Florida Families Vacation

This summer our family joined two others for a week long vacation in South Florida. Justin and 2 of his closest friends turned/turn 40 and the wives decided last year we wanted to celebrate together. So here is the breakdown:

Family 1 - Hometown Atlanta
Frank & Allison
Carl (6), Natalie (5), John (3), and Katherine (18 mos)

Family 2 - Hometown Boston
Adam & Katy
Stephen (2) and Max (4 mos)

Family 3 - Hometown Charleston
Justin & Sara
Brooks (2) and Carly (9 mos)

Yes, that's right. We had a total of 8 children under the age of 6 all together under one roof. Our "beach" house was located on the inter coastal just a few blocks from the ocean. The house itself did not meet our expectations, but we managed to get over the fact that just about every major appliance didn't work and enjoy ourselves.

Justin and I started our car ride down Friday night after work. The total drive time is probably 8 hours without stops. We split our trip down into two days for a couple reasons. One being the kids would sleep a majority of the way to Jacksonville which is about halfway. Our Saturday split took nearly all day, but we took our time and made a few "long" stops along the way. Overall, the kids did very well and any crying was because the movie stopped playing in the car. We also decided to face Carly forward (worth risking a ticket) and you can tell by the picture she felt like a queen.

Chaos started the moment we walked into the house. Thankfully all the kids got along. I didn't see any pushing, hitting or biting. All things I thought for sure might happen. We spent much of the week at the beach or in the pool. The pool ended up being a place where Brooks recorded some major milestones, memories and the site where he learned how to swim underwater. I think the older kids, Carl and Natalie, inspired him to shake off the arm floaties.

 

Brooks still needs to learn how to use his arms instead of kicking like a bullet. Justin became a fan favorite and turned into the buoy in which everyone held onto for dear life. By the end of the week all of the kids lined up along the side of the pool to take their turn jumping in the water.

Even Stephen and Katherine who mostly walked around the pool in life jackets took part in the synchronized swimming.

 

As I mentioned the beach was our other main attraction, a short five minute walk from the house. Getting ready for the morning side activity proved to be challenging packing bags with every necessity, but we managed to scramble fast enough we could get out the door without too many meltdowns. This is a picture of Stephen, Brooks and John pre-beach visit.

Once we got to our spot in the sand we built sand castles, burried body parts, swam in the ocean, boogie boarded and a couple of the kids caught a nap in the shade.

We struggled to find other activities during the week that were as much fun as the pool or beach. We did find an indoor play area called A Latte Fun which provided adults a jolt of coffee while the children bounced off the walls next door. We also spent one of the days at a children's water park. I caught this picture of Carly who LOVED splashing in the water.

Another fun activity the kids enjoyed was walking to the ice cream store just down the street from the house. Along the way we found a "nature preserve" with a walking path. The only "nature" we found in the over grown bushes were lizzards which you could find in the driveway. This is just before we left for our walk... one of my favorites of the week.

And this picture is how Carly looked when I checked to see if she fell asleep halfway through our walk.

We had an amazing week. Justin is very blessed to have such great friends from his childhood and their families are some of my favorite people. Adam and Katy will probably remember how Stephen didn't nap, eat or sleep at night all week long. Frank and Allison will probably wish they lived near the beach because their children could literally swim all day and still stay up past 10 o'clock. Proof that this did happen.

Justin and I will probably regret taking the swimmies/floaties off Brooks' arms as he now loves to run and jump in the pool in the one spot where we are *not* waiting for him. We've already started talking about our next families vacation for 2013.

And this is how our kiddos looked 20 minutes after we started heading home on our 8 hour car ride.



 

Sibling Shots

Over the past few months I've taken a few snapshots of Brooks and Carly together. Many people tell me Carly is starting to look more like Brooks as she gets older. I've always felt like they shared similar features, but their similarities are definately becoming more apparent. The first four pictures are mid to the end of May. Carly is 7 months old. The last four pictures are during the July 4th holiday where Carly is now 8 1/2 months old. Take a look:

The Next Michael Phelps?

He may not be an Olympic swimmer, but Brooks is in no way afraid of the water. We introduced him to swimmies/floaties over Memorial Day weekend. The only problem... he's ready to jump in the pool with or without them. On the other hand, if you can get them on his scrawny arms quickly, you don't have to chase him around to make sure he doesn't jump in and drown. He loves the water and doesn't even mind getting his head wet. Unfortunately, the video is sideways so you will have to crook your head a bit to watch it.

Since then, we have been to our community pool numerous times. The other day for the 4th Brooks was in the water before Justin had finished putting on his sunscreen. Swimteam just might be one of the many activities Brooks participates in as a child.

A Little Catching Up to Do

Doctor visits, Easter, church dedication and a birthday celebration. That pretty much sums up the past four months of our lives.

Doctor Visits:
It started with Pneumonia. Brooks ran a 103 degree fever for a couple of days and then it spiked to 105. That would mark our first emergency room visit. His x-ray appeared clear, he received a breathing treatment and some Motrin. Within minutes, the happy Brooks came back.

We went to the doctor's office four out of the five days that week for Brooks. We also brought Carly for two of those visits because she started coughing and sounding terrible. Almost exactly a week later we went back to the ER, this time with Carly. And, this time we wouldn't go back home. We took Carly to the hospital near our house, but after an hour and no improvement in Carly's oxygen levels the doctors sent us to the Children's hospital downtown via ambulance. Carly's first ride in an ambulance. My first ride in an ambulance.

The medic had to ask me how he should strap the car seat to stretcher. We arrived at MUSC and our room quickly filled with nurses. They put Carly on breathing tubes, a couple of monitors and inserted an IV which they wrapped up with a diaper (otherwise known as the boxing glove).

We visited with the doctor, but he said her stats did not meet their criteria for being released.  Thankfully, the nurses assigned us a double room meaning we didn't have to stay in a shoebox. Carly and I spent the next four nights at MUSC. Her bed looked very much like a monkey's cage with a nest of sheets.

By the end of the week Carly's oxygen levels finally stopped triggering the alarm and the doctor's released us Saturday afternoon. We would spend the next three months at the doctor's office every week and sometimes twice a week. Carly would improve, but never fully recover. Our pediatrician sent us to an asthma/allergist specialist during that time who thought she had acid reflux which was causing her to stay congested. We did an airway/swallow study and the results came back negative for any abnormalities. Next would be the acid reflux test, but Carly couldn't take it because she was throwing up all the time. Finally, after weeks and weeks of frustration, the doctor agreed to put her on Previcid. Within 24 hours she stopped throwing up and within the week she almost seems normal. She still coughed a bit, but it's the best she's sounded since she first contracted RSV. I can't say reflux is the problem, only because she caught a cold recently, but this time we didn't have to pull her out of daycare for a week and she's not coughing herself into vomiting fits. (Sounds lovely huh?)

Easter:
I really enjoyed Easter this year because 1) Lena came to visit and 2) Brooks took part in a couple of egg hunts. Lena is my sister, Joanna's, 2 year old daughter. They live in Charlotte and thankfully we get to see each other quite a few times a year. I love when Lena and Brooks can play together because they get along well and it takes fewer bribes to get either one of them to follow instructions. If one wants to do it, then the other wants to do the same. Plus, the 48 hour visit is usually just the right amount of time before the two turn on each other. That's when everything becomes "mine" and hitting or biting might occur. Ha, ha.

Saturday morning, Rachel (my sister who lives  here in CHS), invited us to her church for an Easter egg hunt. We tried to capture a picture of Lena and Brooks, but as you can imagine neither can look at the camera simultaneously.

It took awhile for everyone to arrive and prepare for the actual event. Finally, they gathered all the toddlers and let them lose in the backyard of the church which they had sprinkled with hundreds of eggs. Many kids took off like pros and then there was Brooks who needed a few instructions. "Do you see any eggs Brooks? Let's go pick one up. Good job. Now put it in your basket. Ok, do you see any more eggs? Pick it up and put it in your basket." I think we collected 15 or so in our basket. Each one filled with candy I dreaded he would want to eat. Here's his "Really ma? Another picture?" look.

Sunday we held our homemade egg hunt after Lena and Brooks napped. I think Joanna and I (or maybe just me) were more excited about it than the kids. I thought for sure they would run out the door and start collecting eggs. Especially, not that they had one hunt under their belt.

But, as you can see they masked their joy for carrying around a basket. Once again, we provided step by step instructions on how to gather eggs and put them in our baskets. This hunt took a little longer since we had just two toddlers and fifty million eggs all over the lawn.

One of my favorite times over the weekend was a short period of time we spent on the front porch. We have two small camping chairs for Lena and Brooks. Joanna and I tried to use the chairs as props for pictures, but again, epic fail with two 2 year old children. Here are a few snapshots.

I texted my Dad the last picture and his response: "I didn't know unconscious was a face a two year old could make." I have no idea what they were doing or why they were pretending to sleep b/c it was only for a minute, long enough to take the picture.

Church Dedication:
Two weeks after Easter we had Carly's dedication at church. It turned into a really neat weekend because we celebrated Brooks' birthday as well. We originally scheduled the dedication back in January, but canceled due to our hospital visit for RSV. I'll admit I was a bit anxious about the dedication for many reasons. The process requires us to get up in front of the congregation and make a commitment to Carly. Then, the pastor takes the child for a (long) walk up and down the aisles for everyone to see/meet the baby. I felt the same nerves with Brooks. Typically the babies are younger, but we had both dedications when Brooks and Carly were 6 months old, old enough for them to be randomly afraid of strangers. I handed Carly over to Marshall and thought, if she's going to bust out crying it will happen now during the transfer. And, off he went and as he walked down the stairs to make his rounds, she gazed into his face so enthralled with his voice you could hear the congregation breath in and say how cute she looked. Carly starred at Marshall intently for the next 10 minutes. Ah-maze-ing. 

Birthday Celebration:
 Brooks turned 2! I'd love to say I can't believe Brooks is two, but honestly, it feels like he should be 5 years old. Plus, the celebration lasted all weekend starting Friday (actual birthday) when I decided to spend the day with him instead of sending him to school. Unfortunately, I used that day for wellness visits. :) My dad accompanied us on our trip to the doctor's office. Brooks was 34 inches tall and 29 lbs, both measurements in the 50th percentile. His head on the other hand still ranks in the 75th percentile. He didn't have to get any shots, but they did prick his finger for a glucose level. My dad said he watched the nurse take his finger, stick it, and then squeeze it for a sample all without shedding one tear. That's my boy.

The real birthday festivities started early Saturday morning. Rachel, Joanna and I took Brooks & Lena to the Lowcountry Children's Museum. It's the perfect place to waste and hour or two. The only problem we run into is we can barely get past the first room. It's filled with golf balls. And, out of all the sports that involve balls, golf is his favorite.

We spent a good couple of hours at the museum, headed home and took naps. Afterwards, the clan went to Blackbeard's Cove for a second round of running and entertainment. Kids under 3 are free! Lena and Brooks played a round of putt-putt, tumbled their way down a giant inflatable slide and played a few games. From what I hear, Lena needs a few golf lessons on the green.

The party train then headed over to Chick-fil-A for dinner, mostly because it has an indoor play gym. Also, because I figured he might actually eat something (other than oatmeal) with Lena around.

We ended the day at home with a little birthday cake. I decided to go with a golf theme which he expressed no major emotions when he saw it. Although, the golf cart does work. Plus, he nearly climbed out of his chair when we sang Happy Birthday and refused to blow out the candle. Good times.

I've heard many people tell me "he's all boy." Brooks likes to climb, jump, run, kick, throw and his favorite word is "nope."

A few weeks ago he started finishing his words so instead of buh, it's now bus and joo is now juice. It's a fun development to witness. Especially since I drop him off and pick him up at school. Our car rides are much less frustrating when you can semi understand what he needs or wants. One of his best skills at two is naming all the colors. Everything used to be blue or red. Then we introduced purple, yellow, green and orange. And now, he knows white, brown and gray. The gr sound is a bit challenging so we get "neen" and "ay" for those colors. 

Brooks also started stringing together three and four word sentences.
"I got it."
"I did it."
"Bye bye Daddy's car."

We say bye to everything. Bye house. Bye school. And, if we don't see something like the ducks or deer, they are "nigh, nigh."

Within the last week or so he's started asking "Where Carly go?" or when Justin goes to take a shower, "Where daddy go?" While the improved communication is fun we are experiencing what many like to call "the terrible two's." His mood swings are a bit ridiculous, but most of the time we can talk him down from the cliff. It takes quite a bit of patience and a little more interaction to keep his mind busy.

In a couple of weeks he will transition from the walker's class at school to the 2 year old classroom. Big changes to come!

Plus 1 Makes Four

We are now a family of four. Carly Alexa arrived October 20th at 7 in the evening. She weight 7lbs and 12 oz. Yes, a big baby for 3 weeks early. I describe her delivery as fast and furious. Much, much different than my experience with Brooks. Let's just say the epidural didn't work and now I know why woman in the movies scream.

In many ways taking care of Carly is like riding bike. Memories of Brooks came rushing back. Her personality, however, is vastly different. The most notable difference; she cries. Fortunately, it's only when she's hungry or tired. She's also the biggest social butterfly I've seen in a four month old. Her smile lights up her entire face and it's contagious. She giggles and is starting to laugh more out loud, especially when you tickle under her arms.

Brooks came to the hospital to meet his littler sister which he refers to as "baby." He didn't know what to think about her, but he did laugh, point and show a little affection. Then is was quickly back to jumping on the bed and launching himself onto the floor.

Brooks is still adjusting to Carly and the attention she receives from me or Justin. He does very well for an almost two year old. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when she starts crawling or walking.

Despite their gender differences both Brooks and Carly do look alike. I put together a calendar for Carly comparing the two with similar photos. She definitely has the feminine touch, but you can't deny they are related.

Brooks didn't let Carly steal the spotlight the day she came home from the hospital. Less than 8 hours later we went back because Brooks needed stitches. He slipped in the bathtub and hit the corner of his mouth. It looked like his teeth went straight through his lip. Of course we had a brief debate over whether or not he should go to the ER. Justin and his mom voted yes. I said, "he's fine." And, the deciding factor, my sister Joanna said "that looks deep." Ha, ha. Unfortunately, I could not go which meant the two biggest worry warts had to buck up and go. I tried to take a few pictures of his wound, but as you can tell someone was not in the mood.

I have yet to decide if I will just update the title of this blog or create a second one. I need a catchy title for either scenario.

Welcome to the world Miss Carly A.

Mr. Chatter Box

Brooks started saying his first words within the past few months and his vocabulary has grown quickly. He will attempt to say anything you ask although a lot of the times it comes out in various noises. His first word he said was "up" and "apple" came second. Here is a general list of what he can say and our translation.

Bow - Boat (Gemma taught him this and it's the first word he says when he sees her)
Car
Bawl - Ball
Nanna - Banana
Bah Bah - Bye Bye
Heh woe - Hello
Bobby - Paci (Not sure why it comes out as Bobby)
Mama
Dada
Behbee - Baby
Wa err - Water
Mow - More
Eat
Beat - Bite (This is also what he calls grapes b/c I always tell him to bite it)
Berry
Peas - Please
Baa - Bath
Iiiiii - Five (That's how high we count)
Go Go Go (He says this at anything that moves, but mostly football games.)
Walk

He can also run through family names. I have yet to catch this run through on video.
Emma - Gemma
On - John
Bean - Ben
Popi - He says that clearly.

Gramma - Mama
Pa pa (He says this like a little Hispanic child)
Ad a - Adam
Minnie - Mandy
Ree Ree - Rachel
Oh (Super high pitch) - Jo Jo

Lastly, we can do animal sounds and since I took this video he now knows what a horse and duck says. :)

Week of the Wallace's

I realize the Wallace family vacation took place in August and it's now mid-November, however, we moved to a new house and had a baby. I would love to say I hope I remember everything from that week, but there are only three things that are important to Justin, Ben, John and Gary. Beach, booze and the bean bag game. And, if I had to name a fourth, it's nap time.

The Wallace family has spent the last three summer vacations at a beach house in Murrells Inlet. Brooks learned how to roll from his stomach to his back at the house last summer. This year, Brooks learned the word "boat." Thanks to Gemma (Vicki) Brooks not only learned how to "say" boat, but he likes to say it with passion and excitement. He also learned how to say Uncle Ben's name.... here is some video of that. 

Brooks certainly fits in with the Wallace family favorite things to do. He has no fear of the water and without any supervision would keep walking into the ocean until he disappeared. He also found it entertaining to find seashells and throw them back into the water. He would get a good laugh out of that activity.


We found another water option for Brooks that required fewer watchful eyes and kept him contained to a smaller area. Gemma brought an aero pool which we filled up with a few feet of water. Brooks showed his super silly side playing in the pool. He thought it was hilarious to spin and slide his feet so he would fall and splash water in his face. I didn't capture that on video, but you do get to see his pure happiness of playing in the water. This video also shows his ability to drink the water and do his hulk impression.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of Brooks taking part in the other family favorites... bean bag toss and nap time.



The week also provided some precious moments of Justin and Brooks together. As you can see from nap time, they have similar sleeping positions. You can tell Brooks will grow up to have a great appreciation for vacation.


Uncle Terry and Aunt Mary spent the week with us as well. They live in Paducah and provided everyone with UK shirts. Brooks received a hat which he wore long enough to get this picture. :) The week went well although it did end quickly when hurricane Irene forced us to evacuate from the Inlet a couple days early. Fortunately, the system went North and only dumped a couple inches of rain in our area.