Las Vegas 2014 - Day 1

On Tuesday, Robert and Elizabeth accompanied me on a trip to Las Vegas. I was there for work (a huge conference). It was a little nerve-wracking, boarding that plane for the first time traveling with a baby, but we did it! We left our house around 6:15am, when Robert's mom and sister came to pick us up. We figured it would go faster if we packed our rig and had them swing by and switch cars to drive us in our own. We were right! Until we got to the Arlington exit, and I asked Robert which bag he put my phone in. Oops. We had to turn around. Thankfully, where we live now, we don't have to cross the train tracks and risk getting stuck while we make our way to the freeway! So we turned around. We still made it to the airport around 7:45, which was approximately 2 hours before our flight.

Security took some time, because TSA literally took every individual item of Elizabeth's out of her bag, except her clothes and diapers. That was frustrating - mostly because they took forever - but I definitely understand the need. The other thing that came up was that I had packed my windbreaker (just in case), and it hadn't been worn in a couple weeks. I left one of my pocketknives in the pocket. Oops! The older gentleman who found it said, "Oh dear. Would you like us to ship this back to you?" to Robert (since I was cleared to go through with Ellie to our gate, I did - especially because she needed a diaper change). He just said, "No, toss it." Well, next time I guess I need to check my pockets better!

We were sitting at our gate for about 25 minutes before Ellie started getting really upset, and we decided I should try to nurse her. Stacy & Steve showed up right about then, too. Wouldn't you know it - the moment I started trying to nurse, 2 different airline employees came up to us and started inspecting our stroller and carseat. Really? That couldn't happen 25 minutes prior to that moment? Nope. Apparently not. Well, that was convenient. Ellie started fussing, kicking and it was downright ridiculous. Don't worry, though. After I showed that little sticker on the side of the carseat to 3 different employees, they finally "cleared" it for air travel. So, we got on the plane, where she cheered and applauded at take off. Go figure!

The trip was fine. We arrived at the airport, and promptly got stuck behind the glass doors after taking the elevator down to baggage claim (remember, we had a stroller). So we're stuck between the glass doors that take us to our bag, and the elevator. Awesome. Robert waived and jumped in front of it for a minute or so, and then I reset the switch on the side of it. Haha! We were (finally) on our way to our bag. Steve & Stacy were waiting for us, and we all got a cab to the hotel together.

Stacy's room and mine were on separate floors in separate wings. We had about 20 minutes between the time we arrived at the MGM to the time we had to be in our first seminar. (and what we didn't know was that it took 15 minutes to walk from our rooms to the conference center - all at the MGM!)

Here we are at the entrance to all of the pools at the MGM right after our first day ended!

We went to the networking dinner reception that night, and then we got time to explore Vegas! (I won't really bore my readers with a lot of details from my conference, but I will say that it was undoubtedly great, helpful and definitely will help me do my job better!)

Here are a bunch of pictures form our first night in Vegas!

Here's Elizabeth, arriving at the MGM!

"Not so sure about this, guys. Did Nana and Grandma
approve this 'vacation' for me?"

Hours later, in the elevator on the strip!
"Hmm...maybe I will like this..."

Excalibur!

New York, New York!

On our way across the pedestrian bridge

Daddy & Ellie Jo in front of the MGM! (It actually
took us nearly 30 minutes to get there from where we
exited the hotel - Robert decided I was wrong
when I said we needed to go right instead of left.
This led to us circling all 4 corners of the
intersection. Ha!)

Mommy & Ellie Jo in front of New York, New York

Here's a view of the MGM from across the street.

In another elevator.

A view from the second pedestrian bridge.

Daddy & Ellie Jo in front of New York, New York

The Statue of Liberty

Doesn't this look like a Disney scene?!

Breath-taking!

Right under the statue!

Look at all the lights!

That motorcycle is SO HUGE! This picture does
not do it justice.

Paris!

Ellie Jo at the Cosmopolitan! "I kinda like
this now, guys."

"Look at the sparkles!"

"oooooh!"

Daddy & Ellie Jo in front of all the sparkles at
the Cosmopolitan

Sparkly car!

Sparkles everywhere!

Lighting fixture

Those sparkles went on forever!

Oooooh

Another lighting fixture

Paris!

Paris from a better angle

Lol - I like the Paris hotel :)

Planet Hollywood

Caesar's Palace

The Bellagio!

"I squish your face, Dad!"

Mommy & baby playing outside the Bellagio

She was saying, "Eeeeh! EEEEE!"

The show was starting!

Look at those cool lights over by Caesar's!

I played a little with my ISO and fstop for this one.
I like it!

The song was "Luck be a Lady." The water and
lights were choreographed!

Soooo tall

I forgot how amazing this show was!

I was trying to get a shot of the different water and lights,
but I couldn't get the shot quite in time.

Twisty water + lights!

Just looking at this picture brings me back to
that night!

You would never guess there are hundreds of people
surrounding this hotel.

Ahhhh the Bellagio!

Those blue lights were so cool!

We didn't actually go in the M&M store that night.
But the picture was cool!

Ellie Jo wanted to touch it, lol

Back in our hotel, we stopped at the Rainforest Cafe! (We didn't end up eating there, though.)

She loved going and seeing all the colors and animals!

Looking at the fish!

"OOOOhhh mama!"

She was just obsessed with it!

I flipped her up to see the eel swimming over us -
she loved it!

You can't see, (or hear), but she's squealing "Yaaay!"

Daddy had to get in on the fish-viewing, too!

Oh yes, the elephant. She was trying super hard to
make her elephant sounds like Grandpa taught her!

"Dadadadada!"

"Heeeyy! EEEEEE!"

And that pretty much sums up our first night! Well...except for Ellie Jo waking up several times, because the crib we requested for her was hard as a rock...another story for another day. ;)