Back to Reality

Hi Baby,

Well, we're back from our trip to visit your grandma, and it was so, so wonderful.

I have to be honest, I was a bit nervous about it.

We went to Las Vegas (not a place that I'm going to take you for quite a while...though there were an alarming number of parents with young kids around), and being Jesus-followers, I was concerned about all of the in-your-face, not-so-nice things about Vegas. I've been there a ton of times, but the last time I was there, I was 14, so I didn't remember too much about it. Mostly, I just went with what I've heard, and that kinda freaked me out.

But it was a really, really good trip.

We stayed for four nights, and our first hotel was INCREDIBLE.

Seriously.

We stayed in a SkyLoft suite (#72) in the MGM Grand. Now, I know that you can't do this right now, but someday, when you're reading this and you're a bit older, look it up. It was a 2-floor loft suite fully equipped with a crazy electronics system (everything from the lights and drapes, to the tv, to music was all connected with one giant remote like on Hitch), a butler (to make sure that our every whim was satisfied), and even a tv in the mirror of our bathroom (as well as one right in front of the tub...because who could survive with just one tv in their bathroom?).

(On a side note, we could NEVER afford something like this. Your grandma, though, spends a lot of time and money at the MGM Grand, so she was able to get us this room at no cost to us...free food and pay-per-view movies, too [which means your dad finally got to see Grown Ups and I finally got to see Valentine's Day (which, consequently, wasn't as bad as the reviews made it out to be)]!)

The first night, we quickly showered (in the most amazing shower/steam room I have ever experienced...seriously, I want that bathroom in our house) and changed out of airplane clothes and went out to a nice dinner with your grandma. Everything was SO delicious! Then we spent a bit of time playing video poker with your grandma, and your daddy hit a royal flush for her for $4,000 smackeroos!

After that, we pretty much called it a night...except that, as per usual, you wanted something to eat right before bed, so we got some room service. When your dad went downstairs (that's right - we had a downstairs in our suite) to get the food, he happened to mention that his wife was pregnant, and the next day, word about my pregnancy had spread like rapid fire amongst the butlers.

We were seriously treated like royalty. Everyone who worked for the hotel would stand up upon our entrance into a room, and if we happened to be walking down a hallway with a hotel worker, they would stand against the wall until we passed so that we could have the entire width of the hallway to ourselves.

All the fuss they made over us seemed kinda silly to me, but it was fun to have so many people doting on us for a few days. They even folded our dirty clothes, shined your dad's shoes, and pressed his suit when we weren't in the room!

Anyway, the next morning, your dad woke up very early (it's three hours earlier there, and he normally gets up at 6) and sent our butler to get him some coffee from Starbucks. How convenient it is to have a butler, it turns out! When I woke up, we ordered the champagne breakfast (you and I only had a teeny, tiny sip of champagne, just to taste it).

The actual breakfast portion was very "rich-people-food." Too much crab, too little egg. But the fresh fruit, yogurt, and home-made whipped cream that came with it was awesome!

Other things we did during our stay at the MGM Grand include, but are not limited to, the following:

- we ate amazing food...whenever we wanted...for free

- we played blackjack and both of us came out ahead

- we went to the Bellagio, ate at Olives (probably my favorite meal of the trip), and watched the Bellagio fountains

- your grandma got two more royal flushes for a grand total of $16,000

- your dad experienced having a steam room in our bathroom

- we got to take a super relaxing bubble bath in the infinity tub in our bathroom

- I ran into a door and got a giant bruise on my knee and forehead.

Okay, so that last experience doesn't quite fit in with the others, but it still happened :)

Thursday, we checked out of the MGM Grand and moved on to Aria. It was certainly nice, and the view from our room was AMAZING, but it was no two-floor-loft-suite (I think we may have gotten a little spoiled at MGM).

Thursday, before dinner, we went to a couple other hotels to look around (your grandma gave us a tour of some of the more popular places), and then we went to the Titanic exhibit at Luxor. It was really neat, but so sad. It's crazy to think that the last survivor of the Titanic died only a couple years ago. It really seems like the end of an era.

That night, your dad and I went to see Cirque de Soleil's "Love," and it was awesome. Your dad really isn't into theatre like I am, and even he said that it was the highlight of the trip, so that's saying something!

The next morning, I got the most fantastic pedicure I've ever had - so relaxing!

Friday afternoon, your grandma took us to an outlet mall, and she bought me a bunch of maternity clothes - two pairs of jeans (I only had one before, so it is really nice to have some more variety in my wardrobe...it makes laundry way less of a task), two sweaters, a tank top, and two light 3/4-length-sleeved tops. Even on clearance at an outlet mall, those clothes were not cheap, so your dad and I really would not have been able to afford getting more clothes for me if it weren't for your grandma. It meant so much to me that she would want to take me shopping and help out, and I think she enjoyed it, too!

While we were clothes shopping, the saleswoman gave me the "7-month-belly" to try on with the clothes. What a trip! It looked so realistic! And it was kinda cool to think that that will be me in just a few months - I can't wait :) I think seeing me look more pregnant with the belly really kind of shocked your dad, but he loved it, too.

After that, we went downtown to the Golden Nugget and at dinner at Hugo Cellar. You weren't too happy that night, so you and I didn't eat much, but the food looked incredible.

When we played a little downtown, I took a nice spill (it was quite graceful of me). Between that fall and my injuries from running into a door a few days early, I came home pretty battered and bruised!

That night when we got home, we took another bath, this time while we looked over the strip and enjoyed the beautiful, vibrant lights of the city and waited for our room service to arrive.

And that pretty much ended our trip. Of course, there was gambling between all of these events, but nothing too big. Just some slots while we waited for tables at restaurants and a bit of roulette and blackjack when we got home that night (before our bath, of course).

All in all, we were pretty surprised (and pleased) to come home with more money in our pockets than we left with - even with all the decadence that the trip afforded us!

It was such a wonderful trip, Baby, and your dad and I loved having that time to spend together and connect outside of our busy and hectic lives...school, work, internships, homework, and housework really wear on you after a while!

In the end, I'm feeling so blessed that your dad and I were able to have such a perfect "last trip before Baby." And we have your grandma to thank for that. She really wanted to be sure that this trip was very special for us, and it was. We got to have lots of time with her and lots of time along together, too. Everything worked out so well.

And now, your grandma's already asking when our next week off of school is, because she wants us to come visit once more before you arrive! We'd love to do it, but we'll have to see. Either way, I'm glad we got to go on this trip.

I love you lots and lots, Baby. A week from today, we find out if you are a little boy or a little girl!

Love,

Mom