Babymoon!

Posted by Maureen

Could you tell from the hint in my last post what else I’ve been up to lately? Here's another clue:

Since we found out I was pregnant back in December, Dan and I had been hoping to find time to take a little pre-baby vacation – a little trip for two, before we become three.  However, one glance at the calendar proved this would definitely be easier said than done. With Dan trying to save his days off for once the baby is born, it seemed a weekend trip was all we’d be able to manage. Something short, but still sweet. We figured our best bet would be an easy little road trip somewhere in California.

So, needless to say, I was pretty shocked when Dan told me one morning before work just a month ago, that I “had a decision to make and I had to make it quick”. He had a business trip to London at the end of the month, and he needed to know if I wanted to go with him.

Hmmm…a half-paid-for to London with my husband. What’s there to decide, right? Well, here’s the catch: it was over the same long weekend that Bridget & her husband Scott were planning to come visit. And to make matters worse, this was the only weekend they’d be able to come before our babies are born. So there I was, having to decide between Bridget and London.

I immediately started feeling all guilty and wondering how bad of a sister it would make me to pick London instead, when I found out that she’d been in on the secret all along and had purposely held off on buying her flight until Dan could make sure the business trip was on. Whew! We talked over the phone and she thankfully said I’d be crazy if I didn’t go. So last week, I happily left my guilty conscious behind and hopped on an 11 hour flight from San Francisco to London with my amazing husband. 

London has always been a special place for Dan and me. We studied abroad there together back in 2001. We had already been dating for almost two years, when we made the decision to spend 2^nd semester of our junior year there.  I remember my parents thought this was a terrible idea - I should go have my own adventure, instead of being tied to the hip with this boyfriend that no one had any reason to believe I’d still be with 11 years later. Looking back, they were completely right and gave me pretty darn good advice...that I am completely glad I ignored ;)

Dan and me on the London Eye, way back in 2001. We look so young!

Dan and I have some of our best memories from studying abroad together and I can easily say it was one of the best times in my life. So, a trip to London was the perfect Babymoon for us.

We spent about 5 days there, 3 of which we stayed in a hotel with a view of this:

And 2 of which were spent with me laid up in bed in that hotel with a serious case of jet lag!

It definitely took my body longer to adjust than normal, and certainly longer than I would have liked. Luckily, vacations and relaxing go together well, and by the time Dan was done with his two days of business meetings, I had about 4 naps under my belt and was (somewhat) ready to go.

We hit up most of our favorite old spots in this special city of ours. Like the lovely St. James Park, where we love to go and feed the ducks.

And Kings College, the University we studied at back in 2001.

We walked a ton and literally ate our way across the city. Seriously. One time, we stopped for a snack (some chocolate mousse and tea and this adorable little Parisian café), and no sooner did we pay the bill and walk out when I said, “Hmm, I think I’m need something to eat.” So 3 blocks later, there we were, in another café having another snack. Gotta feed that growing baby!

We spent the last two nights of the trip staying with friends in Kent, which is just south of London. I unbelievably missed getting any photos with them, so I’ll just show you more of our days in London instead.

This is Waterloo Bridge, which I used to cross every day to get to school.  Such a great view!

Tower Bridge by the Tower of London.

Artsy photo of typical London doorway.

Apparently Brits recommend pregnant women stick to “one unit of alcohol per day”. 

While this definitely sounds lovely, I stuck to my usual routine of taking sips of Dan's drink from time to time.

It was a fabulous trip and I feel so fortunate that we were able to take time out for us in such a special place. 

With that, I’ll leave you with one more shot of me and my man Dan, who deserves an award for best husband ever for surprising me with this trip!