Destin with Friends

My good friend Sheryl (we lived in the same neighborhood in elementary school and went to the same church) and her husband Daniel came to visit us from Seattle for the 2nd time. We had a splendid time, as expected.

Sheryl and Daniel were so helpful with Alisa and she loved them. She didn't cry around Daniel like she does with most men that come into our house--she actually spent a lot of time playing with him because she really liked him. They also were so helpful in the kitchen. They made so many delicious meals for us and cleaned them up before I even knew what happened! It was so nice but I felt a bit guilty since they were the guests but seemed to be doing all the work.

Alisa and Minga liked playing with Daniel:

We decided at the last minute to make a trip to Destin for 2 nights. We rented our friends' beach house (a mere 2 blocks from the beach) and it was wonderful.

Sheryl taught Alisa a new dance move in the car on the way to Destin:

Alisa walked with Sheryl and Daniel to the beach store after lunch at Fudpuckers:

Here we are enjoying the pool at the beach house:

Sheryl and I took a peek at the beach while the guys kept swimming at the pool and Alisa took a nap:


Our first morning at the beach was cut short by a rainstorm:

Sheryl and Daniel spent one day with local friends while Craig, Alisa and I hung out with my cousin Steven and his wife Erin who flew in from Tulsa to vacation for the week. We ate lunch on the patio at Hard Rock Cafe and then hung out in the pool while Alisa took her afternoon nap. Then we ate dinner at Fisherman's Wharf Seafood House and walked on the beach to see the sun set and moon rise (Alisa loves the moon and she went crazy seeing the large moon rise).

The weather was perfect for our last morning at the beach:

Lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise before driving home:

This sign made me laugh because someone put a sticker on the man that made it look like a "Hula Hoopers Crossing" sign:

Back at our home, Sheryl read Alisa bedtime stories on her last night in Florida:

Flying with a Baby

We flew to New Jersey and stayed for 5 days visiting Craig's family and celebrating his grandfather's 90th birthday. Then we flew to Tulsa and stayed for almost 2 weeks visiting my family and attending my brother Greg's wedding. Then we flew home to Tallahassee, so that was 6 flights total (with 3 layovers).

The Tallahassee airport had a kids play area (rug with letters on it, wooden structure with activities like movable beads, mirrors, etc) at our gate and Alisa didn't want to leave it to get on the plane. What a great idea to help entertain the kids (though I hate to think how many germs are on all that stuff)! We were wanting to wait until the last minute to board the plane so she'd have to sit on my lap less so when it was time to go we had to quickly tear her away from the play area and she cried. She stopped crying once we made it to the ramp though.

We purchased our tickets online from Travelocity.com and on the confirmation page it said we needed to call to have Alisa added as an infant in arms. We did that but apparently the person didn't do it correctly because we had to have it adjusted at each airport. Also, we didn't know ahead of time that we had to sit on the right side of each plane because that side has an extra mask that drops down if the cabin loses pressurization. So, we had to have our seats changed a lot too.

We checked a large suitcase for Craig & I and a small suitcase for Alisa. Unfortunately, ours was overweight (which we didn't think about till late the night before our morning flight but we didn't know what the fee would be). It was 11 lbs overweight so we had to pay a flat fee of $80. We didn't pack anything heavier than a pair of sneakers, so it was just that our suitcase was so large that it held lots of clothes, etc. The dumb thing is, even if it was just 1 lb overweight, they'd still charge us $80 (if that had been the case, though, we would have taken some clothes out on the spot and just carried them to save the money). And unfortunately, the fee has already gone up for that and for even checking regular bags (darn oil prices!).

We brought my laptop backpack (I had to bring my laptop to do some work) which also had books and snacks in it, Alisa's diaper bag (very necessary!), an umbrella stroller (so great for getting Alisa around at the airport and it fit easily through the security scanner machine, unlike many of the regular large strollers), and a special large backpack that held Alisa's carseat, booster seat and blanket. My friend recently flew to New Jersey and checked her baby's carseat and the airline lost it. Well, since you can't leave the airport unless your baby is in a carseat, I didn't want to risk that happening to us so we didn't check it. I ordered the carseat bag to make carrying it around in the airport easier (and it keeps it clean). Since we didn't buy a plane ticket for Alisa (she's free until age 2) and the flights were full, we just had them check the carseat bag at the gate along with the stroller.

We had to pay the $80 overweight fee again when we flew from New Jersey to Tulsa because our suitcase was 9 lbs overweight (I put all the heavier stuff in Alisa's small suitcase this time but it didn't help much...and also we had more in the bags because Alisa had been given tons of new clothes during our stay). We had talked about buying a small suitcase and paying the $25 fee to check it (rather than the $80 overweight fee on our large suitcase) but we forgot. Well, we remembered to do that before our flight from Tulsa to home (we knew we'd need another suitcase eventually anyway because we only had the two). Craig found a bright orange suitcase (hard to miss and reminds him of his favorite football team the Denver Broncos) that was on sale for 50% off. Instead of checking it though, we took it as a carry-on to avoid all fees. And the cool thing is, instead of having to shove it under the seat or in the overhead bin, he just had it gate checked with our 2 special baby items.

Getting through the security screening wasn't fun, but it could have been worse. We kept Alisa in the stroller until the last minute because the one time we didn't, she just wanted to run off and go exploring (and therefore cried when we wouldn't let her). So then we had to quickly fold down the stroller and put it on the conveyor belt with our other stuff (backpack with laptop removed for screening, diaper bag, carseat bag, shoes and my watch). We even had to take Alisa's shoes off and she was just wearing those soft moccasin-type shoes. At least I thought to wear slip-ons to speed up the process a little.

I was a bit nervous about flying for the 1st time with Alisa because I wasn't sure how she'd do on the plane (I figured she scream and cry to get down and walk around all the time). To our relief, she did pretty well since we kept her busy with books, snacks and toys. She spent a lot of time flipping through the airplane magazine, pointing to the letters and having me make the sounds for each one (it's been good timing with her recent obsession with letters). She did wiggle a lot but since she didn't have to be buckled in a seat I let her stand on my legs facing me while holding my hands for balance and then stand or sit on the floor for a bit (anything to keep her quiet and to keep her from kicking the seat in front of us). She laughed when the plane lurched a bit during each ascent and descent because it tickled her tummy. That was so cute! She waved and said hi to those around us, babbled and laughed at a baby that was behind us on one flight and at a lady across the aisle who was playing peek-a-boo with her on another flight. She even slept a bit on 2 of the flights. I tried to get her to suck on her sippy cup or chew some food to help pop her ears but she didn't always do it so thankfully she wasn't bothered by the pressure.

Alisa pooped in her diaper about an hour before our 2nd plane landed and it was so stinky (as is the norm these days). There was no place I could change her (she throws a fit and squirms a lot when I change her in public anyway) so we just had to wait until we got to the airport. I felt bad for the guy next to us (Alisa and I were sitting in the middle seat of the set of 3 seats), but what could I do? Her only outburst on the plane was while we were waiting to get off the plane. She wanted to sit in my seat by herself so she was trying to push/pull me off and was crying loudly because she wasn't getting what she wanted. She would have kept crying about it if I didn't either let her have the seat or pick her up and distract her. For the sake of the other passengers, I let her have the seat and I stood crouched over until it was our turn to get off.

I was so happy to find flight times that were not early morning or late evening so that we wouldn't have to wake Alisa up or keep her up late to get to the airport. All my initial searches had at least one crappy time and at least one long layover in the mix so I was shocked to find all good times with short layovers for the cheaper price when I searched again a few days later. I didn't think about her afternoon naps though. She was fussy during each of our short layovers because it was her naptime. She was tired, but since there was so much activity around us in the airport, she decided she wanted to walk around. It was a bit tricky since our layovers were short and we needed to get to our gate, go to the bathroom, change her diaper, get some food and eat it, all while she was trying to run off (though she was usually reaching for our hand so we'd come with her). We couldn't abandon our luggage, so one of us had to go to the bathroom while the other one tried to keep Alisa still by our luggage and then one of us ate while the other walked around with Alisa. It was pretty exhausting keeping up with Alisa at the airport and even just holding her on my lap on the plane, trying to keep her from crying and disturbing those around us. I was kind of on edge (internally) almost the whole time and later realized that I had been sitting in the plane with just my toes on the floor (instead of my whole foot) because I was trying to keep Alisa from sliding off my lap. I kinda got cramps and sore legs from doing that.

On the last leg of our journey (returning home) we were told that the flight was overbooked and since our boarding tickets only said "Seat Request" we had to wait until everyone had boarded to see if there was room for us or if someone would volunteer to give up their seat. That was scary because we just wanted to get home and weren't sure how Alisa would handle a 3-hour wait until the next flight. Thankfully, they called our names and we got to get on the plane. However, we ended up sitting on the plane for an hour before takeoff because just as we approached the runway, an employee noticed that a door had dropped open on the nose of the plane. We had to taxi back to the gate and wait for a mechanic to check it out. Alisa ended up falling asleep soon after and slept during the entire wait. I knew she really needed that nap so I was afraid to move and therefore sat somewhat stiffly for that hour, holding her awkwardly on my lap with one arm (where she had fallen asleep). I wished I had my book then but it was in the bag we ended up gate checking at the last minute.

Next time we fly we will have to pay for Alisa's ticket, but she will be older and easier to care for (though we might have another baby by then too). She will be able to sit still better and occupy the time by coloring or something. And she probably won't be such a messy eater (she got cheese & cracker crumbs all over both her hands, her face, her shirt, her pants, my pants and my shirt during several flights but luckily I had wet wipes handy).

Listening to Daddy's iPod at the Newark airport (8-03-08):

Destin

Our friends from Tulsa invited us to hang out with them at their family's beach house in Destin this week. Since it wasn't a weekend, I could only afford to take off work one day for the trip. We made the 2 1/2 hour drive and stayed in a hotel Monday night (since the beach house was jam packed full of their family). On Tuesday, we swam in the pool at their house, then swam in the gulf and played on the beach (2 blocks from their house) and then swam in the pool again while Alisa took a 2 hour nap.

For dinner, all 17 of us went to The Village of Baytowne Wharf (a pedestrian village with shops, restaurants and nightclubs overlooking the Choctawatchee Bay) in Sandestin. We ate on the deck at Poppy's Seafood Factory. It is right by the water so we had a great view of the sunset and could walk out on the long dock to cool off in the breeze while waiting for our food. I had grilled chicken with pineapple mango salsa on top, served with saffron rice. It was the most flavorful chicken dish I've ever had. I loved the rice too. It was well worth the $21!

We said goodbye to everyone after paying our share of the bill and walked around the loop of shops on our way out. As we crossed the wooden bridge over the water to get back to the entrance/exit, Alisa noticed the moon (she was mesmerized by it) and actually said "moon" for the 1st time. We had to wait a few minutes for our car to be brought to us (we had to use valet parking as there was no big parking lot nearby and our friends did the valet thing and we needed to stick with them). We changed Alisa's diaper back at their house and put her in her pajamas for the drive home. She fell asleep in the car after a few minutes of pointing out the window and saying "moooon" in her sweet little voice. When we arrived home around midnight, she woke up briefly when we took her out of the car but fell back asleep after we rushed her upstairs to her crib.

It was our 1st trip to Destin and we want to go back as soon as possible and stay longer. The sand is so soft and white and the water is gorgeous with just the right amount and strength of waves for swimming. There is a water park, recreation park and plenty of shops and restaurants in the area.

Gorgeous beach:


Gorgeous water:

Shops at Baytowne Warf:


The pavement by the shops had big shells embedded in it:

Shops at sunset:

Savannah, Georgia

We took a weekend trip to Savannah, Georgia to meet up with my sister Karen and her friend Nathan. It was a 4 1/2 hour drive. We arrived Saturday afternoon and checked into the hotel. We had gotten a deal online through a 3rd party that gave us $40 off the room, but it was for a smoking room only. We asked the receptionist if we could change to a non-smoking room but she said they were completely booked. I believed it, because a little while later there were 13 taxis lined up outside waiting for their fares. We saw some kids dressed up so it was either a wedding party or some other formal event.

I unpacked all the baby stuff (Pack 'N Play, toys, food and bottles) and settled into the room. Minutes later, I realized Alisa's bare knees and the tops of her shoes were black from crawling on the floor (I hadn't put her pants back on yet after changing her diaper). I was horrified! The dirt wiped off easily with a wet washcloth but I didn't want her to crawl around on that dirty floor once she was in her pajamas because they wouldn't wipe so clean. A little while later, the toilet wouldn't flush anymore so Craig called the front desk. The receptionist said it had broken earlier and they had done a quick fix until they could buy a new chain. She said a room did open up and since the quick fix no longer worked, we got to move to a non-smoking room that was larger and had a separate sitting area with a pullout couch bed and another TV. Wahoo--free upgrade! We packed everything up and then unpacked again in the new room, putting Alisa's bed in the separate area so we wouldn't disturb her. Alisa's knees did not become black from the carpet so I realized it was just soot from the smoking room--disgusting!

Alisa loved feeling the smooth hotel bedspread:



We ate dinner at a great Mexican place called Cilantro's that was near our hotel. Then we drove around downtown so Alisa could take a nap in the car and we could scout out the town. It was dark by then so we got to see what the town was like all lit up. We drove down River Street by all the shops and restaurants and then up and down some other streets, passing many of the 22 town squares. We didn't see Karen that night because her flight arrived after 9 PM and Nathan picked her up.

Bridge over Savannah River:







River Street:





River Street Market:



One of the 22 squares (most had fountains or statues in the center):





There are lots of cool houses like this in town:



Sunday morning we ate free breakfast at the hotel and it was delicious. I had a sausage biscuit and french toast (nice for a continental breakfast!). We met Karen at Nathan's RV, which was parked with the other circus vehicles at the Civic Center. From there we walked around town looking at the old houses and pretty squares. Nathan briefly joined us for lunch at The Mellow Mushroom (pizza place) and then we walked back to the Civic Center to see the circus. There was a mixup with our tickets at the Will Call booth so we called Karen's cell (she was then backstage with Nathan) and Nathan had to call some people to figure out what happened to the tickets he had set aside for us. By the time they found them, we had missed the preshow (where you can see some of the animals and entertainers up close) and Nathan was late to his position.

Alisa enjoyed watching the performers in their sparkly costumes at the circus. Craig had her in the baby carrier at first and she happily bounced up and down. She drank a bottle while watching the little daschunds and the elephant do tricks. She fell asleep during the last 20 minutes but woke up as we were walking out.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking and shopping on River Street. We ate an early dinner at Kevin Barry's Pub (Irish) where the Shepherd's Pie and Irish Beef Stew were excellent. Craig headed back to the hotel room to watch the Superbowl on the 42" plasma TV and the rest of us walked to a coffee house for dessert. Alisa took another nap in the stroller and woke up about 20 minutes before we left the coffee house. I had a very rich and super delicious piece of chocolate toffee mousse. I'm sure it had a ton of calories in it, but it was so good that I didn't care very much. It's okay to splurge every once in awhile. We made it back to the hotel room in time to watch the last quarter of the very exciting game.

Monday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel again, walked around town and then ate lunch at The Pirates House. Most of the 15 rooms were closed off due to renovations so what we saw was not very impressive. The food was good, but the buffet was overpriced. One of the staff was dressed up like a pirate and closely resembled (in dress and speech) Johnny Depp's character (Captain Jack Sparrow) in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He entered the room singing to Alisa because the lyrics of the song that was playing had something to do with a sweet child or girl (I can't remember the song right now). Alisa looked worried when she saw him and started to get upset so he left before she could escalate. We walked up and down River Street again and then Craig, Alisa and I headed home. Karen and Nathan drove to Tybee Island (about 25 minutes from downtown) for some camping. They were going to stay the rest of the week to explore the city more and do things, like a trolley tour.

Alisa loved riding on the cobblestone streets...she made noises so her voice would vibrate as she bounced along in the stroller. She also enjoyed the streets that had oyster shells in them because they were rough too.



Shell sidewalk by cobblestone street:





This boat sprayed 2 streams of water for quite awhile...not sure why they were doing it, but it was nice to watch and they made a rainbow:



Aunt Karen and Alisa:







Cool staircase to get down to the river on the east end: