and I LOOOOOVE pina coladas! Especially on the BEACH! We made it home from our paradise vacay and we all had such an amazing time with our family. I decided to do one big ole post so buckle up and get ready (heck grab a pina colada if you want) because there are a whole lotta photos coming up :)
I am already missing this uh-mazing view from our beach house...
So first things first and we shall start at the beginning...
We drove to Vicksburg, MS to spend the night to break up the trip cause we weren't sure how Logan would do all those hours in a car. SO GLAD WE DID. I have always thought what a good car baby L is and how patient he can be. Ahem, not so much anymore. Bless his heart he cried HALF the way to MS. He was exhausted because I kept him up from his nap so he would sleep in the car on the way and now i know what a bad idea that was. Poor tired baby boy :( He did good for the first hour and a half then I got in the back seat to give him a bottle and he wanted me to take him out. He didn't understand why we weren't stopping like we do on an errand running day. So, we stopped the car again and I got back in the front so he would go to sleep. Nope. He cried for 1-2 hours. After the first hour I started singing his songs to him "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Are you Sleeping" and his fav "Frosty the Snowman"- hey you gotta do what you gotta do and who says you can't sing Frosty in the summer? :) That calmed him down some and then we put his Jazz Kids music cd in and he seemed quiet for a little while. But then it started up again until we got to the hotel. We unloaded and he played hard in the room while my mom watched him and we got everything inside/setup. We ordered a crib from the hotel which was a pack n play and I brought my own sheets. Here he is in the hotel room as he discovered the air unit :)
watching baby einstein before bedtime...
Here is his bed setup complete with video monitor!
He did great because he was sooo tired! Thanks to mom we got to venture out to a super fancy dinner at Whataburger (looooong story that involved lots of scary parts of town, yelling at the Garmin for constantly telling us that it was"recalculating" and 4 of our researched restaurants didn't exist any longer). BUT, at least we don't have a Whataburger in LR! That is our goal whenever we go out of town, to never eat at restaurants/fast food places we can get in Arkansas or LR. And we happen to love Whataburger so it worked out well. At least we got time away from the baby to decompress after a stressful car ride ;)
He slept from 7 - 6 am then went back to sleep until 7:30-8 am! And I was shocked because we were in such a weird place with outside noises. He was so exhausted.
Playing the next morning...
Day 2 car ride went MUCH better thank goodness. He did take a little nap and that made his day a lot more managable. He was a happy camper during our Dairy Queen lunch stop. (I know, crazy that we don't have a DQ in LR!) I am quite the fan of their blizzards and treated myself to a small. YUM. I guess this is appropriately where I should mention that I did reach my goal before the beach trip and actually passed it - I lost 11 lbs to the day that we left! Whoo Hoo!!
He did great in the car after lunch - I sat in the back and he smiled and we played for a while. He got fussy as we entered Gulf Shores but by then he hadnt' had a break in a while.
WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My parents rented a fabulous beach house which was so amazing and was right on the water. There was a cool breeze and all the restaurants, town, shopping was not busy at all since its only May. It was divine!
Grandaddy and Logan playing under the table :)
First day on the beach! We weren't sure what L would think of the sand, sun, water, etc. It went pretty much like I thought. He was a great sport honestly, and he tried everything like a champ. We got his feet in the sand, put his toes in the water, and splashed around in his baby pool with his toys.
That cute little swim outfit was a sweet gift from Austin especially for the beach - Logan loved it and looked so precious for his first beach outing :)
Toes in the sand - Check!
Toes in the sand - Check!
taking it all in :)
Family Pic!
Toes in the water - check!
Not quite sure about all this beach business
Our incredible house!
Logan checking out ocean water and playing with his toys
So, it ended when he had enough of the beach and started crying and we carried him back to the house to take a quick bath to wash off sunscreen, sand, and salt water and that is when he lost it. Like I said he hates baths and he was confused because he was just in water outside and we were putting him back in water. When you pour the water over his head to wash out the shampoo is the point where crying turns to screaming and talk about traumatic. Poor baby :(
This is how I spent Nap Time. Out on a picture perfect deck, basking in the sun, sipping on fruity alcoholic beverages, and reading The Help! Did I mention my view was the ocean??? People, it doesn't get better than that and that part is definitely my Vacation :)
I can literally relax when he is asleep or when someone else is watching him and not have to worry about housework, bills to pay, errands to run, etc etc etc.
I can turn my brain off and R E L A X and slip away into an amazing story (highly recommend The Help by the way!)
All day every day for a week solid!!! We used to get so much together time during college days and obviously before Logan too. But it was amazing to wake up every day and just be together - as a little family. Ahhhhh now that's what I call a vacation
And of course a huge thanks to my parents that watched Logan many times and allowed us to go out on dates and outlet mall shopping! That was super nice and definitely wouldn't have happened if we had gone on a vacation alone with little man. So we did get to experience a little BC (before child) vacay time - eating good food and driving around exploring the city. :)
My little stud muffin
Here is Logan playing away in the living room - love that view!
loves him some daddy!
Date Night!!!!!
So for anyone who knows me this is NOT my dinner plate (I dont eat seafood) but Trey was in HEAVEN and loved every bite of this seafoodie goodness
Mmmm Finger licking good!
Here is the super cute beach bag that Austin gave him
Its a hit!
Whuzzzz up dude?
And they are off - he isnt crazy about the sunglasses :)
He found one of the big water jugs and loved pushing it around the floor and kicking it with his feet.
Trey made his Seafood Gumbo for everyone (chicken gumbo for me) and it was yuuuuummmy!
Playing out in the baby pool on the deck
Grandaddy and Logan had so much fun - they played hard and he put a smile on Logans face everytime he walked in the door
Our little fam!
Loves his Grammy :)
Splish splashing around!
No need to adjust your screen, you are seeing correctly. The best room in the house for Logan to sleep was the wash room. We tried one of the guest bedrooms but it was WAY too bright at 7 pm for bedtime and early morning it woke him up the first night/day we were there. He couldn't go to sleep for his naptime bc of the sun. So, the crib fit perfectly in here where there are NO windows and we opened the air vent and turned on this fan, setup the video moniter and voila! Mini Baby Nursery! He did fantastic - slept so well and he couldn't hear any outside noise bc of the fan and the walls seemed to be thicker which was nice for all of us to be able to chat away and watch TV while he was sleeping.
Grammy and Logan playing with their hands through the glass door. He was fascinated with her hands and tried to move his to match - it was too cute!
Last day at the beach!
How precious is he? Melts my heart :)
Okay so this is hilarious! We stayed at the same hotel on our way back to LR in Vicksburg and he found this huge mirror and was obsessed. He would stand and kiss it and talk to it. Stare at himself and look at me giggling - I wish I could have caught it on video!
I don't really want to relive the trip home. My parents made the trip in one day so my dad could get back but we needed to split it up. It was a disaster on the way to Vicksburg! He even had a nap before we left bc I was afraid he wouldnt sleep in the car again. I guess he was sick of riding for so long but he cried and fussed pretty much the whole way. The 4 hour trip took us like 6 or so hours because we had to keep stopping for me to get in the back give a bottle, stop to change him, stop for lunch, for me to get back in the front bc he looked sleepy, etc. The icing on the cake was when we stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat/change his poopy diaper it was hands down the worst moment as a parent to date. It sounds silly now that I think about it - but at the moment it was tramatic. He basically screamed/shrieked through the entire diaper change and was rolling over the entire time and got poop all over me, him, the counter/changing station, his blanket, and he wouldn't let me put a new diaper on him he was freaking out probably scared in an unfamiliar place and to top it off all these women kept coming in the restroom and I could feel them staring at me - ugh. I almost lost it and started bawling right there, but managed to pulll it together to grab and pin him down and strap the diaper on him. Forget his shorts - I took him to the table and handed him to Trey and went to the bathroom for a breather and some tears. Wheeeeew. Bless his heart I know he was upset but I didn't know what to do. I almost debated not putting a diaper on him and just crossing fingers he wouldnt pee or poop during lunch. I couldn't believe how hard it was to keep him still long enough to fold a flap to keep the diaper on. I finally pulled myself together and Trey fed him and took over during lunch because I just couldnt.
He lasted a little while - but I think the salt water hurt his eyes because he kept rubbing them with his hands that had the water on them - def didn't think about that before hand. Also, Logan isn't a huge fan of water - he hates bathtime (pretty please be a phase that he will outgrow!) He will sit in the baby pool at home or splash with his hands in water for a little while, but then he's done and over it. Sound familiar anyone? Me? Not liking water? Naaaa. Where'd you get a silly idea like that? :)
So, it ended when he had enough of the beach and started crying and we carried him back to the house to take a quick bath to wash off sunscreen, sand, and salt water and that is when he lost it. Like I said he hates baths and he was confused because he was just in water outside and we were putting him back in water. When you pour the water over his head to wash out the shampoo is the point where crying turns to screaming and talk about traumatic. Poor baby :(
Look at that adorable face!
So he spent most of his time inside playing and exploring the big house -there were many rooms to seek out and he loved being the center of attention with all the family :) We did pool time out on the deck with regular water and he had a ball!
Trey and I joke how strange this vacation was because it is our first vacay with a baby and let me tell you I think "vacation" should be used lightly :) I am now realizing there is a huge difference between Family Vacation and Vacation. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic - beautiful - perfect even, but you still have diapers to change, feedings, bottles to sterilize, naps to keep track of, and bedtime routines to stick to. Not to mention you have to be "on" during awake time to make sure he doesn't get into something that is dangerous, etc. BUT - the big difference between this trip and doing all these things at home is this...
Trey and I joke how strange this vacation was because it is our first vacay with a baby and let me tell you I think "vacation" should be used lightly :) I am now realizing there is a huge difference between Family Vacation and Vacation. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic - beautiful - perfect even, but you still have diapers to change, feedings, bottles to sterilize, naps to keep track of, and bedtime routines to stick to. Not to mention you have to be "on" during awake time to make sure he doesn't get into something that is dangerous, etc. BUT - the big difference between this trip and doing all these things at home is this...
This is how I spent Nap Time. Out on a picture perfect deck, basking in the sun, sipping on fruity alcoholic beverages, and reading The Help! Did I mention my view was the ocean??? People, it doesn't get better than that and that part is definitely my Vacation :)
I can literally relax when he is asleep or when someone else is watching him and not have to worry about housework, bills to pay, errands to run, etc etc etc.
I can turn my brain off and R E L A X and slip away into an amazing story (highly recommend The Help by the way!)
and did I mention I get to hang out with this handsome guy? :)
All day every day for a week solid!!! We used to get so much together time during college days and obviously before Logan too. But it was amazing to wake up every day and just be together - as a little family. Ahhhhh now that's what I call a vacation
And of course a huge thanks to my parents that watched Logan many times and allowed us to go out on dates and outlet mall shopping! That was super nice and definitely wouldn't have happened if we had gone on a vacation alone with little man. So we did get to experience a little BC (before child) vacay time - eating good food and driving around exploring the city. :)
My little stud muffin
Here is Logan playing away in the living room - love that view!
loves him some daddy!
Date Night!!!!!
So for anyone who knows me this is NOT my dinner plate (I dont eat seafood) but Trey was in HEAVEN and loved every bite of this seafoodie goodness
Mmmm Finger licking good!
Here is the super cute beach bag that Austin gave him
Its a hit!
Whuzzzz up dude?
And they are off - he isnt crazy about the sunglasses :)
He found one of the big water jugs and loved pushing it around the floor and kicking it with his feet.
Trey made his Seafood Gumbo for everyone (chicken gumbo for me) and it was yuuuuummmy!
Playing out in the baby pool on the deck
Grandaddy and Logan had so much fun - they played hard and he put a smile on Logans face everytime he walked in the door
Our little fam!
Loves his Grammy :)
Splish splashing around!
No need to adjust your screen, you are seeing correctly. The best room in the house for Logan to sleep was the wash room. We tried one of the guest bedrooms but it was WAY too bright at 7 pm for bedtime and early morning it woke him up the first night/day we were there. He couldn't go to sleep for his naptime bc of the sun. So, the crib fit perfectly in here where there are NO windows and we opened the air vent and turned on this fan, setup the video moniter and voila! Mini Baby Nursery! He did fantastic - slept so well and he couldn't hear any outside noise bc of the fan and the walls seemed to be thicker which was nice for all of us to be able to chat away and watch TV while he was sleeping.
one day after naptime
Grammy and Logan playing with their hands through the glass door. He was fascinated with her hands and tried to move his to match - it was too cute!
Last day at the beach!
How precious is he? Melts my heart :)
Okay so this is hilarious! We stayed at the same hotel on our way back to LR in Vicksburg and he found this huge mirror and was obsessed. He would stand and kiss it and talk to it. Stare at himself and look at me giggling - I wish I could have caught it on video!
I don't really want to relive the trip home. My parents made the trip in one day so my dad could get back but we needed to split it up. It was a disaster on the way to Vicksburg! He even had a nap before we left bc I was afraid he wouldnt sleep in the car again. I guess he was sick of riding for so long but he cried and fussed pretty much the whole way. The 4 hour trip took us like 6 or so hours because we had to keep stopping for me to get in the back give a bottle, stop to change him, stop for lunch, for me to get back in the front bc he looked sleepy, etc. The icing on the cake was when we stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat/change his poopy diaper it was hands down the worst moment as a parent to date. It sounds silly now that I think about it - but at the moment it was tramatic. He basically screamed/shrieked through the entire diaper change and was rolling over the entire time and got poop all over me, him, the counter/changing station, his blanket, and he wouldn't let me put a new diaper on him he was freaking out probably scared in an unfamiliar place and to top it off all these women kept coming in the restroom and I could feel them staring at me - ugh. I almost lost it and started bawling right there, but managed to pulll it together to grab and pin him down and strap the diaper on him. Forget his shorts - I took him to the table and handed him to Trey and went to the bathroom for a breather and some tears. Wheeeeew. Bless his heart I know he was upset but I didn't know what to do. I almost debated not putting a diaper on him and just crossing fingers he wouldnt pee or poop during lunch. I couldn't believe how hard it was to keep him still long enough to fold a flap to keep the diaper on. I finally pulled myself together and Trey fed him and took over during lunch because I just couldnt.
We made it to the hotel and it was past his bedtime so he was FUSSY and didnt want to eat dinner and finally we got him to bed. We were all beyond exhausted but he woke up every 3 hours to cry and I finally gave him a bottle. I think he was overtired and couldnt get to sleep. :(
We got up the next morning and drove home and he did better in the car - but still not great. Needless to say I am glad we are home sweet home but we really did have such a unforgettable experience for his first beach trip.
Just feeling very thankful and blessed that we got to go :)
