While Alex was working, Stephen and I took Dakota on quite a few adventures during our stay in LA. I’m pretty sure her favorite was our trip to the LA Zoo. Dakota has always adored animals (after all, “dog” was her first word and she barrels forward to get her hands on any furry animal we come across during neighborhood walks). Needless to say the zoo has become Dakota’s happy place.

The LA Zoo is more walkable than the National Zoo we are used to in D.C. plus California’s unwavering beautiful weather meant all the animals were out for us to see. Not one to pick favorites, Dakota loved them all but she especially liked banging back at the monkeys behind the glass (while all the other children ran away in terror) and feeding a giraffe!

My absolute favorite thing about this trip has been the nearly entire week of uninterrupted time Dakota and Stephen have shared. Those who know me know how much both my daughter and my brother mean to me. To see them together and the love they share melts my heart. It’s sad that we live on opposite coasts and can’t spend as much time together as we’d like. Stephen has a way with Dakota, that’s for sure. When I tell her we are going to see him she instantly lights up with the BIGGEST smile. She loves to be held by him, snuggle with him, and I think he might actually speak her secret baby language.