Georgia Aquarium

For one last hurrah this summer, my friend Jaime and I took our daughters to Atlanta to visit the Georgia Aquarium and American Girl Place. It was one long, fun-filled, girly day and Addie Kate and I loved it!

We left early that morning, armed with snacks, drinks, toys, and the ever-important DVD player. Jaime thankfully drove, so I could wrestle Addie Kate as needed! Luckily, Kaylin, her wonderful daughter, sat in the back seat with her, so she worked the hardest!

We got to the aquarium right around 10, when it was opening. There was already a ton of people there, but the people in ATL have set it up really well, with all of the walking and waiting areas being covered and cool. We didn't have to wait for long though, thankfully! Toddlers don't wait well. (Neither do adults!)

First on the agenda were bathrooms and lunch. They have a fabulous food selection. I guess they need to because it takes a full day to visit the aquarium. Addie Kate and I shared a yummy pizza, fresh fruit, and cupcakes!

We added on the 3D/IMAX movie to our ticket, which I was worried about with Addie Kate. I just made sure we sat near an exit though! As soon as we finished lunch, we were able to see one fish exhibit, and it was time for the movie. Another line of waiting, this one a bit harder to keep Addie Kate contained because we had to put the stroller in a "holding tank," but she did great once we got in. She loved the glasses and looked hilarious in them! Luckily though, once the movie got started, she didn't wear them (which made for a blurry view for her, but I guess she didn't know the difference) because the 3D effects were amazing in this movie. Fish, people, objects really jumped out at you! They also had steam, bubbles, ropes moving across the ceiling, and vibrating chairs for the full effect. These things did freak Addie Kate out, but she did just fine. Thank heavens it was a dark theater, because she had my dress almost completely off of me! And, she did NOT want to give up the glasses when we had to return them. Finally after much debate and the whole aquarium watching us, I just walked out with them, figuring I could return them later. Nope, they are here at home with us. (It's ok though, I'm sure they get their money back in the outrageous admission fee!)

Luckily, Addie Kate has watched Finding Nemo at her Gam and Pop Pop's, because the movie was a play on it. She just kept saying, "Nemo, Nemo!" It was as precious as it could be and I really enjoyed it.

After the movie we were able to get in some serious fish-viewing! Addie Kate absolutely loved them all. She had no fear of the large crowds; therefore, I didn't get to enjoy the fish near as much as I'd have liked to! Good for her though, she was small enough that she could wind her way up to a window and see anything she wanted to see! I finally could not take the anxiety of her running all over the place anymore and bribed her back into the stroller with a lollipop. Yes, she's my girl and is quickly developing my sweet tooth!

Once in the stroller we were able to see all sorts of amazing things. The GA Aquarium is home to three Beluga whales that were the most gentle giants I think I have ever seen. We also saw the huge Manta Ray, which is the only one in an aquarium in the US. We walked through the "tunnel" of fish. Good thing she was in the stroller there, because everyone was only looking up!

Addie Kate's favorite things were the jellyfish (they did look really neat) and the Loggerhead Sea Turtle - also one of Mommy's favorite animals. I think sea turtles are absolutely amazing creatures. She just watched him and watched him, and he stayed really close to her and kept her entertained!

We were also able to visit the touch tank! They had several things you could touch, but the only ones that appealed to us were the stingrays, and I even had to talk myself into that! (I've done it once before, but still just am not a fan of fish/sea creatures outside of a tank!) Regardless, I put on my "I'm going to be a good mommy"-face and went for it. Addie Kate was hard to get close enough to the water, but I think she finally did touch one. I had to hold her almost upside down, over rocks, and into water!

Mostly what Addie Kate said all day was, "big one" or "look" or "fish" or "turtle!" She was so, so sweet and funny to watch! I am so very glad she enjoyed it. I was worried that she wouldn't be quite ready for it yet, but she loved it! And I have been to lots of aquariums, but this one, was by far, the most amazing! And, they are already expanding!

Just like any good marketing department would have done, we exited through the gift shop. Of course, I was prepared to buy Addie Kate anything and everything she wanted. Kaylin took her and showed her every stuffed animal and toy there. But no, what does my girl want? A book! Of course, she was going to get one of those anyway! (Our souvenirs are always books, and sometimes other things too, but always a book!) I left the gift shop for under $20. I think our lunch cost more than that!

It was a great first half of our day-trip to Atlanta. I loved every smile, expression, and excitement that my girl showed. I can't wait to show her more that this great world has to offer!

Waiting to (pay first, of course!) go in:

The first fish we saw: Addie Kate's first view of them:

In the movie:

She is so funny!

Check out this look on her face! She was pointing out something to us. Notice the glasses still in her hand:

The jellyfish - they look so interesting and graceful behind glass!

Her at the huge "Wall of Fish":

(Glasses still in hand!)

My girl! This was the best shot I got all day!

And this picture doesn't even show the whole wall! This place is HUGE!

I finally got her back in the stroller, thank heavens, with the bribe of a lollipop!

In the tunnel:

Her checking the fish out all above her:

The beautiful belugas:

Aren't they beautiful? There are very few fish that I like in this world, (any animal really!) but these were so sweet!

This is a bad picture, but I thought the sea dragons were so neat-looking:

The rays in the touch tank:

Kaylin and me touching them:

And if you can look past my curls, you can see Addie Kate just barely touching one!

And my favorite of the day, the loggerhead! I think she was Addie Kate's favorite:

She loved him! And you would think he loved her, because he just put on a little show for her!

Addie Kate and Kaylin, two of the sweetest girls ever!

Addie Kate loved pointing things out to us the whole day!

Summer-lovin'

Whereas this song is not supposed to be about your baby girl, it's what I thought of when I ran across these pictures from Addie Kate this summer.



She and I just took it easy, from the second half of June until I had to go back to work. I meant, I wasn't leaving the house again for another out-of-town trip unless I had to! We enjoyed traveling SO much during the first half of summer, that she and I both were just content to be at home. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE to travel and had some great vacations and trips, but we all know, traveling with a toddler is far from relaxing!

So, for the rest of the summer... We slept late. We went to story time each week at the library. I was sad on the last day though, because she'll be too old for "Mother Goose on the Loose" next summer, and we'll have to move up in age in our story time adventures. We went to the downtown library, which was so much more fun than our local library. We shopped and shopped and shopped some more. Sometimes she even enjoyed it - ha! We went to the park and the pool. We danced and sang. We played outside (mostly after Daddy got home in the evenings because it was so darn hot). She loved the few days that we went to my school or "Mommy's Cool" as she called it. She thinks she owns the place already. We sang our ABC's and nursery rhymes. We counted to 16. We tried learning our colors, but are still working on that. We met friends for lunch. We read and read and read some more. We even did take one last out-of-town trip to the Georgia Aquarium and American Girl Place in Atlanta! The places on my list that we did not go were the zoo (again too hot!), the cupcake cafe (but we did visit it at the Saturday Market, so that will do for now), the brand-new Children's Museum (waiting for the crowds to die down - and I figured that'd be a great wintertime activity), and the pottery place (again, I thought I might postpone until winter).

I do have a few more summer activities planned for us, along with as many more trips to the pool as we can squeeze in.

I'm already missing my angel every day, but I know she is so happy to be back with her friends, and has already started learning new things. We are already on a better schedule and get more things accomplished with me being back at work! I'm sure that's opposite for how it should be!

Mostly though, as I remember our summer, I remember how much fun it was to spend each day with my girl. I love you my Addie-girl!

Growin' Up

Look who can finally get in (by herself), sit in (safely), and not fall out of her little toy table and chairs that we bought her for her birthday last year! She was playing sweetly and quietly in the playroom the other day, so I took a peek and found her there! (Please excuse the mismatched pj's - I'm not 100% sure why she went to bed like this!)

Garden City

Addie Kate, Tommy, and I got to go to the beach for another little vacation the other week. My parents had gotten a house at Garden City and we stayed with them. I have never vacationed much at Myrtle Beach and am not a fan of the traffic or touristy/retail junk that overwhelms that place. Well, Garden City was completely different. It was so similar to Edisto, which I love, but with more to do, which Tommy loves! When we were out on the beach (granted, it was morning and late afternoon - thank heavens Addie Kate naps during the hottest part of the day!) there were very few people out there. I love that! We could just do our own thing, and let Addie Kate roam without many worries. I might have found a new favorite place to be!


We got down there on Saturday afternoon and began to figure out who went where. It was a precious, typical, "old school" beach house. Two bedrooms, two baths. Addie Kate does not sleep with Tommy and me, unless there is a major issue. Not even in the same room with us. So, bless her sweet heart, her little pack-n-play fit nicely in the master bath, and that, is where she slept, happily. I'd be surprised if she fits in the pack-n-play next year, so we will definitely need somewhere bigger. But for this year, it was perfect!


Addie Kate loved, loved, loved the ocean. As we were getting in the car to go home a week later, she just pointed to it and begged to go. So sweet. She loved jumping the waves, especially with her daddy. I guess he's the strongest of all of us, and the most fearless, so he let her jump the "big ones!" She'd just say over and over again, "Big One! Big One!"


We would typically end up on the beach anywhere between 9:30 and 10:30. We kept trying to get out there earlier, but greasing up the whole family, especially a toddler, with sunscreen, making sure we have every, single toy (because if we forgot one, that'd be the one she begged for!), beach chairs, extra sunscreen, sippy cup, towels, etc., took a lot of time! She would, no matter what though, end up getting tired after a couple of hours though. I guess the sun and water would just wear her out. Mostly, she got cranky. One day, however, she fell asleep, in the ocean! It was when Paul and Susan had come down for the last half of the week, and Paul was the chosen one (by Mommy and Daddy - we needed a break) to jump the "big ones" with Addie. We noticed that she had her head down in his chest and was hiding her eyes. He brought her in and she continued to keep her head down on his chest. Turns out, she was asleep! Paul passed her over to my mom, and she continued to sleep. Tommy and I cleaned up most of our mess. Tommy headed up to the house, and I took the sleeping baby, wrapped in a beach towel, wet and nasty, through the thick, thick sand, and followed him. She didn't wake up, not even when her little head rolled off of my arm (she is getting heavy for the "baby" hold!). Tommy was waiting for us at the outside shower, but she was still asleep. We just figured we'd go lay her down in the house and see what happens. That baby slept for an hour and a half like that! That is not our child, never has been. We have the daughter that gets wilder as the night rolls on. Apparently not at the beach. So sweet! The rest of the week we learned that when she was putting her head into our chest, it wasn't to cover her face from the waves, it was to nap!

She loved to dig in the sand and enjoyed crushing her daddy's and her Gorga's masterpiece sand castles! She loved to get buckets of water and just play in them and the sand at the same time. As soon as we'd get her a few, she'd need more! There was little just sitting on the beach for us - we were always moving! She was precious when she'd try to bring her own buckets of water up to the sand for her to play in. It'd end up with very little still in it, but she'd be so proud!

She did alright on the out-to-eat dinners. It was much easier to eat at home, which we hate being surrounded by all those great restaurants. However, we did go to the seafood market almost every night that we cooked! We let Addie Kate try shrimp for the first time and she wasn't much of a fan. We are sure she will be soon though, as much as we like seafood in our family! (We didn't get to see our friend Nicole, even though we went to her restaurant, because she had just given birth to twin boys and was at MUSC! The boys are now home and doing great!)


We took her to the waterpark one afternoon as well. I absolutely love waterparks, just like a little kid. Tommy does too, and Paul and Sue came along as well. My parents came, so that they could take Addie back after a little while, and we "adults" could enjoy the park. Well, bless her heart, as soon as we got in, I knew something was wrong. Apparently, Water Babies is not sweat/tear free. She had either sweat sunscreen into her eyes, or rubbed it in. They were so red and she just kept them closed. My eyes are extremely sensitive to sunscreen as well, so I immediately knew that's what it was for her. Unfortunately, the only thing that cures it for me is to wash my face and hands completely, and we weren't able to do that with her. So, I sent her back earlier than I wanted (I just know she would have had a lot of fun) with my parents. She did get to go down a baby slide into a pool a couple of times, and took a trip around the lazy river with us. We'll try again next year! Meanwhile, the rest of us had an absolute blast! Possibly my most favorite part of the trip!


One of my oldest friends was at the beach with her family that week also! Cammie and I met in 5th grade. She is one of the sweetest girls I know, with such a good heart. Now she has a baby girl too! I was SO excited to both see Cammie again and meet sweet Maya. She is a beautiful and happy baby and I am SO happy for Cammie! Addie Kate loved Maya and remembers her when she looks at pictures. She just did not understand the whole "being gentle" thing. To be as mothering and caring as she is, she just doesn't realize that you can't tug on real babies the way you can baby dolls!


Our friends Hope, Stuart, and their tiny new baby, and Blake and Mary Jane were also down there for the week. Hope's sister just moved to Surfside. We enjoyed several afternoons with them as well!

It was a fun-filled, busy, but very relaxing week. How vacation can be busy is beyond me! Thanks for the week Mimi and Gorga! We absolutely loved it!



Our first morning. We had to bring Addie's princess toys and castle:

First morning on the beach:

Daddy wiping the salt water and sand from her eyes:

Getting ready to jump some waves:

(Sorry for the angle - I was trying to not lose my camera in the water!)

Another day on the beach:

She loved filling her buckets (or having us fill them for her - they were heavy for her to carry!) with water and playing in them and the sand. She would wig out when the waves carried them away! Luckily we didn't lose any!

My precious little water baby:

Little shoe-fix - thank goodness we had these!

Utter happiness, the way life should be!

Whoa!

And she's ticked...

Mimi fixed it! (She hated the sand being all over her, yet she loved playing in it???)

Naptime!

Another day...

Cracks me up how she would just splash so happily in these buckets!

A rare picture - first, Mommy is actually in a picture, and second, one of Mommy and Daddy together without Addie Kate!

Addie Kate just got sick of where we were one day and decided to haul it offf the beach:

The daily grease-up of sunscreen. Bless her heart. She also decided to quit wearing sun hats, much to my dismay - they are so darn cute on her! Because of that, we had to sunscreen her hair as well because her hair is still so thin:

Yep, it looked like this, every day!

Having a ball:

Sweet, beautiful baby Maya. Addie just adored her. She is the cutest, funniest, most beautiful baby I have seen since my Addie!

Giving her a hug and kiss! Thank goodness Addie had been illness-free for a while!

All four of us - man, I wish we lived closer together!

This is Addie Kate on the day that she passed out on the beach. She never, ever just falls asleep somewhere, so this blew us away!

Addie watching the sand castle construction:

PLaying with the seaweed - ew! I love it - she says, "Ew, yucky!" but still touches it!

Some serious "prin-press" playing:

Fell asleep in the ocean on Uncle Paul:

Happiness!

Our little family!

At the waterpark:

And, the ice cream at the beach comes from a truck! We loved this! (We also went to a different ice cream parlor every single night that we were there - mmmm!)

More serious "prin-press" playing:

And breaking up the happy couple! Paul and Sue decided to sleep on a blow-up mattress instead of the pull-out couch. Addie loved it. She thought it was there for her own personal bouncey-house pleasure!

Eating a snack, on Paul and Sue's bed! And probably watching some Noggin - we don't get that at home, so she was loving life!