Mostekspecting: Labor Day Weekend

It's a 3-day weekend and we're going to make the most of it. No crying! Only fun!

I've always wanted to go to the Berkeley Botanical Gardens and somehow we just haven't ever made it happen. It was a beautiful day and it just felt like a good day to go see some plants. And trees. Why not?

Without knowing quite what to expect, we originally brought the stroller. After discovering that the gardens were a little more exciting when we had more freedom to hike around, we ditched the stroller and decided to go with the Bjorn. He still loves being carried with me. We'd hop down steps, touch different plants and leaves and flowers--so much to see! He absolutely LOVED it. On paper, you wouldn't think that a botanical garden would be very exciting for a 9-month-old, but we had a blast. Nick could hop down steps ahead of us, and we could hop down steps to catch up. Owen would squeal with laughter, and it echoed through the Berkeley hills.

The next day, we decided to check out the Oakland Zoo. I absolutely adore the zoo. I've been looking forward to a zoo trip with Owen since the day I found out I was pregnant. This time, we took the stroller and headed out into the madness of Labor Day weekend zoo trip.

I suspect the reason I wasn't a fan of the zoo on Labor Day weekend was the same reason Owen thought it was the best weekend ever to be at the zoo. So many kids! It was a zoo within the zoo. Who cares about the amazing animals? The kids were far more entertaining. So, despite my efforts to point out the awesome giraffe or beautiful elephant, Owen wanted to check out the girl with the pink polka dot dress. Much to his delight, the little girls found him equally irresistible. "Look at the baby. He's so cuuuute!"