Destin Diary 2013: Vacation Day 6

Did you think I forgot about our last day of vacation??  I didn't - I was just in mourning.  Seriously, I didn't even want to go to the beach with a newborn, and on the last day, I was devastated by our leaving.  We started out our last morning watching dolphins again.  Like I said in the last post, the day was clear and beautiful, which we needed after the rainy day before.  The water finally started looking the emerald color we are used to, even though it never got as pretty as it has in years past.  The excessive rain the week before really caused issues in the water color.

My mom had been admiring the paddle boards all week, so she decided to give them a try.  And of course, she had a little helper with her.

Everyone but me gave the paddle board a shot.  I've seen Jaws II too many times to go out in the ocean on any sort of small craft.

I spent quite a bit of this sunny day playing in the ocean with Alli and tanning on the beach.  Why can't all days be beach days?  Ryan and I also snapped some really great pictures of Riley smiling.

Ahh, couldn't you just eat her up??  We closed the evening with our now annual family beach pictures. I absolutely love these.  It's so awesome to see how everyone changes every year.  I can't believe the first year we did it, I had to twist some arms to get everyone out there.  And now it's a tradition that we can't miss.  We decided to change it up a little this year and do shades of pink, white, and teal.  Riley bucked the system and did green, though.  It was definitely her year to stand out.

We cannot get this man to take more than one or two normal pictures before he starts the pointing and flexing.  Fortunately, Alli and Riley play along well.

We all humored Dad with our own pointing picture.

And I really need to work on my ups.  White girl can't jump.  Don't think I'm not practicing before next year.

We closed the night watching one of my all time favorite movies Jaws (Alli was in bed of course).  You can't watch it until you have a year to get over the fear.  I can't believe Beach Vacay 2013 is already over.  360ish days to go...but who's counting?

Destin Diary 2013: Vacation Day 5

Sadly, our fifth vacation day started out with thunderstorms.  We spent over half the day up in the condo napping, reading, and hanging out on the balcony.  When it looked like the rain had finally blown over, we went down to the beach to hang out...all of us.

That's right - Riley Rachelle ventured down to meet the ocean for her very first time.  I think it was true love.

After some quality ocean time, Alli spent some time in the pool with her new friends for the week - Landry and Addison.

After we soaked up as much ocean as we could, we spent the evening in the condo eating shrimp étouffée from Blalocks and playing a new game called Wits and Wagers (Everyone is asked a question like "How many slices of pizza does the average American child eat in a year?" and writes a guess.  Then you bet on which guess is correct).  I'll go ahead and report that our final day has dawned clear and beautiful with the water we've been waiting for.  Call for reinforcements, you're going to have to drag me away.

Destin Diary 2013: Vacation Day 4

Here's a great start to a vacation day:  A morning at the Donut Hole eating not one, not two, but three Chocolate Angels.  What?  The diet starts Monday.

After a delicious and nutritious breakfast, we dropped Alli and Ryan off at the condo for a morning of ocean fun while Mom, Lindsey, Riley and I hit up the Destin History & Fishing Museum.  This is my mom's favorite attraction in Destin (and perhaps all the world) where one of the founding families of Destin runs a museum detailing the history of the city.  It's really small and really neat - the city has a pretty impressive story.  After that, we took Riley to Dewey Destin's (our favorite restaurant in Destin) to eat some fried shrimp with a view of the bay.

When we got back from Dewey's, Mom and Lindsey went out to the beach and I hung in the condo with Riley, Alli, & Ryan.  I came down just in time for the rain to kick up, and we actually saw dolphins from the beach instead of the balcony - that's a first!

We chatted with our neighbors from Georgia some (he has Masters tickets and trades them for a free week at our condo every year) and then headed in.  I took a good two hour nap, which I never do, and woke up to SupFast - our annual breakfast-for-dinner meal at the beach.  It was alleged that Alli cleared and set the table, which I wouldn't have believed until I saw the proof.  Obviously I need to put this kid to work more.

We spent another evening on the balcony marveling at the ocean in all its glory and lamenting the fact that we were all too tired to play card games every night, even though we always want to.  Maybe tomorrow night?

Destin Diary 2013: Vacation Day 3

Yesterday started out with everyone on the balcony again looking for dolphins.  We also watched the Steve Atwater vs. Christian Okoye hit - you should look it up - and the 1995 Pizza Hut Commercial with Deion Sanders.  It's amazing what you end up talking about that leads you to YouTube.

Anyway, yesterday I got to go out on the beach with the first wave, and it was nice to not have to watch my entire family slather up and leave while I hung out alone in the condo.  There's something about everyone walking out the door together that makes you feel a little sorry for yourself.  Tales of a mama nursing a newborn.  There was plenty of sunshine and the water was clear.  We spent about two hours on the beach, and then Ryan, Alli, Lindsey, and John went to parasail.  I am so lucky Alli has a parent that's not me who will let her do daring things.  I would still be saying no when she's twenty five and can pay for it herself.  They went to a place called Just Chute Me to board a boat named The Breezy for their adventure.

Alli even got to drive and dock the boat.

This kid has too much nerve for her own good.  I spent the afternoon in the condo with Riley, and then we made reservations at 5:30PM at the Marina Cafe.  A few years ago we went to a great place called the Fish Bar, and the Marina Cafe is owned by the same people.  The food was good, the atmosphere was nice, the dining room overlooked the harbor, and Mama had two glasses of Pinot Noir.  Thankyouverymuch.

Afterwards, we came back to the condo for an evening swim in the pool, and then we all watched the original Parent Trap movie.  It was Alli's first time to see it, and I am sad to report that I fell asleep right when they were cutting Susan's dress.  Mom problems.

Destin Diary 2013: Vacation Day 2

Vacation day two started out with one of my very favorite things we do while in Destin.  Mom came into my room at about 6AM and said urgently "Dolphins!"  I threw the covers off and dashed for the balcony.  I love sitting out early in the morning with Mom and Dad watching the ocean.  We always see lots of dolphins, but we also see herons, boats, gulls diving for fish, brown pelicans, and sometimes unidentified dark masses slowly floating by - don't think too hard about those.

No matter how many times we do it, I'll never ever get tired of seeing dolphins off the patio. It really is the most amazing thing to sit on your balcony and watch one of your favorite animals at one of your favorite places.  Plus, it's nice quality time with Mom and Dad before everyone else gets up.  The older we get, the earlier all of the kids start getting up, which is fine.  But I like to savor my solo time, even if it's only ten minutes.

The water has started clearing up, and the ocean was calmer today.  Everyone hit the beach around 10AM, and I hung back in the condo with Riley, giving her a bath and resting with her out on the balcony.  It's still amazing to me that she will sleep out here.  Must get ocean sound machine when we get back home.

Ryan and Alli came up around noon, and they both had had too much sun.  Alli is always gung ho for the beach, but this year there's a family with some girls her age right next to us, so she can't stand a minute out of the water.  But Ryan and I decided she needed to call it a day at that point and let her sunburned cheeks (both on her face and the top of her legs!) heal.  I pumped a bottle, so guess what that meant - I got almost a whole day on the beach to myself!  My studly husband watched our angelic children while I roasted myself.  I came up around three, and the rest of the family came up closer to five.  We all showered and then I fed Riley.  We headed to the HarborWalk around 7:30PM so that John Patrick and Daddy could get some new shades.  When we got there, they had installed zip lines across the HarborWalk, and guess whose kid wanted to do them.

Oh yeah.

Mine.

The weight limit was 50 lbs, and Alli is 55 lbs, so she was allegedly qualified to go.  Lindsey said she'd go with her, but I was nervous.  The little girl before her got stuck because she wasn't heavy enough.  Stressing this mama out.  I called Ryan in a panic to tell him that she couldn't do it, but it was too late.  Alli zipped over the crowd.  And she did get stuck, but that was uneventful too.  She was exhilarated and energized.  We are so opposites.  She wants to parasail too - Lord help me.

We walked around the HarborWalk for another hour - John & Dad got their Ray Bans.  I was so tempted to get a pair too, I love new sunglasses.  But I am really wanting to hit up Sawyer Art and get another painting like my crab from last year for our casa.  We headed back to the condo to watch a movie, and I finished a book ("Gone Girl" for those of you wondering, a twisted psychological thriller).  Don't you just like the aimless pursuits you engage in on vacation?  Walking on a beach, reading a book, building a sandcastle?  Can't wait to see what the next days hold.

Destin Diary 2013: Vacation Day 1

Can you believe it's already time for our annual pilgrimage to the beach?  And yet again, as the official family scribe, I will document our time here so that one day, a long time from now, I can confidently say to my children, "Yes, dears, you've been to the beach.  And you had a marvelous time."

So day one really spans about three days this year, because vacation kicked off on Friday.  We loaded up our matching white Honda Pilots (like some military convoy, I think Ryan secretly loves that) and journeyed to Ruston where my aunt lives.  My grandmother has been staying there for a few weeks, so it was the perfect time to go visit, see my aunt's beautiful house, and let Riley Rachelle meet more family.  I was pretty nervous about elevenish hours in the car with a newborn - so much so that I boldly declared Thursday that I would not be going, that I could not possibly enjoy a week of being around my family in paradise with a new addition.  Fortunately, someone (everyone) convinced me that a week at the beach with a baby, even in the condo, is still a week at the beach.

So out we set for Ruston, and three hours in the car were surprisingly easy.  Riley slept most of the way and was easily pacified with a bottle or some music...kid loves Waylon.  I don't raise dummies.  We spent the evening with our family, letting Riley meet Emma Grace, visiting Champ (Lisa's horse), and seeing Lisa's new house.  I haven't been to Ruston since 2005, so there was a lot on the to do list.

The next morning, we set out for Destin.  I was really nervous about the trip down, but the Riley Roo was a real champ.  She ate a few bottles, fussed about thirty minutes total in eight hours, and slept a ton.    The trip was completely uneventful, which is a good thing.  Destin had had some pretty intense rain and storms for the days before we arrived, but the minute the Holloway-Lowes rolled into town, the clouds parted and the vacation gods smiled.

We are staying in a new condo this year, forgoing our four year home away from home at Breakers East for a three bedroom unit at Oceania.  Oceania is on Holiday Isle, which is a little more secluded than Breakers.  The beach is definitely less busy.  We were all feeling a little sad about not being at our place, but I think the extra space with a newborn was definitely the right call.  Ryan, Lindsey, and Mom went to the Winn-Dixie across the street to stock up on groceries, and Mom and I made her delicious corn and crab bisque while Ryan and Dad ate shrimp from Blalock's.

Actual vacation day one dawned cloudy and cool, with murky water and intense surf.  Did that stop seasoned beachgoers like us?  No way.  We hit the ocean (shortly after one of us spotted a dolphin off the balcony and no one believed us) and didn't stop.  We had a Riley rotation going all day long so that this mama got her sunshine, too.  So lucky to travel with people who love me...or love my kids.  I am not going to think too hard about that.

Alli continues to amaze me every year with how game she is for the beach.  We haven't seen surf this intense in our trips to the beach, but she spent the entire day diving in.  The ocean claimed her goggles and once she was slammed by a particularly large wave that took her boogie board out from under her. Alli hopped up, wiped her eyes, and attempted to grab her board.  When the ocean kept slamming her, she held her hand up to it to tell it to hold on.  We almost expected the wave to part for her, but the ocean is relentless, isn't it?  Every time a wave took her down, she hopped up and gave a thumbs up and declared it "Awesome."

We've decided this year that we aren't going to go out to eat too much thanks to Miss Riley, so last night we ate leftovers and watched a movie.  And then Riley snoozed for two hours on the patio.  She kept trying to wake up, but every time she did, the sea lulled her back to sleep.  How do I keep producing children that love the ocean so much?  It must be hereditary.

Riley {One Month Update}

Happy one month birthday to Riley Rachelle!  And what a month it's been!  There are parts of me that can't believe it's been a whole month, and parts of me the feel like Riley's been in the family forever.  We are so blessed that she has been such a healthy, beautiful addition to the family.

Milestones:  Riley has great head control.  She turns it and holds it up for a good length of time, which is great since she pretty much hates tummy time.  So it's nice that for now she can strengthen her neck while she's being held upright.  She's also excellent at turning her head side to side to follow objects and noise.  She's been alert since day one...which makes sleeping...

Sleep:  ...close to impossible.  She's napped for about three hours at a time at the most.  She has decided since we've been in Little Rock that she is shunning the pack and play, so I had to go buy a Rock 'n' Play to sleep her a little more upright and snuggle her in.  She absolutely loves to be swaddled, and thank goodness Ryan and my mom can teach me over and over how to do it.  I'll be honest, sleep isn't great and we are all worn out.

Eating:  Fortunately, eating is going great!  She latches right on and seems pretty content.  She's gaining her weight like a champ, and it seems like she's getting plenty to eat.  We are having a little trouble with reflux, but the doctor isn't too concerned yet since it seems intermittent and she's gaining her weight.  She tends to eat every 2-3 hours, sometimes we can stretch her to 4.  She eats about 30 minutes, but she has times where she eats up to an hour.  She eats 8-10 times per day, so go ahead and do the math to figure out how I spend my days.  I'm pumping where I can, but there sometimes just aren't enough hours in the day.

Other:  She's definitely got some baby acne, which looks terrible but I've been assured doesn't bother her.  And this kid is no Alli.  Alli was an easy easy baby - Riley is a challenge.  She has days of fussiness, days of happiness.  And once you figure out how to get her to sleep, she changes her mind.  She's had three bottles, which she took very well.  And she was taking her Wubbanubs, but she's decided she doesn't like them right now.

I'd like to forget... the numerous times she's peed or pooped on me.  The spit up all over me.  The cluster feeding.  The nursing for nonstop some nights, and the past few days where she's been inconsolable.  Otherwise I might not have any more kids.

I don't want to forget... her face when someone holds her up on their shoulder.  Her first time smiling at me.  How much I enjoy our special time when I feed her - sometimes.  Our naps together.  How her sister loves her and gives me nonstop updates on what she's doing in the car - "She opened her eyes.  She closed them.  She sneezed.  She smiled.  She's crying.  She yawned."  I mean some days I have to say "OKAY!" and some days I think it's precious.

Happy one month Riley!  I hope in another month you're sleeping longer...but I am so so lucky that you are so very healthy and happy (most of the time).