I had a long weekend this past weekend for Columbus Day/Día de la Raza. We had planned a trip to LA to see friends — one last hurrah before the baby comes. And my sweet friends organized a beautiful baby shower!

It was at Bloom Cafe in LA, in the back patio. My mom, aunt, cousin, school friends and some others even joined us from out of town!



My new mommie friend Susan gave the most memorable gifts, including a beautiful stylish diaper bag filled with stuff she says "I really need when the baby comes," such as, er, a digestion aid.


We had these amazing cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery which has opened a branch in LA. They were sooo good.


Francisco stayed away from the shower until the end. He went to LACMA, so he can't say LA has no culture. But he got his fill of baby gear this weekend, including this trip to BRU, which made a major dent in our budget but also got us a ton of cloth diapering stuff which is hard to find in Mexico!
 

His other big job over the weekend was packing. Just so you get an idea of all we brought back with us, here's a picture. Yes, we got all of this home, only paying $20 for an extra suitcase. We LOVE Alaska Airlines! We even got through customs without major problems. The lady asked how much we spent and Fran said "Nothing! It was a baby shower!" She gave us a big old eye roll, but let us pass. Now our apartment is (happily) filling up with stuff.


Thank you to all my friends and family for a wonderful weekend, and especially to Julia and Couper for hosting us! I am sad knowing it will be quite awhile before I get to make another trip like that — and it will never be a trip like this one, because we will soon be PARENTS. It is a scary thought, but I felt so loved and supported by my friends and family that I am feeling a little less scared. So that was the best gift.