Oh, The Places You'll Go!

When I found out that I was pregnant, I was actually on the road! I was in Maryland for a recruiting trip for work, and I had this feeling that maybe I was pregnant. In between visiting high schools and attending college fairs, I went to a CVS to buy a pregnancy test. I didn't actually take the test right then, but I packed it in my suitcase to bring back to North Carolina. When I got home, Boomer and I went out to dinner at a local BBQ place, Little Richards. We were halfway into our meal, with Boomer elbow-deep in a plate of ribs, when I told him that I had bought a pregnancy test. I think we both kinda laughed and sat there in disbelief. I still hadn't taken the test, but my instinct already told me what it would say. It wasn't until the next evening that I took the test with Boomer waiting outside of the bathroom. In hindsight, I wish I had had some sweet way to tell him that he was going to be a father. But, I also think it was a special moment when we both found out together. There were hugs, tears, nervousness, laughs, and a bit of fear all at the same time! 

Since then, Maryland isn't the only state that Baby K has visited. In the last few weeks, we have been to several different states and even another country! 

Disney World - Orlando, FL: March 25th - April 1st

This trip had been in the making for quite some time! It had been my parents wish to take my sister, her husband, their two boys, Boomer and me for a week-long trip to Disney. Growing up in Florida for the first few years of my life, going to Disney was always special for our family, but it had been many years since we had been back. My parents have always been very generous, and this time, they went above and beyond! My dad spent a lot of time researching the different resorts, meal plans, restaurants, fast passes, and other Disney hacks. It was truly magical staying on the property, eating with the characters, and seeing my nephews enjoy the whole experience. We had so much fun! While we came back quite tired, we made a lot of memories. My sister did a great job documenting the trip on her blog. Check it out!

At this point, no one knew that I was pregnant, so Boomer and I snapped this picture early one morning before we hit the parks. I did have one episode of morning sickness (the day we went to Animal Kingdom), but I recovered quickly. 

Side note: I am actually 8 weeks! Remember, I miscalculated... :)

Las Vegas, NV: May 20th - May 23rd 

"You went to Las Vegas pregnant?!" Yes, I went to Las Vegas pregnant! By now, my closest friends knew my news, and aside from swapping alcohol for water, I was still able to experience Sin City. One of my best friends, Coley, had it on her bucket list to celebrate her 30th birthday in Vegas, so early in January, we began planning the trip. I had never been to Vegas before, but I knew that celebrating with Coley would be the perfect time to go. We had so many good meals, enjoyed relaxing poolside, caught a Cirque du Soleil show, and stayed up way too late. Somehow this preggo chick was able to keep up with the rest of the girls! I am so thankful for my group of girls. We've traveled many places together (Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston), but this trip certainly tops the list! I'm hopeful that my wonderful hubby will go on daddy-duty so that I can continue to enjoy some girl-time after Baby K arrives!

San Diego, CA: May 31st - June 4th 

After spending Memorial Day weekend at the lake with the Kennedys, I had the opportunity to travel to San Diego for a work conference. This trip was my first time to California. The conference was hosted by CIVSA (The Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association) at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort. The conference had about 400 attendees, all professionals in higher education, with most working in Admissions. Many of the other conference participants supervise the student ambassadors at their institution as I do at UNCG. It was a fun week of learning and networking. And another state for Baby K!

Niagara Falls - Ontario, Canada: June 21st 


These next two photos are taken only a day apart, but since I technically crossover on Wednesdays, I was in Niagara Falls at 19 weeks and then Toronto at 20 weeks. Both photos were part of the #KennedyBallparkTour. The trip was planned around seeing a Blue Jays game at the Roger Centre, but since Niagara Falls is only about 133 km (approximately 80 miles) from Toronto, it seemed like a worthwhile day trip. And it was! We took a MegaBus from downtown Toronto to the Falls. We had only a short amount of time there, but we made the most of it. We took several photos of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (pictured below) and the American Falls. We also ate at a Tim Horton's, a Canadian fast food chain, and bought a Niagara Falls Christmas ornament to add to my collection. 

Toronto, Ontario: June 20th - June 23rd

After spending a day at the Falls, we returned to Toronto where we ate dinner at the top of the CN (Canadian National) Tower. It is the needle shaped building in the background. The round section is the restaurant, observation decks and glass floor levels. The meal we had at the restaurant was delicious (prime rib for me, duck for Boomer), and while we ate, the restaurant rotates a full 360 degrees in 72 minutes. The food and views were amazing. The next day, we went on a boat tour along the harbor and islands near the city and then went to the Blue Jays game. The Blue Jays played the Diamondbacks and won 5-2. That means we crossed off another park on the #KennedyBallparkTour, bringing the total count to 7. During the trip, we talked about which park we would go to next year and how travel would be quite different with a 7-month old. We hope we can still make it work!

Pretty soon, we will be going on the Bakewell Beach Trip to North Myrtle Beach. That will add one more state to Baby K's travels. Stay tuned for a pic... :)