Sorry for the radio silence the past couple of weeks, but I've been busy and also on vacation! Last September, Joe and his two best friends decided to plan a "Before the Babies" trip, as in a "before everyone starts having kids and we're put on lock-down for the next 18+ years, let's go on an awesome vacation and enjoy ourselves" trip. I decided that since this was Joe and his friends' trip, I'd let him be in control of all the planning. The boys settled on the Dominican Republic after one friend found out that he could use his timeshare program there and get all of us a good deal. A tropical, all inclusive vacation sounded like a great plan to me!
The day after we booked the resort, we found out one of the couples was pregnant. Suddenly the trip had to get pushed up a month or two to keep it as a "Before the Babies" trip and not a "Just had a Baby" trip. We were super excited for the expecting couple, and as you know, Joe and I soon joined this couple on the baby wagon. All inclusive got a little less inclusive for us pregnant ladies, but we knew we would enjoy ourselves even without the alcohol and certain types of foods.
The day after we booked the resort, we found out one of the couples was pregnant. Suddenly the trip had to get pushed up a month or two to keep it as a "Before the Babies" trip and not a "Just had a Baby" trip. We were super excited for the expecting couple, and as you know, Joe and I soon joined this couple on the baby wagon. All inclusive got a little less inclusive for us pregnant ladies, but we knew we would enjoy ourselves even without the alcohol and certain types of foods.
As luck would have it, Portland's worst snowstorm hit the day we were supposed to leave for the Dominican Republic. To be honest, I love the snow so I was a little sad that I wasn't going to be able to snuggle up by the fire and watch Joe and Finnegan make snow angels in the backyard, but along with the beauty of snow comes the traveling nightmares. Fortunately Joe and I were able to make it to the airport within a reasonable amount of time and our flight wasn't cancelled. Unfortunately for the couple traveling from Corvallis to the Portland airport, the drive took seven and half hours (thanks to a semi accident that blocked a majority of the freeway). Good news though is that they still made their flight.
Joe and I had a few delays as we tried to make our way from one layover to another, including extra time to de-ice the plane in Portland and a lack of a gate to pull into after we landed in Cincinnati. After nearly 24 hours of traveling, we finally landed in the DR...and it was raining. At least it was a warm rain, but I'd rather be back in Portland enjoying a winter wonderland than in the tropics where you're not sure if it's the rain or your sweat that's keeping you damp.
Joe and I had a few delays as we tried to make our way from one layover to another, including extra time to de-ice the plane in Portland and a lack of a gate to pull into after we landed in Cincinnati. After nearly 24 hours of traveling, we finally landed in the DR...and it was raining. At least it was a warm rain, but I'd rather be back in Portland enjoying a winter wonderland than in the tropics where you're not sure if it's the rain or your sweat that's keeping you damp.
Once we got to our resort, the weather cleared up and it was beaches, buffets, and banana filled crepes for the rest of the week. Although I had never spent much time with the other two couples since one lives in Tennessee and the other about an hour South of our home, we quickly meshed together well and it was like we had all known each other for years. It helped that we all had to get real comfortable with each other real quick after finding out that the "don't drink the water in the DR" saying was to be taken more like it was one of the Ten Commandments and less like an idea dropped in a suggestion box. Almost all of us got sick in one way or another, but after raiding each other's medicine/aloe stashes, we managed to have fun. I wish I had a picture of Joe's incredible sunburn he got after the first day of playing in the ocean, but alas, I was too afraid someone would steal my camera if I took it to the beach with me so no photo was taken. His burn was really a work of art, showcasing exactly where his fingers applied sunscreen and exactly where they did not. I can't laugh too much though, I ended up with a nasty burn myself after a half-day catamaran cruise. It was worth it though since I got to swim with a shark and pet a sting ray.
The food at the resort was pretty good, yet not quite as enjoyable as what Joe and I experienced during our honeymoon in Jamaica. I enjoyed the steakhouse restaurant the most. We were planning on going back for our Valentine's Day dinner, but of course they closed the steakhouse on that Friday (guess being a highly Catholic country means no one gets meat on Fridays...which was probably also God's way of telling Joe and I that there's no vacation dispensation for fasting from meat on Fridays). We frequented the Italian restaurant on the resort quite a bit, mostly because we couldn't get enough of their appetizer that was essentially a fancy fried mozzarella cheese stick. Even though dessert was included with every meal, we always managed to make a late night dessert run to the buffet. There's something totally addicting about a banana topped with Nutella, rolled in a warm crepe, and topped with chocolate. That's probably what I'll miss the most about our vacation. Well, that and the copious amounts of fresh pineapple that I ate.
The food at the resort was pretty good, yet not quite as enjoyable as what Joe and I experienced during our honeymoon in Jamaica. I enjoyed the steakhouse restaurant the most. We were planning on going back for our Valentine's Day dinner, but of course they closed the steakhouse on that Friday (guess being a highly Catholic country means no one gets meat on Fridays...which was probably also God's way of telling Joe and I that there's no vacation dispensation for fasting from meat on Fridays). We frequented the Italian restaurant on the resort quite a bit, mostly because we couldn't get enough of their appetizer that was essentially a fancy fried mozzarella cheese stick. Even though dessert was included with every meal, we always managed to make a late night dessert run to the buffet. There's something totally addicting about a banana topped with Nutella, rolled in a warm crepe, and topped with chocolate. That's probably what I'll miss the most about our vacation. Well, that and the copious amounts of fresh pineapple that I ate.
Even with all the good food and relaxing in the sun, I was definitely ready to return home. I was pretty sure the baby was doing fine, but the stomach sickness and foreign foods probably weren't the best combo for our little jelly bean. We have our big ultrasound next week so we'll have a better idea of how the baby's doing. Personally, I think baby was just as excited as I was about returning to American food. The morning after we got home I was one of the first people in Fred Meyer after it opened for the day, buying out their cereal selection and stocking up on milk. Unpasteurized goat's milk just wasn't appealing when we were in the DR...nor a good idea for a prego lady like me.
All in all, vacation was great because I got to spend a lot of quality time with Joe, but I'm happy to be home. Now I just need to figure out how to make crepes...
KC 02.17.14
All in all, vacation was great because I got to spend a lot of quality time with Joe, but I'm happy to be home. Now I just need to figure out how to make crepes...
KC 02.17.14