Idyllwild and Bodhi

Will and I went on a mini vacation to Idyllwild, CA in the 3rd week of my leave of absence. It felt so great to just get away from everything and spend time together in nature. We even brought the doggies along - they were so cute and loved it! It was extra special because we had never gone on vacation with them before and I know an opportunity like this might not come by again after the baby is here.

I didn't know that Idyllwild is at almost 6,000ft altitude, with the trails being even higher. I don't do well at high altitude even in my best of days... so being pregnant I think only made things worse. I had a throbbing headache on and off, got tired pretty easily, and couldn't really sleep at night. But Will didn't push me beyond my comfort limits... he'd scout ahead on the trails to make sure they weren't too steep, found shady spots for me to rest, and made sure I had a lot of water and snacks throughout the day. Yay! So, the trip was not too hard.

Here's a picture of the pooped-out pups on the ride home... great transition to my new topic. It's no secret that Bodhi is my favorite because I've raised her since she was 8 weeks old and now she's an 11 year old grumpy lady. She was my first baby! They say that dogs can tell when you're pregnant and I'm not sure if Forrest feels differently about my condition in any way, but Bodhi has been sticking to my side. She definitely knows something is up and I hope her new clingy behaviors means she'll like the baby. Mostly because she really hated Forrest when we got him... and it was horrible for like the first 2 years. She just barely tolerates him now (except during car rides... and then she is happy to snuggle with him because she uses him as a pillow) and we still have to break up fights once in a while. I don't really want her despising the Little Bun when it gets here.

Jacqueline handmade me this amazing charm necklace for my birthday!! She sculpted everything from clay - including the lifelike little Bodhi. So amazing! And then there's a little heart to symbolize the Little Bun in the oven... and the rose with separate leaves is an homage to a very top secret inside conversation that we had years ago. But I just love how Bodhi is a part of this super meaningful charm necklace that was made to celebrate this very important milestone in my life... and I hadn't even told her all my worries about Bodhi. That's why we're BFFs! We have telepathy. It's a serious thing.

Well, I'll just have to wait and see how the family dynamics will change when the baby arrives, but I'm very optimistic that everything will be peachy. I have an appointment with my new obstetrician this Thursday... so I'm really excited to meet her and can't wait to see the Little Bun again!