Winter Beach Trip - really long post…

Around the beginning of last week, Daniel and I realized that I had several days off in a row over the weekend, so we planned a last minute trip down to Gulf Shores to see Grumps and Grandmother.  I worked on Wednesday and Daniel went in for a half-day on Thursday while I tried to pack us all up.  We didn’t end up getting out of town until about 6:30pm (about an hour later than we had planned), but it worked out well.  We stopped to eat dinner and let Samuel get out and play a little bit. Then he watched some Elmo on our new headrest DVD player (thanks mom and dad!) and after a while passed out for the remainder of the drive down. It was about midnight, central time zone, by the time we rolled in and Marble was very happy to be out of the car.

Samuel didn’t wake up when Daniel carried him upstairs or when he laid him in his crib. But somehow (after we’d been there about 10 minutes already unpacking) I snuck in to put some more of Samuel’s things in his room and he stood straight up in his Pack-N-Play and started calling out for Mama!! I could have kicked myself – just wait a few more minutes before you go barging into the lightly-sleeping baby’s room, please! I tried to calm him down, and talked to him for a bit, but he was still crying pretty hard by the time we were ready for bed (which didn’t take long considering we were so beat from the car ride). We were afraid he was going to wake Grumps and Grandmother because he was getting so loud. So Daniel, in his own ingenious and compassionate way, walked into Samuel’s room, turned on the lights, picked him up, and started giving him a short tour of the condo.  Samuel of course stopped crying immediately because he was being held, but you could tell he was really interested in what Daniel was saying. He showed him the kitchen and bathroom, pointed out a few things in Samuel’s room, and let him turn on a few lights so that he wouldn’t feel so strange in such an unfamiliar place. Then he walked into our room where I was laying in the bed and showed him “mama and papa are going to go to sleep in here,” to which Samuel whole-heartedly agreed. Then he walked him back into his room, turned off the lights, laid him down, said night-night, and that was that.  Samuel was obviously satisfied, because he fell right asleep. He just needed some orientation as to where he was, so novel…  I was very impressed.

 

Even though the weather stayed pretty cold throughout our trip, we still had a great time relaxing and spending time with Grumps and Grandmother. Saturday, Samuel and I went to a bake/odds and ins sale with Grandmother to show him off to some of her long-time friends, the Shells, and to support their church fundraiser. I let him run loose a little bit in the auditorium and, first thing, he found this enormous framed picture of a lion and started roaring at the top of his lungs! He definitely drew some attention from the ladies standing nearby, but they were very impressed. :)

That night, when we were getting Samuel out of the tub, I heard drums and music playing. I looked out the window to see a giant herd of people standing out of the street in front of the condo and Mardi Gras floats and a marching band passing by!  We hurried Samuel to the window to see.  He and I put coats on and stood out on the hallway balcony dancing and watching the lighted floats go by, but it was pretty cold and getting late. So and for the next 10 minutes or so he stood inside, pointing and talking to the window, mostly calling out for the “choo-choo” going past (in the dark, I could definitely see how he might have thought it looked like a train).

  Sunday, we went to church with Grumps, and Samuel had a great time playing in the church nursery.  When we came to pick him up, he ran and jumped back on the rocking horse and didn’t want to leave! Sam and I also ventured out to play on the great playground near the condo, and I was impressed at how well he climbed and slid down the slides by himself.  I started out climbing steps behind him and walking with him across the bridges and showing him where to go, but eventually he decided he wanted me on the ground and to walk up top by himself.  I was getting ready to slide down a tunnel slide with him when he turned around, held up his little hand, and told me “No!” He wanted to go down by himself – back off mama! So after that, I followed him around on the ground as he navigated his own way through the elevated part of the playground.

I also had the bright idea to take him down to the indoor pool at the condo on our first day there. It’s a “heated” pool…sort of.  It was luke warm, not warm enough to stay in for very long, but he still had a great time playing on the steps and walking off the edge of the pool into my arms (I won’t say he jumped, yet :)

By the time we were about ready to head back, I decided to warm up a bit and get in the hot tub with him for a few minutes. Daniel came down to see how we were doing about the time we were getting out, so he thought he’d help by taking Samuel up so I could sit in the hot tub a few more minutes by myself.  A very generous gesture, especially since Samuel gave him more than he’d bargained for!  He screamed the whole time we were toweling him off, the trip upstairs with Daniel, and the whole time he was getting his dry clothes on, crying “I-ont pool!” (translation: I want pool). Daniel said it was awful, but I was just thankful to have a few minute to sit by myself in the bubbles…

The next day I was foolish enough to try it again and he did ok, but still kicked and screamed and embarrassed us getting him out of his swim diaper and wrapped in a towel.  I had to take him up this time, but he did fine once I got him upstairs.

Grandmother fixed us some great dinners while we were down there and Samuel loved her creamed potatoes and grits. He even ate her scrambled eggs, which he has always turned his nose up for me in the past! And all weekend he kept asking for “more bwed!” (bread) :)

 

Valentines night, Daniel and I put Samuel down for bed and then were able to go out for a delicious dinner thanks to Grumps and Grandmother. We even were able to go down to the hot tub one evening, too. 

Samuel had a great time playing with his Gigi and Grumps! He and I were playing around with a fleece blanket and I wrapped in around him and told him to go show Gigi. She called him “the King!” and made him a crown to go with his cape! She even made a cape and crown for his new Elmo doll that I found for him last week, too! When we left, he  kept calling for "Gigi!” on the ride home! It was heartbreaking to have to tell him that Gigi and Grumps were back at their home at the beach and that we’d see them later.  He sort of got it…

 

It was a great trip and I can’t wait to go back when it gets warm again!