Beach Baby, Beach Baby There on the Sand...

Our last two beach experiences with Charlotte were stressful to say the least. She was horrible in her car seat. The first trip she decided she needed to nurse every 2 hours the entire time we were there. The next time she started getting teeth and stopped sleeping. Those experiences made me very reluctant to go back, even though I knew this summer would be totally different. Thank goodness it was!! With the help of some new Disney movies (Little Mermaid and Sing a Long Songs), the car ride was actually wonderful, or at least, as wonderful as it could have been. When we got to the beach the first night, C went right up to the sliding glass doors and looked out. I said "that's the beach" and she started banging on the glass and screaming "bee" "bee" "bee". I took her to the balcony and she tried to climb the railing so we took her right out! I was afraid she might be afraid of the waves and not like the sand but oh how wrong I was. When she saw the ocean she looked at me and said "boom boom"!!

She loved feeling the water on her toes and she would stomp her little feet in the water. I thought we would never get her inside that night. If we stood her on the sand, she went straight back to the water!

The next day she was thrilled to find out she could go IN the water! She loved splashing!! A wave actually knocked her down and I immediately grabbed her and started up the beach with her to wipe her off and she started to cry, but because she wanted to go back in the water!

We were actually there for a dental conference so that evening we went to a reception followed by a gathering at The Gulf with free drinks and free family photos! C LOVED that she could run around and play in the sand. They also had a cat that she was a huge fan of, and she ate her weight in french fries.

On Friday Forrest had classes so C and I chilled at the indoor pool. She screamed and squealed and had the most wonderful time!!

When daddy came back we had a little more pool time before we had to get ready! 

That night we had dinner with the Smiths to celebrate our anniversary (7 years), their anniversary (11 years) and the anniversary of Smith and Bailey Dental (3 years) at Fishers. Man oh man was it delicious!! Although it was a fancier place, C loved it. She enjoyed her favorite, the wedge salad, and really liked watching the boats in the marina. There was a marlin on the wall that she made sure EVERYONE saw!

That evening we met up with the Smith and Bailey staff for a photo and a bonfire and crab hunt (C didn't make it that long so no crabbing for her).

On Saturday Charlotte's godmother, Aunt Paula, and Uncle Tom came for lunch and a visit and we got to spend more time playing in the sun. 

My friend Ellen came to visit as well and we got to catch up while C took a nap. She is expecting a little girl this fall and I can't wait to meet her!! That night we went to the staff's condo for dinner and a little pool fun to round out the weekend before we all had to leave the next day.


We were SO bummed to pack up and leave--not because we had to go back to work but because Charlotte LOVED everything. She was genuinely excited about every little experience at the beach. She loved waving to the boats (and hollering "BOAT" when one would come by which was ALL THE TIME), and parasails and the helicopters and the seagulls. She loved seeing her toes in the sand and she would make us show her our sandy toes. She would say "hot" when she didn't want to walk anymore and pretend the sand was too hot for her to walk on (it wasn't hot at all haha). She would say "pool pool pool pool" if anyone accidentally mentioned the word because she loved it that much. She wanted Forrest to throw her and splash her and catch her at the pool, so much so one couple called her "daredevil baby". She was thrilled by all the minnows we saw in the ocean one day. She got to where she refused to stand on the sand near the water--she just wanted to be all the way in the water. Her joy was truly infectious and we were so sad to have to take that from her! Luckily we have another beach trip on deck so she will get to enjoy it all over again! My heart smiles just thinking about it!