine and happy when I'm holding her, but the second she senses that I'm going to pass her off she loses it.

That same day, we went to the park with the Morris and Murray families.

Rhysse gave Mariah a wild ride in the stroller. They were both laughing, but I was a tiny bit scared.

Mariah had a rough week. She didn't sleep well at all, she was super clingy and much fussier than usual. I think she had a hard time being so thrown off her usual schedule and being away from her relatively quiet home. She finally started warming up to most of the family by the end of the week.