Birthday in Vegas

When I was pregnant I read a lot of books about what to do when the baby comes. Looking back on it now, I probably read too much, but what stuck out to me the most was that in each book, blog and website a common theme continued to pop up: A happy marriage makes for a happy baby. At the time, it seemed unessential and inapplicable to my situation. Rick and I were happy, connected and had a really good balance going on between our relationship, work and friends. 

But when Cam arrived, everything changed as everyone says it will. We barely had time to converse during the week, Rick was exhausted from working at the office and helping at home. I was exhausted physically and emotionally. The "Put Your Marriage First" chapters of all those books were starting to make sense. A few months in and once things settled down, we decided to make a conscience effort to put each other back at the top of the priority list, and I have to say it's made a huge impact. 

We get a babysitter often so we can go out, we spend time at home together, we've created a schedule for Cam that allows us to have adult time in the evenings, and we make an effort to have conversations that don't revolve around diapers and bottles. One of the promises we made to each other when we decided to start our family was that we wouldn't give up the things we enjoyed doing, we would just adjust our new "normal" to accommodate our hobbies. Traveling has always been one of our favorite things to do. We prefer the long weekend vacations visiting friends, relaxing on beaches and skiing in the mountains. Instead of saving up for one major trip each year, we have been known to jet out of town for the weekend several times a year. So, when thinking about how we were going to spend Rick's birthday, it became clear to us that we hadn't been on a vacation alone just the two of us in over a year and it was time to bite the bullet. 

Thankfully, we have an incredible assortment of caregivers who we feel more than comfortable leaving our little bunny with, and so Mimi and Poppy swooped in and held down the fort while Rick and I hopped on a plane and headed to one of Rick's favorite places -- Las Vegas.

Oh, what a vacation it was! We had the best three days filled with sleep, drink and food. We lounged at the pool, played a lot of Blackjack (and won big!), and spent time alone talking about politics, our plans for the future, and nothing at all.

We stayed at the Cosmopolitan hotel, and had a gorgeous view of Las Vegas Boulevard.

The hotel had the most magnificent chandeliers and light fixtures throughout the entire compound. One of the bars was named The Chandelier and featured three floors of dripping crystals. It was gorgeous.

We saw an amazing show on Friday night.

 Sadly, for me, not this one. 

Instead, we saw Absinthe. If you enjoy incredible acrobatics, vulgar humor and aren't offended by a large amount of swear words, you must see this show. We laughed so hard we were crying, and my jaw hurt by the end because it was practically on the floor throughout the entire display of strength and flexibility. 

This acrobat piled wooden chairs on top of each other and climbed upon them until he reached the ceiling!

We drank champagne and toasted to the birthday boy!

On Saturday evening, we dined at a great tapas place. We celebrated the birthday boy and feasted on some delicious fare. Oddly enough, one of our courses was delivered to us in a shoe. None of the other portions were served in any type of footwear, outerwear or casual wear, so we're really not sure why our croquetas came in leather and laces. But, they were still tasty!

It was a perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of life and a much needed few days to focus on each other.

Putting your husband first, over your children, really seemed like a strange and backward philosophy to me. Your children are supposed to be what you live and breathe for, so inevitably they should be number one, right? After this weekend, and reflecting on the past nine months, it makes a lot more sense and it is so clear to me that a strong, happy relationship is essential to raising happy children. We are both more energetic, engaged and present than we've been in a while, and I know Cam can feel it. 

If you think about it, without your spouse, your children wouldn't exist. How could you not put that person on a pedestal for gifting you that?

Happy birthday, Ricky. Here's to a year full of health, happiness and lots of love!