Florida Vacation

We took our first family vacation as just our family of four the week before Labor Day. We traveled by plane from Indy to Tampa and stayed just outside Clearwater on Sand Key. We picked that area because Karl and I have been there a few times and just love it there. Very easy to get to, lots to do, great beaches and affordable. We weren't ready to try Disney World yet but this offered a lot of options for us if we wanted to get ambitious with the girls or just relax close to the hotel.

Living close to the airport definitely helps and we easily made it through security with no issues. Opting for late morning flights was also strategic on our part and worked out very well, we were able to get Ally lunch in the airport before we left and Hadley was awake and alert right up until we got on the plane when she ate and fell asleep during take off.  Ally was entertained with movies, book and coloring and its a quick1 hour and 40 minutes direct into Tampa.  We stayed at a Marriott just off the beach with a suite room so the girls could have the living space and we could close the door to the bedroom as needed for us. Ally loved the pull out couch and Hadley did great in the pack and play the hotel provided.  We had the option of taking the provided golf cart ride to the nice clean beach or hanging out at the awesome hotel pool so we did a lot of both! We spent another one of the days in Tampa visiting the aquarium. It was a great way to keep cool inside for a few hours and then play on the giant splash park outside before we headed back to the hotel pool.

We only had one stormy morning but it cleared up in time for us to do a pirate cruise in the afternoon. This was definitely the highlight of the trip for Ally! It was a 2 hour ride on a 3-story pirate ship with lots of kids activities perfect for her age. They got hats, squirt guns, face paint, hunted for treasure, read a story, fired a canon, played musical chairs and had a dance party. It was really hot and humid but Hadley slept most of the trip in the shade and Ally played the whole time. She even finished 2nd in the giant game of musical chairs!

All in all it was a very nice trip. Less stressful than I expected and we really planned perfectly because the area got very crowded on the weekend. We came back on Sunday and had the extra holiday on Monday to relax and recover at home. Both girls did very well, loved the pool time and ate and napped better than usual for the most part. I wish we would have been able to get a nice family photo on the beach but maybe next time.

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Same Ally, Different Hair Style

 

Recognize this girl? A couple of weeks ago, Ally saw me using a flat iron on my hair and asked me to use it on her hair. I did a little tiny piece and it really didn't even work but she thought it was awesome. We decided to give it a try again that night after bath and here is the end result. She wanted me to blow dry it and use the flat iron so she could look like "a straight-y hair girl."  I didn't spend a ton of time on it because I was too afraid she would freak out with either me pulling too hard or the loud noise of the dryer but she was so happy. She stood perfectly still the whole time and stared right into the mirror to watch. She has a ton of hair so I think I could get it all to stay straight if I spent more time but this was good enough for her. It didn't last long, by morning it was already curling back up underneath and around her face but she was excited to show her friends at school. Amazing how she looks like a totally different person. Her hair is so light from the summer sun and so long!

Daddy wasn't a big fan but if doing this gets this big of a smile, I think I can manage that every once in a while. She is still the same crazy kid either way!

Summer Milestones

Ally takes a big jump on her own!

 

Hadley tries rice cereal for the first time!

Hadley: 5 Months Old

Today we are celebrating month 5 with Hadley! She is really becoming her own little person now and has learned a lot of new things over the last few weeks.  At her doctors appointment on August 13 she weighed in at 15 lbs, 9 oz and measured 25.75" long.  She took her shots like a champ again.
Here are some of the new things she is doing:

• Can roll from front to back to the left only so far
• Can hold her head and chest all the way up when on her tummy, she loves to look around and reach for her toys
• Sleeps on her tummy at night sometimes
• Discovered she has feet and likes to grab them
• Wants to sit up all the time but hasn't quite mastered it on her own
• Likes to splash in the swimming pool but not crazy about her star fish float
• Everything goes in her mouth!
• Thinks pulling hair is a fun thing to do to sister and mommy
• Tried rice cereal for the first time last night
• Starting to really dislike her car seat
• Has become a wiggle worm on the changing table
• Loves to talk to her many friends that come to visit
• Wearing size 2 diapers and 6 month/3-6 month clothes
• Can stand flat footed in her bouncer but hasn't quite figured out how to jump yet

Tummy Time Friends

This is a picture Hadley's day care teacher, Lori sent me this morning. She is enjoying some tummy time with her friend Winston. He is a week older than she is and they have lots of fun together. I love getting photos of the girls while I am at work! I wonder what they are talking about...