Baby Brajkovich: A Week Adventure (to Avoid a 3-Hour Car Drive Just for the Sake of Little Mila)

Michael and I hadn't been snowboarding all winter long - which we expected having an infant, but we got a real itch to go to the snow. So we decided to go with Mimi so graciously offering to watch the kids in the mountain lodge while we boarded! But the next weekend we also promised Cousin Tracy we would go to San Francisco. But that was too much driving for little Mila who still was crying a lot in the carseat, so Maren decided to stay in Fresno during the week between and visit grandparents and then take the train to SF on Friday night to meet Daddy! What follows is our week long adventure to avoid a 3 hour car drive!

Michael carving it up.

Wonderful Mimi who spent the whole two days (except for when I came back to breastfeed) with our two girls in a less-than-adequate hotel room!

Avi learned to ski! She was GREAT!

Avi is a thrill seeker - she wanted to keep riding this inner tube with Daddy. Even Mommy was scared to do it!

Mimi, Mila, Aveah and Maren snuggling in bed at some ungodly hour, like 6am! Sleeping the 5 of us in a room with 2 bunk beds made for a sleepless night!

After snowboarding we came back to Fresno and Mila went on her first bike ride!

After a few days at Mimi and Boppy's, Maren, Mila and Aveah went to stay at Sitti's! Bath time - we thought Avi was too big, but she showed us she wasn't!

We went to storytime at the Woodward Library and saw a xylophone playing cockatoo!

Shopping cart expirement!

Spent a good afternoon here - Sitti ran over to join us which was so nice!

Got everything pack on the stroller and Mila is packed on me! Goodbye Fresno, Hello San Francisco!

On the train, Mila takes a nap. What a sweet angel.

Lots of good things to see out of the window!

Once I got off the train, I had to get onto the subway, then find Tracy's friends car in downtown SF above the subway. I thought this was going to be the hardest part of the trip. I was really nervous about Avi running off, or someone stealing one of our bags. I just kept telling myself: Your carrying Mila in the ergo, just hold Avi's hand and you have everything that is important!

Here's what I wrote about my experience later that day: I have a bag with inspirational sayings on the outside of it. One saying is "Do something once a day that scares you." Now I have an even deeper appreciation of that saying. I was a little nervous about taking the train up to Richmond, but I was even more nervous about the BART transfer and getting to downtown SF. Well, I was literally asked by two different kind souls if they could help me. This guy actually pushed my stroller with all my luggage so I could hold the most important stuff (my kids) and he missed his stop so he could walk us (and push the stroller) to our destination! Thw woman before him helped me get Avi onto the BART. After seeing bad news after bad news on the TV or in the paper, trusting in complete strangers really makes one see the goodness that can be in the human race. By the way, Mila LOVED this guy - she kept grabbing his beard!

The Friday night we got there, Michael didn't come until around 8:30 - about an hour after the kids bed times. Tracy had invited us over for handmade pizza and I hadn't had dinner and really wanted to go. So Michael and I agreed to meet there. Off Avi and Mila and I went down the streets of San Francisco to catch a cab to Tracy's. At that moment, when I saw how alive Avi was, I realized she was either a city girl or a travel bug - she was so alert, well-behaved, and cool! I loved seeing my little girl grow leaps and bounds in that one afternoon and evening! Mila fell asleep in Tracy's roomate's bed and Avi stayed up til 10pm or so and behaved wonderfully! I will always have fond memories of that night - our little Avi hanging out with a group of adults in downtown San Francisco!

I wanted to take Avi to go see the huge ships and the huge ropes that hold them down, but we only got this far because there was a rally going for a polar dip and Avi was way more interested in all the people watching!

Avi watching the polar dippers.

Watching chocolate being made!

Chocolate ice cream!

So, after we tried to look at the boats (but didn't make it there), it was already lunch, then we got dessert at Ghiradelli, then it was time for Mila's nap! Wow, having a napping baby makes the time spent "out and about" very short! So, we spent a lot of time in bed and in the hotel room that weekend!

We let Avi watch a movie while Mila is supposed to sleeping! But she didn't sleep - she woke up when the maid accidently came in the room! It might have been her teeth that woke her up, too. See all the bibs hanging up to dry? She would go through about 2 an hour with all her drool!