Finally!

Okay, finally we're getting around to discussing the trip to the USA! Here's a few photos of Michaela in California, apart from the first one, which is her in Edinburgh airport being cute for all the travellers.

Michaela tried her hardest to be a good girl for the trip, but the 11 hour flight from Heathrow to LA was a bit too much for her. It was cramped, hot, cold, boring, noisy - just not particularly pleasant. She ended up being very clingy to her Mom, so poor Granny felt a bit useless (but she wasn't!). Anyway, we eventually get to America and Michaela was a bit out of sorts for the first few days - going to bed super early, waking at 3am, being clingy and a bit confused I think. But, after the first 2/3 days, she was pretty good. In fact, she seemed to sleep a bit better than at home - longer naps in the day and less night wakings.

The third photo is Michaela in her Baby Einstein toy that Auntie Ivanna bought for her. Oh was Mom getting mad shopping in America. Everything is so cheap compared to the UK. That Baby Einsten thing cost about $70, which is less than £40 and it costs £80 here. Arg! Mom just wanted to buy as much as possible to take home. If only there weren't size/weight restrictions on the plane, I think the stair guards and next car seat would have been bought there, and the Baby Einsten toy would have come home with us! Oh well, I guess Auntie Ivanna will have to try to get as much home for us as she can on her next visit!

The weird thing Mom noticed when we were in America was the sun! We had to buy Michaela a sun hat (see fourth photo) but that didn't really help much. So when we went for walks, we had to have the buggy cover right down so Michaela couldn't see anything, which was a shame. It was just too bright for a little girl. What a problem to have! Mom did notice that most people going around with babies had blankets over the car seat to protect them from the sun - something that is not seen in Shetland!

The other weird thing Mom noticed was how bored Michaela got just being around Mom and Granny. Mom didn't realise just how much we actually do in the day when we're at home - visiting other babies, going to toddlers, going swimming, etc. Michaela just missed seeing other babies/kids. Mom's friends came over with their two children (Brianna who is 8 and Brenton who is 9 months) on the second last day and Michaela was so happy to see them that she was the best behaved little girl ever, with lots of smiles and playing for them!

Not much else to say about the trip. Michaela seemed very happy to get home again - to be surrounded by all her toys (she seemed to especially miss her books) and to see her Daddy again. Daddy maybe missed her a bit more than she missed him, but she did miss him too. Now we've got to plan for Australia at the end of March........