Week 39

How far along:

39 weeks! We are officially into uncharted territory! 

Best moments so far:

At this morning's appointment, G for once didn't have a complete conniption while I was getting all checked over. Baby's heart rate was steady at 135bpm, and I am dilated somewhere in the 2-3cm range. My doc stripped membranes (a very unpleasant...yet quick ordeal), and stretched my cervix to hopefully get things moving along. Typically, if this is going to work, I should see some sort of action within 24-48 hours, so we'll see. If not, in light of the fact that I am 39 weeks, and there is no real medical benefit to keeping baby inside any longer, plus my history of precipitous deliveries, I did get scheduled to be induced this coming Friday morning if we haven't had the pleasure of meeting our newest little peanut by then. The end is near! If we do make it to Friday, this babe will be a birthday twin with my sister-in-law, and born on Good Friday, so that would be pretty fun too! In other news, my doc is thinking this is going to be a bigger baby than C or G was (which would make sense as I am further along at this point than I was with either of them when they were born), but when I told her my newest niece was over 9 lbs, she said she's pretty sure we aren't looking at that big of a baby. Whew! Sigh of relief!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. This top from Gap Maternity continues to be one of my favorite, and most-worn winter pieces.

Sleep: 

Not terrible. It gets harder and harder to roll over without 'helping' my watermelon along. Ha. Still getting up just once a night to use the restroom, but other than that, sleep hasn't been too bad.

Miss Anything:

Energy and being comfortable. Being 39 weeks pregnant is no joke. Particularly when you have busy active little boys in your life that drain any sort of energy you might have left over just as quickly as they can. At this point, I'm pretty much only comfortable when I am sitting down with my feet up. T can probably kiss goodbye any high hopes he has for any gourmet meals from here on out. Cold cereal and frozen pizza or sandwiches is about all I have any interest in preparing. I'm sincerely looking forward to warm enough weather to sit outside on the deck again and have cold-meat...read salami...sandwiches and easy grilled meals. Summer can't come soon enough!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Baby is still active, although has slowed down quite a bit as space continues to grow tight. It's amazing that this little one is still packing on 1/2 lb a week! My personal weight didn't hardly change at all between last weeks appointment and this morning (I've gained somewhere in the range of 25-30lbs, which is pretty much spot on with my weight gain with C & G at the end of my previous pregnancies). I'd like to think that this babe is taking the extra calories I've had from my M&Ms and popcorn or ice cream late night snacks this week!

Cravings and Aversions:

Peppermint & chocolate. Last week, I made a mint cake for St. Paddy's Day, and just last night, T & I shared mint chocolate ice cream with a peppermint chocolate cookie...Yum...yum...yum. 

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've been super tired this week, and have needed a mid-afternoon nap pretty much every day. Thankfully, both boys have been good about taking naps this week, and I've been able to sneak in an hour or two most days. 

Looking forward to:

Meeting this little person! It's pretty exciting knowing that sometime in the next several days we will be welcoming our newest little bundle of joy! It's finally starting to show some signs of warming up around here, and it would be great to be able to get outside more regularly and not be so uncomfortable. It's near impossible at this point for me to chase our little people around or make them cooperate when it is time to come inside (or to do anything for that matter), so being able to move around more easily is definitely high up on my list of things I'm looking forward to!

38 Weeks

Week 38

How far along:

38 weeks! Any day now! Also - I made mint cake over the weekend, so the fact that baby is the size of a cake is quite fitting! 

Best moments so far:

At my checkup this morning, we got to hear baby's heartbeat...strong and steady at 140bpm. I didn't have much change from last week's checkup, and am dilated 2cm internally, 3cm externally, and still just 75% thinned. I reminded my Doc that I was guessing baby would arrive around the 22nd, and she reminded me that she will be gone most of that day, so would prefer Saturday to get her out of working the Urgent Care Clinic...LOL. Who knows...T suggested last night that maybe we'll make it to April 1st and have an April Fool's Day baby. Seeing as how the birthstone for April is a diamond, this may backfire on him if I ever decide to invest in some birthstone jewelry for my little loves! :)

Maternity clothes:

Pretty much unavoidable at this point! Above striped top is Old Navy, jeans are Motherhood Maternity, and fur vest is non-maternity. Did I mention the weather is terrible today - icy/slushy/snowy mix since we woke up this morning. Ugh. Seems that every time I have an appointment, we get some kind of wintery mix I have to drive in!

Sleep: 

Not too bad. I do quite a bit of turning throughout the night though as my legs or arms loose feeling.

Miss Anything:

Consistently warm weather! We had a few nice days last week that we could get out for some short walks around the block, but the week ahead is looking like quite a bit of precipitation in the forecast, so chances are we will be spending most of the week inside. Seems like a good week to have a new baby if you ask me!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Baby is still quite active, usually most noticeable during mid-afternoon and then before bed. I have not noticed as much action when I actually lay down at night, or in the early mornings, so maybe this babe is taking note of good times to be asleep or awake! Hahahaha.....we can dream right!?

Cravings and Aversions:

I bought ingredients to make lasagna this week sometime, so I guess you might say Italian food. When G was born, I had to cut out all tomato based sauces as they caused him quite a bit of discomfort with nursing, so I'm hoping to get at least one last meal with red sauce in before baby arrives in case we have the same issue this go around.

Queasy or sick:

No. 

Symptoms: 

Nothing too crazy. Just a general slow-down of getting around, and some fatigue. I haven't had any sort of consistent contractions this week, but hope to have some more in the coming week! With G, at this point in my pregnancy, I was experiencing some regular round ligament pain, but so far, I have not had any this time around. T says that maybe my ligaments are just so stretched out that I won't have any. I'm sure that will make getting into any sort of shape after baby pretty difficult!

Looking forward to:

Meeting this new little one! I would greatly appreciate not having a nine pound baby as I will likely be without an epidural, so the sooner the better! The boys got to meet their newest baby GIRL cousin over the weekend (sadly, I did not as it was too far for me to travel by myself this late in my pregnancy, and T was on call), and have now decided that maybe they would like a sister instead of a brother. While T & I know baby's gender, we have not shared with anyone if we'll be welcoming a boy or girl, so I'm looking forward to seeing the boys' reactions when they finally get to meet their new sibling sometime in the next couple of weeks!

Sibling Snapshot

SIBLING SNAPSHOT | Winter 2018 Edition



THE STATS:
C: 3 years 10 months

G: 20 months

DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITY:

C: With the weather warming up a bit, we've been able to get out for some quick walks around the block lately, and C has been loving riding his balance bike. He has gotten the balance part down pretty well, and has been asking...on repeat...for a bike with pedals for his birthday. T & I are planning to surprise him with this one (spotted in our neighborhood as the bike of choice with other kiddos his age) when the big day comes, and I think he's going to LOVE it! That water bottle holder is just awesome! Hopefully, he can get the pedaling figured out quickly so that we can do some trail walks this summer with him on his bike and G and his new sibling in the stroller. The new baby will be too little for bike rides this year, and C will likely be too tall for our MUCH LOVED Burley Encore bike trailer, so if we're to go on any rides with any real distance this summer, we'll be in the market for a new solution. I've been researching this WeeHoo iGo Turbo bike trailer lately after spotting it on a recent vacation, and think it may be just the ticket. It is built for age ranges 2-9, has a 3-point harness for added safety, pedals for kiddos to help mom or dad, and is rated for up to 80lbs (I'd like to think our little people will be firmly established bike riders by the time they hit that mark!). We aren't comfortable yet with the idea of C on a more traditional bike trailer like this, for the longer rides that take us across busy highways and bumpy roads on the standard bike routes from our home, so the WeeHoo trailer would be the perfect solution. You can read more about it here.

G: G's vocabulary has exploded over the last month or so. He doesn't always pronounce an entire word, but he at least gets a big enough portion of it for us to understand what he is saying. For instance, just the other night he pointed to T's phone and said 'pho', or in the morning when I ask what he wants for breakfast, he might say 'muff' for muffin, or when his brother isn't playing nice, he might come to me and say 'sha' (aka...share) while pointing at a certain toy that just got swiped from his grip. He is quite a bit ahead of where big brother C was at this age in terms of his speech, and I'm hopeful that it will help ease our transition once new baby arrives since G can articulate some of what he is wanting rather than just cry about it. 

SCHEDULE:

We just had daylight savings time, and this week has been a bit rough in terms of getting the boys back on track. Nap time and bedtime were shifted within about three days, but for C, the struggle was real when it came to waking up in the morning to get ready for school. Most days, he slept until almost 8am, and I had to wake him up to get him going. He has also been fighting naps, although I'm not sure if it has anything to do with daylight savings, or if he is just at an age where he might not want to take a nap every day, or possibly that he's been battling a cold for the past week and half and being sick has affected his sleeping habits. Who knows! What I do know is that I could really use at least another six months of solid naps for BOTH boys as we prepare to add a newborn to our household and my own sleep is dramatically diminished! Overall, on a typical day, we aim for 7:30pm bedtime, the boys are up between 7:15-7:30am, and nap time is around 1/1:30pm-3:30/4pm.

FAVORITE TOY:

Santa was good to our boys this winter, and brought them the most fun, and definitely one of the most loved toys in our home...a play kitchen. Each of the boys have spent hours pretending to cook, bake, and mix together ingredients. They have had particular fun with this coffee pot, these cupcakes, and the endless opportunities for creating meals from these breakfast and dinner food sets.

Other favorite toys include any of the 10,000 die cast toy cars, trucks, tractors and semis that we have accumulated over the last few years. Pretty much every surface in our home is covered with these little minefields by the end of the day, and I am constantly picking them up to avoid slipping and falling. They have also been loving their ride-on vehicles. G loves this fly bike, and C prefers this truck. They go around and around and around the main floor of our home, and it is quite a sight to see little G zipping around corners at top speed while his brother chases him around in the truck.

When we are outside, both boys LOVE to play hockey. Over the winter, we took them to several local hockey games, and they enjoyed bonding with papa T while watching some NHL games on TV. When Uncle B showed up one weekend with mini kid-sized hockey sticks, the rest of our winter outdoor toys took a backseat, and hockey became the fast favorite.

STORYTIME:

G has really taken to reading in the last few months, and went from pretty much an 'I have no time for that' mentality to 'lets read all day long'. When he is craving a quiet moment to himself, I can often count on finding him quietly flipping through the pages of some of his favorite books on the floor in his bedroom. Such a little sweetheart! His favorite bedtime stories as of late have been Dream Animals or Day Dreamers, No Two Alike, and Love Monster. He also continues to be fascinated by any Iowa Hawkeye book on our shelves, and loves songbooks - What a Wonderful World, My Favorite Things, and Every Little Thing are some favorites.

C also loves to read, and has had so much fun choosing different locations from Atlas of Adventures to learn about with papa T at bedtime. While this book is meant for kids who are a bit older, as long as we keep it to just 1-2 locations per bedtime, he has had fun learning all about different cultures and traditions around the world. T really wants to get him a globe so that he can point out the different locations they have been reading about. We also recently checked out 'A Year Full of Stories: 52 classic stories from all around the world' from the library (which they ordered after I mentioned wanting to read it!), and think it will be a great book to add to our collection in the coming years as our little people start to read longer books with less pictures. It is also tied to different cultures around the world, and highlights folk tales tied to specific holidays and dates throughout the year. So fun!

CUISINE:

Both boys typically eat a good breakfast, particularly if it includes some sort of baked good such as muffins, banana bread, pancakes, etc. They also enjoy fresh fruit, yogurt (which G demands to feed himself), and sausage links or bacon.

Lunchtime it typical American toddler food...think PB&J, hot ham & cheese, quesadilla, frozen pizza, peas or mixed veggies, and fruit, yogurt, or applesauce on the side. G continues to dislike pasta, so we don't do as much mac & cheese as C or I would probably like!

After naps, I usually throw together some sort of trail mix for the boys to enjoy at their kid-sized table. Typically, it has cereal, dried fruit, and yogurt raisins, Goldfish, and maybe some kind of peanut. I try to steer clear of the store bought trail mix as I've found that they will generally just go straight for the M&Ms and leave the rest of the snack alone. They do enjoy the Annie's organic cheddar snack mix, so as long as I'm keeping a close eye on when they are done (cheddar covered fingers and furniture do not mix!), we'll do this one sometimes as well.

At dinner, we have noticed that unless we are eating by close to 6pm, neither of the boys will eat well at dinner. They are getting tired and cranky, and just overall tend to play with their food and cause problems instead of eating anything. Usually, I give them only one choice, and they have to eat whatever T & I are eating if they want to eat at all. I don't have time or patience to make multiple meals for picky little eaters. I do often modify certain meals when I know they will or will not eat something I'm making. Generally speaking, they don't like casseroles or meals mixed together with sauce, so if that's what's for dinner, I make sure to leave out or pick out the individual ingredients such as meat, veggie, etc. before giving them their plates. For instance, if T & I are having tacos, I make sure to leave out plain hamburger before adding taco seasoning and the individual ingredients for the boys rather than try to feed them a full on taco. Sometimes...I can get away with putting taco meat, tomatoes, beans and cheese in a quesadilla. Same would be true of soups. C has started to eat soup every now and then, but generally speaking, we best be having a sandwich to go with, or the boys won't eat. The mixed together ingredients are not their jam. Some meals they do particularly like are meatloaf with steamed veggies; parmesan chicken with steamed veggies and bread for dipping (G LOVES to dip bread in balsamic vinegar); burgers with baked fries or tots and fruit; etc. I'll be honest, it's a bit of a crapshoot when it comes to dinner, and often it boils down to what time of evening everything comes together. I think we are ALL looking forward to grilling season and simple summertime meals!

When we are out to eat or get a quick takeout meal, toasted ham & cheese subs from Subway, or a ham & cheese slim from Jimmy Johns are favorites, but DO NOT bust out the chips until after the sandwiches are mostly gone, or they won't eat sandwiches! G also loves chicken strips, particularly when he gets to DIP them in ketchup, and C enjoys mac & cheese, grilled cheese, or a burger. Speaking of burgers, he has been begging me to go to Duke's (a local hamburger joint) for his upcoming birthday, so I'm hopeful they will be opening soon!

GENERAL TEMPERAMENTS:

Truth. C has been a bit of a handful these past few months. I'm not entirely sure what caused this change, but there has been more whining, pushing, and overall attention-seeking behavior than I care to remember. Unfortunately, G has taken the brunt of the drama, and is often the one being picked on, pushed, or having a toy stolen away. He has grown to be scared of C's behavior, and has developed a strong attachment to his blanket when he is feeling threatened, and is often found hiding by my legs so that big brother will leave him alone. I do not think that C's behavior comes from being truly 'mean', but nevertheless, I wish he would respect that G doesn't appreciate the constant pestering and pushing.

G, meanwhile, continues to be a little sweetheart. He is such a happy little guy the majority of the time, and brings us so much joy. He loves being right in the middle of all the action, and is full of smiles, laughs, and mischievous little crinkle faces. Despite being picked on quite a bit by his bigger brother (who should know better), G loves C with his whole heart, and can often be found sitting with him in the armchair and reading or watching a show, driving trucks together all over the furniture, chasing each other around on their ride-on vehicles, or sharing a snack together at the kids table after nap time.

We love these boys so much, and are looking forward to watching them both grow into their new roles as big brothers to a new sibling sometime in the next month!

37 Weeks

Week 37

How far along:

37 weeks! We made it through the week, which is more than my doc was predicting, so who knows when this baby will decide to arrive?! T is convinced it will be tonight, so we will see. At my checkup this morning, baby's heart rate was a steady 130bpm, I was dilated 1-2cm, which is a change from last week's 1cm, and baby was even lower than last week. I didn't have too many contractions in the last week, but I won't be too surprised if they pick up this week.

Best moments so far:

Finding out after last week's checkup that I tested negative for Strep B which I had with both of my previous pregnancies was a small relief. One out of four women will test positive for Strep B and need four hours of antibiotics to protect baby from potential sickness before delivery, and with G, I maybe only got about 10 seconds before he was born and the IV ripped out of my arm. Not having to worry about that this time around is great!

Maternity clothes:

Yes. Above top is old from Gap, and jeans are Motherhood Maternity skinnies.

Sleep: 

Not too bad, but I've consistently had to get up during the night for the restroom which is something I didn't have the pleasure of dealing with on a regular basis until this last couple of weeks.

Miss Anything:

Warm temps and outside exercise that is longer than just around the block. C has taken to riding his balance bike while we are out walking, and I don't think he could make it much further than around the block, but it'd be great if the weather could warm up and stay light out for a few more hours so that I could sneak in a longer walk after T is home and the boys are in bed for the evening. I'm not much of a gym person, and far prefer to get my exercise outside in the fresh air rather than on a treadmill, so I'm hopeful that we can somehow find a way to make it work to go on regular outdoor daytime walks this summer with three little people under four and only a double stroller. May have to call in the grandma reinforcements on a more regular basis so I can go without the entire crew every time!

Baby Movement:

Yes. Baby continues to be quite active - particularly in the evening, and has very big movements with lots of strong kicks. 

Cravings and Aversions:

At this very moment in time...rice crispy bars with extra marshmallows and dark chocolate M&Ms sound just about perfect. I was at the store today and totally forgot to pick up the supplies. Bummer! Maybe tomorrow!

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've been quite tired this week and have needed an afternoon catnap a couple of days. C is starting to fight nap time and hasn't been as consistent of a napper which makes things particularly difficult when it comes to catching up on some sleep myself or having a little time to myself in the afternoon to regroup. I'm sure this will continue to plague me after baby arrives on a whole new level!

Looking forward to:

Hopefully meeting our newest little love soon, and praying that it would happen at the hospital, and not at home! At the same time, I can't say I'm looking forward to losing a solid night's sleep and diving into having a newborn who may take months to sleep through the night. I'm also somewhat dreading the labor process itself and hoping it will go quickly so that I don't have to deal with the pain of actual labor any longer than absolutely necessary. Chances are pretty solid that I won't have an opportunity for an epidural, so I'm going to focus on the fact that after baby arrives, we will have a completely new little love to cover in kisses rather than dwell on the intensity that is the childbirth process itself.

Winter Getaway 2018

In a bit of a last minute call, T & I decided to make one final trip to Florida this winter before our newest family member decides to arrive. We cut things pretty close and traveled when I had about 7-8 weeks left to go in this pregnancy, and while we all had a great time, I would definitely recommend going a bit sooner in the second trimester if you are expecting! With both C & G, we took an actual 'babymoon' trip without kiddos along, but the logistics of figuring out what to do with the boys this time of year while C has school three days a week and we had work schedules to plan around just didn't work out, so we opted for a family getaway to make some memories and enjoy our final time together as a family of four. 

After a whirlwind weekend filled with Winter Games activities and lots of family time, we hit the road for vacation a day before our flight to take some of the stress away from day-of-travel with littles. If there is one thing we have learned when traveling with little people, the closer we can get to the airport before actually NEEDING to be there, the better! On the way there, we stopped to fill up with gas and pick up a snack, and I unknowingly locked the boys in the car while both T & I were NOT in the vehicle. #MOMFAIL. C had no idea how to unlock the door, and seeing as it was only 13 degrees outside, we ended up calling the police to come help us out. Thankfully, they arrived very quickly, and the entire ordeal only added about 10 extra minutes to our trip. I felt horrible about the entire thing, and ended up getting the boys 'fancy' gas station apple juice and snacks, and then 15 minutes later, we stopped again at McDonalds for a cheeseburger and fries. It was late by the time we got to our hotel, maybe an hour or so past bedtime... and it was almost 10pm by the time the boys finally settled down enough to sleep. While there is something precious about watching the two of them and their excitement at sleeping in the same room and in a HOTEL room at that, it is super frustrating when you know that every minute the clock keeps ticking before their eyes shut will mean greater potential for meltdowns on travel day!

When departure day arrived, we opted to do a park'n'fly rather than drive and park at the airport. It was SO NICE to all be able to walk into the ticketing area TOGETHER and not have to keep track of all of our 20 bags (OK, that's an exaggeration, but not by much!) and both boys all by myself while T went to park the car. Our flight went smoothly, G only climbed between T & I's laps approximately 800 times, and C kept himself entertained with watching a movie on the iPad, playing his magnet game, and driving his new motorcycles on every surface within reach. Overall, outside of a mini meltdown from G who was convinced Gpa T was sitting a few rows in front of us, the boys did a great job on the flight. The stewardess was so impressed she asked if we travel a lot, and another couple commented that the boys were very well behaved and must be seasoned travelers. Ha!

After our drive down to Anna Maria from Tampa, we went straight to The Waterfront, one of our island favorites, for a late lunch. Soooo good. I had a grilled grouper sandwich, C enjoyed truffled gouda mac & cheese, G ate nearly his weight in ketchup (a current fascination is dipping everything), and T had a delicious crab cake sandwich. After lunch, we popped over to Two Scoops for a kiddie dish of ice cream, where C insisted on coconut ice cream, before heading to the beach house to get settled in.

The afternoon was pretty chilly & windy, but we did sneak out to the beach with Gpa K & Gma M to watch sunset and let the boys play in the sand a little before calling it a night. C had so much fun throwing around the football and running races with papa T, while G was fascinated with the sand and kept walking around to different spots to feel it and throw some up in the air. Too cute. After sunset, everyone was tired out, and after a quick meal at the house we were all ready to call it a night.

The first full day of our trip to Florida was a success! We started the morning with a trip to The Donut Experiment, where after some consideration, C decided he'd like a donut with strawberry frosting dipped in coconut. I'm not sure where he developed his recent love for coconut, but that's the ice cream flavor he chose at Two Scoops, and when his first donut was gone, he asked for a few bites of a second coconut donut rather than his typical choice of rainbow sprinkles, the flavor he chose for G. Afterwards, the boys were in a bit of a donut coma, and both crawled on the couch at the store and laid down to take a break! Probably one of the funnier moments of our trip!

After donuts, we walked around some of the shops on Pine Avenue before heading to Coquina Beach to play at the park. The boys had a blast playing on the pirate ship themed playground, and went down the slides for the better part of an hour. Our fearless little G was the first to insist on going on the giant tube slide, something C would not probably have done until he saw his little brother do it without batting an eye, but they both absolutely loved it.

Later, Gma J & Gpa T arrived, and the boys were so excited to see them. After a quick walk down to the beach to watch sunset, everyone hit up Poppo's Taqueria for an quick easy dinner, and the boys enjoyed eating their quesadilla and chips (or as many beans as could be shoveled in...eh hmm G...) on the outside deck with Gma & Gpa before calling it a night.

The next morning, T & I took the boys to Ginny & Jane's for a muffin and smoothie before meeting up with Gma J & Gpa T to head to The Ringling in Sarasota. It was a chilly morning, so a great opportunity to get off the island and explore a little. We had so much fun! T & I had visited previously, but never with the boys, so it was fun to explore through the eyes of little people. There is a great kids playground area, along with an awesome Circus Museum complete with a model of the trains, tents, animals, and everything else in between that a circus production would have looked like in its heyday. G picked up a new word while we were walking through the exhibit when he realized he needed to be picked up for his full viewing pleasure, and started lifting his hands and saying 'see' every time he needed a better vantage point. C had fun seeing the circus model, but ended up enjoying the interactive canon shooter and clown car most of all.

After the Circus Museum, we stopped at the Museum of Art, another section of the Ringling complex. Both boys were very tired by this point, so we didn't get to spend too much time here, but we enjoyed the time we had. Gma J commented on one of the Reuben's paintings (The Triumph of Divine Love) that depicts a woman surrounded by babies, that the artist was maybe a bit generous with the 'chubbiness' he gave to the babies. However, after seeing our little G strutting his stuff at bath time later, I don't think the artist was too far off the mark! It was fun to take the boys to an art museum, and especially fun to have Gma & Gpa along for the adventure. T & I have pretty strong feelings that art is a very important part of our culture, so we were glad to be able to share even this small sliver with our kiddos while they are young.

The following morning, we walked down the beach to the AMI Beach Cafe for breakfast. After ordering nearly half of the breakfast menu, I had a bit of regret thinking I ordered entirely too much, but it ended up being perfect. C loved his bagel with cream cheese, and G ate double his weight in breakfast food - seriously! He had 2 sausage patties, oatmeal, breakfast potatoes, and  2 1/2 pieces of toast!!!

After breakfast, both boys enjoyed playing on the beach...G with some borrowed sand toys, and C playing paddle ball with Gma J. C is a little sports fanatic, and any athletic activity he can try his hands at, he is happy! I've got to say, he picked up paddle ball pretty quickly, and we may have to invest in a set for our house this summer for outside playing! On our walk back to the house, G enjoyed wearing his new shades which earned him the nickname of 'Hollywood'.

After we got home from breakfast and the beach, the boys had a great time hanging out by the pool and splashing around in the water. They ended up getting so wet that we just threw life jackets on and let them go in with street clothes instead of swim trunks. C was in heaven playing with kick boards and about 12 various sized cups to dump and pour water into, while G was an absolute riot after he got his life jacket on and then went full steam ahead straight into the water. He didn't stop until his feet went out from under him, and he flopped into a back float. Of course, he thought this was about the most funny thing ever (it was!), and he got to giggling and kicking his legs when he fell onto his back splashing around, and had to repeat the move about 200x before we could get him convinced that it was time to get out and cleaned up. As much as he loved swimming, I think it is safe to say that he had equal if not more enjoyment from standing in the outdoor shower in the sunshine to warm up. He'd probably still be standing there now if we would have let him!

Later that evening, we tried out a new Italian restaurant on the island, Isola Bella. C ate nearly his entire kids meal of chicken, along with some fresh mozzarella and bruschetta for an appetizer and ice cream for dessert. He had so much fun sitting next to Gma J & Gpa K, and just loved having everyone out to eat together. I think big family meals are going to be a highlight of his childhood! G, meanwhile, was a bit harder to control, but he made new friends with a few of the tables close to us turning on his full flirt mode blowing kisses and pulling out his shy little smirk anytime someone caught him watching.

The following morning, we kicked the day off with a second trip to The Donut Experiment. We weren't originally planning to go, but C insisted on donuts, so...we caved. I think the boys each had two entire donuts to themselves! After breakfast, we packed up the car and headed south about half an hour for a visit to St. Armand's Circle, a favorite shopping & dining area that is so much fun to walk around. G fell asleep on the way, so when we arrived, C & I had some special mommy & me time where I let him choose the shops we should go in. We had fun exploring shoe stores, and gift shops before G woke up and we met up for lunch at Shore Diner, a delicious lunch spot if you're ever in the area!

This picture cracks me up! G was so excited about playing in the sand, that he decided to throw some up in the air. Obviously...instant regret! Those faces just say it all!

Later that day, we made it back out to the beach for sunset, and a little playtime in the sand. The weather was cool, but the boys didn't seem to mind! T & I snuck out for a late date night after getting the boys settled in for the evening, and enjoyed a couple hours of adult time (and delicious desserts from the hands-down best dessert bar around) at our favorite Euphemia Haye on Longboat Key. So soooo good!

On our last full day in Anna Maria, we had a great time on a boat ride on the ocean with Gpa T & Gma J. T spotted some dolphins, the boys got to see how the drawbridge goes up to let big boats go through, and they enjoyed sharing the captain seat with Gpa T. Later, it was back to the pool for some more splashing around, and then a quiet night before packing up to leave the following morning. We had such a fun trip, and are so thankful to have had family there to share it with. Can't wait until next time!