2/20 Last day of sun and the trip home

What a beautiful morning!!! Brooklyn and I got up around 5:30am and after feeding her, I set her in the bouncy seat in the kitchen to hang with Mimi. I took the opportunity to take my coffee outside to the beach to watch the sunrise alone, Tuck was still sleeping too. It was really nice especially since it was almost the warmest day we’ve had yet.

After breakfast we all started to pack up early so that we’d have time to go out by the pool before driving home. We actually took Tuck and Brooklyn down to the beach for a walk and it was gorgeous out. Tuck ran all over the place and we all appreciated the warm sun at least for one day! After about an hour, we walked back inside to get on swimsuits and head to the pool. The pool’s are all solar heated and surprisingly it was risen a few degrees and felt nice. Tuck played with his trucks by the pool while we soaked up the sun…until he was trying to get in the water. Jay stood on the steps with him for awhile but then I got home and jumped in with him. Mimi bought him a kickboard that we played with as well. Little Brooklyn slept the whole time in her carseat at the pool’s edge and seemed to enjoy it as well.


We all ate lunch quickly, showered and we’re off by 1pm. It took Tuck a little while to settle before he could nap but he did and the first 5 hours went pretty quickly. We stopped in Savannah, GA to visit with our cousins, the Baynes family. They had a big dinner and we visited for about 3 hours. It was especially good for Tuck to run around and play, which he did the whole time. We had a great visit with them and of course the kids had fun entertaining Tuck and meeting Brooklyn. Around 9pm, we loaded the car back up and set off for the remaining 19 hours to Maine.

2/19 Sleeping in with Little Peanut

Brooklyn slept from 9pm to 2am, fed and then slept until 5:30. After feeding her again, we went back to sleep and she and I slept in until 8:30am. Apparently we missed a gorgeous sunrise, but it was worth it because I was pretty tired. Actually I got up and let Brooklyn keep snoozing and she didn’t wake until 9:30 this morning.







Since it was overcast and not particularly warm, we drove into town to hit the outlets while Jay and Tuck biked to the park. They had a great time and Tuck was loving the slides. They stayed for awhile and then biked back just about the time we finished up as well. There are always some really good deals down here so I found some neat clothes for the kids plus I got Jay some sunglasses because he didn’t have his here.

After lunch, while Tuck and Brooklyn were napping, I went out to the pool with Mimi, Poppy and Janet. Jay napped as well inside with them…couldn’t believe they all napped at the same time, rare occurrence. Tuck had a nice two-hour long nap and after a snack, we all bundled up for pictures and a walk down the beach. Poppy walked outside with us and took our first family pictures for us. It’s not easy getting Tuck to look at the camera and smile, especially when it’s cold and there’s birds flying around.





We took several pictures and went for a nice long walk. We haven’t spent nearly as much time on the beach as we normally do because it has been cold but it still feels great to walk barefoot on the sand. Tucky found some shells, picking them all up to bring home. He also found a few big sand drifts that he wanted to jump off of. He flew through the air and one time went a little too big, scaring himself, but he really likes it when the sand collapses under him. It started to get cool so we walked back and got things ready for dinner. Brooklyn was nice and cozy in the Bjorn and is up for anything, as long as she’s snuggling!

Last night in Florida…kids went down well, not looking forward to the drive back to Maine right now. It was the second night in a row that Tucky did poops on the potty and he was so proud of himself that we had to call people so he could say, “Bye Poops” to them! He actually went twice tonight although we caught the second one halfway completed in his diaper. Oh well, he’s trying and doing so well, even though we’re not really starting to potty train yet.

2/18 Morning by pool, afternoon on the beach

Another super windy day in cool Florida. I thought we’d hit the pool or beach this morning but it was chilly so we hung out inside and eventually walked down to the pool around 11. We brought trucks for Tuck to play with so we could sit in the sun and read, without him constantly trying to get in the pool. He actually did very well, visiting each of us for the hour or so we were out. It was nice and warm when you’re out of the wind and we actually got some good color.

After Tuck’s nap, Mimi, Poppy and I brought him outside to play on the beach. It was the first day we brought chairs and toys out because of the weather. Poppy set up his digger and tried to help him learn to use it. He’s still a little small but he liked trying anyway. We made sand castles and played on the sand drifts. Poppy hid below one and Tuck thought that was just awesome. Jay brought Brooklyn out and Janet came too. It really was very windy so we didn’t stay out too long but we had fun nonetheless.







Tuck and I took a quick shower and then I brought Brooklyn with everyone to do a quick outlet trip and visit with Annie. Jay brought Tuck on a bike ride down to the park. They played on the playground, had an ice cream and some good bonding time. We got to visit with Annie again and she looked better today, more rested. We stayed for about an hour and then drove back to have dinner. We’ve had some later dinners/nights down here but Tuck has adjusted well, although we’ll be back to schedule again in a few days I hope. He’s such an easy going kid and has been really good down here, getting plenty of attention.





Oh big news, Tuck had his first poopie on the potty tonight. He was standing trying to push one out so we asked him if he wanted to try and he did because he loves to flush the toilet. I wasn’t expecting much but he went and we made a big deal out of it for him!!! He’s such a big boy now! “Bye Bye poo,” he says!

2/17 7 weeks old

Everyone was very tired this morning… Poppi and Mimi picked up Janet and Jay in Orlando and returned here at 2:30am. Yikes! I had just fallen back to sleep myself after feeding Brooklyn at 1:30am. We all slept in as much as we could, but the one little guy who got the full nights sleep was ready to go of course. He was very excited to see Daddy and “Nahne”, jumping on her immediately…haha

We took a nice and easy morning, eating a late breakfast and just hanging out. It was very cold out again this morning, and super windy so there was really no hurry to get outside unfortunately. We did pack up and head down to the club pool again, thinking the water would be warm, but with these cold nights, it really cooled down. It didn’t stop Tuck, but we didn’t stay too long. Brooklyn again was really good, hanging tight on Daddy’s chest.


Tuck was really cold, even though he didn’t want to get out of the water. It surely wasn’t helping him beat his cold and constant runny nose. We went back to the condo, had lunch and Tuck took a nap. I fed Brooklyn again and let her lie on her mat and kick. Jay hung out with Brooklyn while Tuck napped and I got to go out and lie by the pool. It was relaxing to just sit in the sun and read, not listening to the monitor and checking to make sure Brooklyn was covered. I stayed out for about an hour or so and Tuck ended up sleeping for 2 1/2 hours! It’s so cute because when he wakes up, he picks out one person and goes to them to cuddle with for a little, or until something grabs his attention.

We knew it was too cold to hit the beach, so we decided to go for a walk on the road. I put on my rollerblades to go along with them while Janet walked Brooklyn in the Baby Bjorn. Amy and Jeff also put on rollerblades and joined us as well. Jay and Tuck then went and got out the bike and we went for a stroll around the loop. After working up a little sweat, we decided to give the beach a try and it was actually not that bad. It was windy, but warm enough. We walked back towards the sand dunes and just hung out on the beach. Tuck was loving it, picking up shells and playing in the sand. He’s so cute with his rolled up pants and chubby little feet. His pants kept falling off his skinny body as we piled in shell after shell. We have a big bag of them already… Poppy said I did the same thing and he probably still has them at their house...

We had a big family dinner tonight before Amy and Jeff fly home tomorrow. Tuck was exhausted and crashed right after. Brooklyn just wanted to snuggle…she acts like she’s hungry all the time. She’s 7 weeks old today and must be in a huge growth spurt because we aren’t making the 3 hour mark very often. Mimi gave her a bath and then Jay gave her 3-4 ounces in a bottle… which she gobbled down. I had just fed her about two hours earlier and she was ready again. As soon as she ate, she crashed as well. Now we get to sit back, relax and watch some Olympics on TV.

2/16 – more beach time – meeting Great-Grandmother

Another super cold morning in Florida so we decided that after breakfast we’d venture into town and do a little shopping. We hit Bells, Mimi’s favorite store, and they shopped while I kept Tuck entertained. Brooklyn just slept in her carseat and didn’t make a peep. After a little shopping I brought Tuck over to Target to let him pick out a little treat for being such a big boy on the long drive south. He picked a tractor trailer truck for his Hot Wheels cars and a little car that looks like Uncle Jeffy’s. He was pretty excited about the truck and called it his “Mack.”

We drove back in time for lunch and Tuck’s nap. He has a slight cold so he needs his sleep although he doesn’t always want to take a nap. While he napped, I took Brooklyn outside to the pool area and we sat in the sun. Actually she was all bundled up and showing no skin, but at least she could feel the warmth.







After waking up from his nap, Tuck was ready to run so we all meandered out to the beach. He was chasing birds, picking up shells, jumping in the sand and throwing a ball into the water. He really liked watching it land in the water and splash around, watching it sometimes float back. Tuck didn’t want to get wet though, “No wet,” he’d say to the water. It was really funny because he was calling the terns “Baby duck.” I love how he’s starting to combine a lot of words now, he’s really talking a lot!

We then got cleaned up and drove over to Annie’s. Brooklyn got to meet Great-Grandmother Annie for the first time. It was pretty special but tough at the same time since Annie has had some serious health problems as of late. She still looks beautiful and it was great to see her, plus I could tell she was excited to see the kids!




Jay and Janet fly in tonight, late tonight though with the snow in the Northeast. Tuck will be very excited to see him and play, play, play.

2/15 Slightly warmer day

Brooklyn had issues the last two evenings with gas but Mimi gave her some formula last night to fill her up and she slept very well. She woke at 12:30 to feed, quickly back to bed, then at 4:30am, back to bed until I had to change her at 5:30, but then she slept until 8:45am. I was even able to sleep until 8:30 because Tuck didn’t wake up until 9am! Yehaa!





It was a much warmer day so after Poppy’s famous egg McMullin sandwiches, we got dressed and ready for the pool. Tuck’s phrase of the day lately is, “More pool, Mommy”, love it! We tried sitting in the sun out in front of the condo, but Tuck really wanted to swim so we moved the group down to the club pool again. I fed Brooklyn and then she crashed and took her morning nap on the lawn chairs poolside. It was really cute and she was very comfortable! It also allowed me to swim with Tuck. He was jumping in off the side and loving every second. We swam for awhile but lunchtime crept up quickly.





After lunch, more playtime inside and a nap, Tuck woke up around 3pm. Brooklyn was sleeping on Auntie Amy’s chest, so Jeff, Mimi and I took Tuck for a walk down the beach. We found shells, played on the steep sand breaks, and ran on the beach. He really likes playing on the beach and I love watching him!





We went back after an hour or so and it was good timing because Brooklyn was waking. After feeding her again, I took them both down to the beach to take some photos. Amy and Jeff took pictures of us, and I absolutely love them! Brooklyn was very wide awake and Tuck was cooperative. I wish Jay was with us too, but we’ll take more in a couple days. It was very mild out, still warm and no wind. What a gorgeous day.





Mimi made a great steak dinner and Tuck got to stay up and eat with us finally. We watched a little Olympics on tv, the downhill, and then Tuck crashed. I tucked him in, read “Goodnight Moon”, sang two songs and told him good night, he fell asleep on his own. What a good little boy! Mimi gave Brooklyn 2 more ounces by bottle after I fed her and she crashed too. She must be in a growth spurt of something, hungry little bugger.


Funny story – sort of… I was changing Brooklyn this morning and Amy was by my side, when I bent down because I wanted to make sure she was very clean. Well, when I picked her up she had a huge explosion, covering my shirt and hitting my face. It was so nasty and Amy just about hit the floor laughing, but it comes with the territory I guess.