Baby Grady

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Mr. Sunshine Visits the Sunshine State

Posted on Aug. 19, 2008 at 8:46 PM - Post Comment

Last week we went to Florida to celebrate my 30th birthday and to just enjoy some beach time as a family.  It was Grady's first visit to the Sunshine State. 

We headed out around 8AM on Sunday morning. The drive was not bad AT ALL due to Elmo DVDs and lots of toys. Check-in was very easy, which was a relief since I booked it through VRBO and was nervous about the whole thing. Our condo was gorgeous with great views - very close to the beach and very clean too. The weather was also nice when we arrived, and it wasn't even very hot. It has been SO SO hot in SC this summer (many many days of 100+) that FL felt cool the whole time we were there!

Here are a few pictures of the view and us right after we arrived:

in one direction:



in the other:



Grady was so happy to be there!



He went crazy for the beach. We were going to just take a short walk, so we weren't in swim stuff. But he pretty much jumped right in. The big waves didn't scare him one tiny bit! He had so many fans that were just watching him and telling us over and over how cute he was. He basically giggled and smiled non-stop, so that was probably why :)











and a cute video that shows his excitement:







That evening dinner was sort of messed up.  We walked over to Finz, which was next door at the Hilton. But weirdly enough they close the kitchen from 5-6.  Grady needed to eat, especially because in Eastern time it was as if it were almost 7.  So we got cocktails and fed him a dinner of healthy snacks from the diaper bag (we had his milk, peanut butter crackers, dried fruit).  I am sure parents have done worse!  Then we went back to the condo and Eric put him to bed while I went to get groceries, including dinner for us.  We hung out on the deck that evening, drinking a few beers and enjoying the great view.

Monday, August 11 was my birthday. Despite Grady getting up too early (damn time difference!) we were off to a good start. We headed to the beach early. Grady wanted to carry his own toys:



and then changed his mind:

 

Here we are playing in the water - Grady would make up little games and just play forever:











He kept saying "bubbles everywhere!" when he saw the bubbles in the water. He also loved "surfing" (riding waves with Eric's help) and would say "I surf!"



our condo is behind him:



then Eric took G up for a nap and the storms rolled in:



After a nap and lunch we ended up going to the Sandestin Resort to check it out. First we went to Jolee Island, which is like a big playground on a natural island.









After that we headed to the main "downtown" area. Grady loved this fountain - it was supposed to be like a fountain of youth, and I thought this picture was pretty funny, considering the quote:









Then we checked out some shops, another playground, and headed to Graffiti for dinner. These are from dinner:





my boys:



Another cute thing was that Eric taught Grady to say "happy birthday Momma!" and had him saying it all day.

That evening we had a great time on the deck after G went to bed - talking and relaxing.

Here are two videos from day 2:











Tuesday was rainy and not too much fun. The best part of the day was going back to the Sandestin Beach Resort to walk around and get lunch (while it rained SUPER hard). We ended up feeding Grady dinner at the condo that evening and then picking up pizza for us to eat after.

Wednesday was a bit better - still rainy off and on but we did more and had more fun. In the morning we went shopping for a bit. Grady loved the fountain there.





Then we went to Destin Commons, another shopping area. There was a really cute play area that G played on for a bit.



He had a binky because he came down with a cold that day (hence the day before being not so fun - he is always cranky the day before a cold hits). He was still being a bit tough, but the cold was really not a big deal - very minor.





That afternoon all the rain cleared out and we went to the beach and pool. We had a good time there. Then we headed to dinner at Pompano Joe's, a really cute place right on the beach. Grady had a blast and was very social. We sat right next to a huge open window, which was great since it was so pretty outside. Here is the view:



And Grady eating - he ate a lot, including a corn dog off the kid's menu (his first one!). It's not something he will get all the time, but it was fun that he got to try it and loved it so much. Vacations are for breaking the rules, right?



Although Tuesday wasn't the greatest day, we did get a few videos of Grady REALLY enjoying his Elmo DVD in the morning :) Don't mind me singing along - I have seen that DVD so many times that I don't even realize I am doing it.








Thursday we woke up to gorgeous weather, so we packed up the condo (we relocated to Pensacola that day) and headed to the beach. Oh, but I have to mention the first thing Grady said when we went in to get him that morning: "More parties soon!" I guess he was thinking about dinner the night before and how the restaurant was sort of like a party.

Anyway, Grady could not have been happier to be at the beach that morning. Here are some pictures:

Eric dug a huge hole that Grady had a blast jumping into.











We headed to the car around 11AM. It was funny because we sat him in the drivers seat for a second, and he grabbed the wheel and said "I driving!" Now, every time we get in the car he says "I drive?" to ask if he can drive. I just reply "I'm going to drive this time, maybe next time" :)

He napped the whole way to Pensacola, which was great. We got to Grandpa Jim's house around 2 and had some lunch. Then we headed to the beach. We decided to go to Perdido Key, which is super close to his house, since we were heading to Pensacola Beach the next day.

Here are 2 videos of Grady and Eric playing that morning:








Thursday afternoon was great - good weather, Grady was happy, and we all had fun at the beach. On the way back to Grandpa's house we stopped at a great California-style Mexican restaurant which was so yummy. Grady was very good and ate a ton of corn chips (dipped in salsa!) and a chicken quesadilla.

Friday morning we headed over to Pensacola Beach to meet up with our friends for the day (they happened to be there the same time). We were there from about 10AM until 5PM and Grady was so good. He napped on the beach, played tons, and was in a great mood.

Pictures...

The dads with the babies:



Grady in the beach chair:









Around 4 we headed to their resort's pool. I have never seen Grady enjoy the pool so much. We were tossing him around and he was loving it! Then the boys wanted to go in the hot tub. We let them put their feet in:







Then they had a dance party to the music that was being played. That was hilarious.

After we left there, we met up with Grandpa at a great seafood place where we sat outside. I got a few cute pictures of Grandpa showing Grady the boats after dinner.





It was cute because Grady took to calling him "Papa Jim" :)

Here are a few really funny videos - tossing Grady in the pool and the two boys kicking in the hot tub:








Saturday was our final vacation day. We woke up, had breakfast, and headed out with Grandpa Jim so he could show us his sign shop. Grady loved sitting in all the crane trucks and stuff.  After G's nap we headed back out to get lunch and hit the children's museum. Grady had so.much.fun. It was a small museum (actually just an area of a bigger museum) but we were the only ones there and Grady loved it!









 

He loved the play food and would run it back and forth between the Native American area and the Trading Post :)



this video shows his ridiculous excitement:



 



We left at about 8 on Sunday morning (9 Eastern) and were home by 5.  Not too bad.  Grady never even got cranky really - just played, slept, and watched Elmo DVDs :)

So that was our trip!  Hope you enjoyed the recap. All in all it was a lot of fun, but it is comforting to be home.  
 
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