Leighton had a great time on our vacation, you could just see it in her little face. This was her sixth trip to the beach and for the first time you could tell she was having a blast. Every other trip it seemed like she was just tagging along to whatever Toby & I were doing. This time, SHE dictated what we did and when we did it. She was definitely the boss of us and our little boss had two weeks full of first times...
It was the first time she put her toes in the sand without freaking out.
We started bringing her to the beach in September 2009 when she was two months old and have been every few months since. She has never been a fan of the sand! When we would go to the beach she would sit so still on her blanket under the umbrella & not move an inch for fear of the dreaded sand. Actually, looking back, it was kind of nice & relaxing for us because we never had to worry about her getting too much sun or wandering away. Even though it was easier, we desperately wanted her to enjoy the beach and could not believe our eyes when she walked right out on the beach the first day like she had been doing it all along!
We should have known she would do it when SHE was good and ready. She's done everything that way her whole life (take a bottle, sleep through the night, start talking, the list goes on and on) but we were still surprised she took to it so quickly this trip. By the second day, she was walking all over the place and even taking her beloved baby around to show her the ocean. It was so adorable.
Later in the week she even got down to play in the sand with a friend :) There is absolutely no way she would have done this during our trip last fall...NO WAY. It was really just more proof (as if we needed any) that she is becoming a little girl.
With the sand conquered so easily, we decided it was time to take her to play putt-putt for the first time. She LOVED it. There is really no greater feeling as a parent than watching your child truly enjoy something. From the the moment they handed her a club you could tell she felt like a big girl.
She got the hang of things pretty fast and loved marching across the green to make her shot and grab her ball. She would jump up and down and yell "MINE" when her ball went in.
She had such a fun time and it helped that the course was surrounded by waterfalls which she became obsessed with during the trip. I swear we heard her scream "WA-WAHHHHHH" a bajillion times lol.
The second week we decided to take a break from the beach for the day and head to Busch Gardens in Tampa. My little sister, Kylee, had flown in for the second week so we decided it was a good time to go since she and Toby could ride the roller coasters while I made sure Leighton had some fun ;) She was ready to see these "rides" we had been telling her about but first I made her pose for a picture.
We headed straight for the Sesame Street rides and Leighton was amazed by the jungle ropes! Mama sat out on the climbing adventure, I didn't think my back could take it! Here is a picture of Lei, Daddy and Aunt Ky-Ky in the tree tops!
Next, we headed to the Safari carousel and she was very unsure about it at first. She refused to sit on her own animal so we chose a spot where we could sit together.
Of course, by the end she didn't want to get off. She is almost always unsure of things at first. With her new found confidence from the carousel we took her right over to ride the ferris wheel and swings. She was in LOVE! She grabbed my hand when we got on the ferris wheel and held it the entire time. It was so sweet.
By the time she rode the swings she didn't need any reassurance and hopped right on. When the ride was over she sweetly insisted on "one more peeease."
We had a great time at Busch Gardens. It was SOOO hot and there may have been a moment where the pregnant one in the bunch thought she was going to DIE but a large blue and red icee and a drenching from a water ride helped (standing on the bridge getting splashed, not riding) :) Leighton had a blast in the splash area in Sesame Street but I'm saving those pictures for a post dedicated to her obsession with water (she is totally obsessed). It was a fun break from the beach and a great family day.
When my sister flew in, she brought a special surprise for Leighton from my Nanny, a mini DVD player. Leighton has just recently started to be interested in tv. They are her "shooooows" and she is mostly in love with the Wiggles "Iggles" so it was no surprised she was amazed by the DVD player and doubly amazed with the new Wiggles video :) She had never watched tv on a mini DVD player before so of course I had to capture the moment!
DO not let this picture fool you though, she is not completely entertained by the video and fast forwards through most of the songs to find her favorite ones (thanks to Aunt Kylee for teaching her how to fast forward so we don't have to). Her favorite song is not a song at all but an instructional guide in the middle of the video on how to keep your baby safe while sleeping. Only my child...
My child is also probably the only 22 month old that has never taken a nap on a couch before. Well that is until this trip! Another first :)
At home, Leighton is the BEST sleeper. She goes down for her nap and bedtime after a short routine and sleeps great. It is something I am very thankful for. She doesn't cry or fight sleep and she ONLY likes to sleep in her bed. This trip she decided that she was not going to sleep in her pack n' play (this has never been an issue with a trip before) and would only sleep nuzzled in between Toby and me in our queen bed. She also decided that anytime between 5:30 and 7:30 am was an acceptable time to wake up for the day (she usually sleeps until 9 at home). All three of us were so exhausted by the end of the trip and I really think her pure exhaustion is the only reason she fell asleep on the couch. If you know my child, you know just how particular she is!!
We all had such a great time on the trip and couldn't have been happier that Leighton enjoyed herself so much. I loved capturing all of her "firsts" and can't help but feel sad that part of my baby is slipping away. I am happy knowing that I am gaining a little girl who is so sweet and such an individual. Watching her grow up is bittersweet but
mostly sweet.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. --Proverbs 22:6
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