Beach Geataway

***WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD***

Two weeks ago my parents were going to the beach for a long weekend and we invited ourselves to tag along.  Patrick stayed home to take care of the dogs.  Since Patrick started his new job we probably won't get to take a vacation this year because he won't have any vacation time so I knew if I wanted to see the beach this summer this was my best bet.  I also knew my parents would love to see Barrett at the beach.  (Although I'm pretty sure we won't be invited back for a while, I think they missed their lazy, carefree trips.) Ha! 

We loaded up Friday morning and started our journey.  We made a quick stop at Sikes & Kohn for some retail therapy, (and I may or may not have been bootlegging wedge sandals back to Birmingham).  We made it to the beach in just enough time to unpack and run to the store before sunset. 

After we got the groceries unpacked we headed to the beach to enjoy the evening.  Barrett wasn't sure about the sand at first.  But once we got him out a little further and it was smooth and pretty he put his feet in it.  He was not crazy about the waves hitting his legs. 

There is a lake across the street and there is a drainage pipe that feeds into the ocean.  It often makes a little fresh water pool and its the perfect place for little ones to play.  

We're standing in the "river" here.  When we were kids my brothers always used this water to skim board in and it was perfect. (There are a ton of pictures of me and Barrett.  I'm so thankful because whenever the three of us go anywhere I'm always the one taking the pictures so it was nice to have so many of us together).

Saturday my dad had a board meeting but he took our chairs and tent out to the beach to claim our spot before so mom and I just had to get ourselves and the kid ready.  We were out there by 8:30 or 9:00 and we stayed out all day long.  It was wonderful.

He was using the bubble fan as a gun.  Or a camera, I'm not sure.

Love this one of him and my mom.   The water was crazy rough so I don't blame him one bit for being a little leery.  

He loved the birds.  I'm pretty sure everyone around us hated us because any time we gave him a snack he would throw part of it out for the birds.

Here we are in the fresh water "pool".  It was the perfect depth for him.

He's really getting the hang of his puddle jumper.  I can't wait for pool days with friends this summer.

I love this one of him just out there hanging out and swimming.  He was so good.  He played by himself and he really didn't have too many meltdowns on the beach.  I was really happy at how easy he was.

He napped on the beach both days.  Good two hour naps.

He was so sweet asleep on the beach.  

For dinner, we went to this hole in the wall place on a dock.  My parents had been before and they thought Barrett would love it.  They have these sliding glass doors that are open and you can feed the catfish.  Also notice there are zero railings.  One wrong move and you're catfish dinner.  We opted to sit away from the edge.  The food was great.  My only concern was the kids chicken fingers was served with a dum dum sucker sticking out of the top.  Guess what Barrett had for dinner... 

After Barrett ate his sucker he and Granddaddy fed the fish some french fries. 

As you can imagine this made me just a tad nervous.

Sunday morning Mom and I got up and went to Mass.  While we were gone Dad and Barrett walked to the pier to see it and the dogs at the dog beach.  Dad said he walked all the way there and back (about a mile total, on the beach, I was impressed).  Mom and I went to get donuts for breakfast.  After we ate we hit the beach!  Sunday was Dad's birthday so we enjoyed spending the whole day with him.  His friends from the board meeting joined us on the beach and we had a big day.

Told you, picture overload of me and my boy.

Man,  I love him so much.

Here we are May, 2015. 

I wanted this picture because I knew I had a similar one and he was wearing a similar bubble from our last trip.

This was September 2013.  He was so little.

He loves my Dad.

I love this one.  I think I'm going to print it on a big canvas for our bathroom.

He was over having his picture made by the time it was Nana's turn.  I can't remember what I said to him but he made this face and I about died laughing.  

Oh look, it's another picture of me and Barrett.  

After pictures we went to Pier Park so Barrett could ride some of the rides.  He wasn't really all that excited.  I was definitely more excited than he was.  But he pushed through.  He rode these little cars, the carousel and the hang gliders that go up and down.  He did not like the hang gliders at all.  

Since is it was Dad's birthday I treated him to a race down the big slide.  He won.  It was a great ending to a great trip.  I don't think Barrett would have lasted one more day.  Dad tried to take him to the beach while Mom and I packed things up Monday morning and he wouldn't touch the sand.   He did so great on both the car ride down and home.  It was a fun quick trip. I'm hoping I can talk Patrick into going for another quick weekend trip this fall.  Barrett was just so much fun!  I'm thankful my parents let us tag along, it was a lot a fun (and I was so thankful for the two extra set of hands)!

Barrett's First Beach Trip (Part III)

Part I: {Here}, Part II: {Here}

Our last night of vacation we went about 20 minutes down the beach to Seaside.  Seaside in on 30A which is the prettiest, most natural beaches in the area.  We met Lorie, Joseph and Elise and headed out to the beach for some pictures.  My biggest concern when we decided to go to the beach just our little family of 3 was who was going to take our picture. I know, first world problems.  It was an added bonus that we got to take some really cute pictures of our kids together.

As you can see getting them to both look at us and smile was easier said than done.

Love my little family.

I bought this little outfit earlier in the summer for beach pictures.  I thought it was so sweet (even if it is a little girly).  When I look at this picture I can't believe that he's mine.  I can't believe I have a beautiful, healthy son.  I can't believe that he's already 9 months old.  I feel so overwhelmingly blessed to be his mommy.

Elise wanted to hold him.  He wasn't so sure.

My best friend and our kiddos.

Beautiful sunset.  I think it was the prettiest one we saw all week.

I love this one.

Taking pictures on the beach was the perfect ending to a great week.  I loved spending time as a family.  I also loved getting to spend time with friends.  I'm someone that typically likes to have a plan, even on vacation.  I let go a little and we just went with the flow for the most part.  I had a few things that I wanted to do (mostly places to eat) and we just relaxed as much as you can with a 9 month old and enjoyed this season of life.  It was definitely different from any other beach trip I've taken.  I normally take at least two books if I'm going for a week.  We we went for a week a couple of years ago I read 5 books while we were gone.  I didn't even finish one book this trip.  I went down a couple of days while the boys took a morning nap and just enjoyed the beach by myself for a few hours.  It was a nice little recharge.

Patrick and Barrett really bonded. That was the most time they've spent together since we were in the hospital.  I love watching them together.  

It was a great week.  I can't wait to go back and make more memories as a family.  

Barrett's First Beach Trip (Part II)

Part I: {here}

These are pictures from Saturday through Wednesday.  It all seems like a blur now.

Pretty bird on the beach.

We wanted to get out to the beach early Saturday but we decided to let Barrett take a nap in the room.  By the time he woke up and we all got ready it was noon.  We didn't get the tent out at first because we were planning on going in early to watch football.  We were out there for about 10 minutes before we realized we were going to have to get the tent out.  While Patrick was getting it out of the car this sweet girl from down the beach invited us to sit under her tent.   I think it was obivious that we were new parents that were pretty clueless!

 We headed in around 2:00 to watch the Bama/ Texas A&M game.  It was a nail biter.  Patrick and I don't watch a lot of football together because we each love our teams.  It's a toss up for me because I want Auburn to lose but I want Patrick to be happy so I kinda want them to win for him.  The things we do for love!

For funzies here I am last year at the A&M game at 32 weeks and my sweet boy is 37 weeks old.

These mirrors.  There are so many pictures from my childhood of me looking at myself in these mirrors.

Sunday I got up and went to church, then we hung out on the beach most of the day and enjoyed dinner in.  Monday we shopped most of the day and then it rained a little so we hung out inside and went to an early dinner.  Tuesday was a fun day.  We hung out on the beach and then met up with Lorie and Joseph for dinner at one of my favorite places, the Captain's Table.  Lorie's dad and stepmom offered to keep Barrett with Elise.  We were excited to get a grown up night but we were a little nervous leaving him.  He was cutting 3 teeth and had been kinda fussy but they said he did great.  We had a great time with them although we mostly talked about the kids.  Barrett went to sleep while we were out and when we got him back to the condo he was not interested in sleeping.  He cried for hours it seemed.  It was a late night.  Wednesday we went to the beach and stayed in for dinner.

I'm going to be honest.  I have no idea what days these next pictures were taken.  Like I said it is all a blur now.

I bathed Barrett as soon as we came in each day.  This day he almost fell asleep in the tub.  Patrick got him out of the tub and he was asleep before he could even get the diaper on him.

How sweet is this?!?

One morning I took Barrett out to the beach before it got to bright and made some pictures of him in his sea turtle pjs.  They turned out so cute!

I love his hair blowing in this one.

He was okay with the sand as long as it was on his terms.

Sweet, sandy baby toes.

and hands.

Long lashes.  I want to remember every detail.

Holding his bottle on the beach like a big boy.

This might be my favorite picture of the trip.  Love these boys.

 {One more post and I think the vacation will be recapped.}