First Family Vaca {St. Pete, FL}

We took our first family vacation the last full week of July.  Kyle and I were SOO excited and ready for this trip! We hadn't been anywhere since our honeymoon to Hawaii 4 years ago. We were trying to save money so we drove.  We thought if we left early Friday evening (around 7:30), that Kayleigh would be tired from the day so she would fall asleep in the car and sleep most of the night. Boy, were we wrong!! Talk about a nightmare! She slept maybe a total of 3 hours the whole trip down there. It wasn't because she wasn't tired, but because she just could not get comfortable in her carseat.  I felt SO bad for her because she is so young and simply just did not understand that we couldn't get her out of her seat.  I'm pretty sure she cried through the whole state of Kentucky. Seriously. It was miserable! So miserable in fact, that we were seriously considering buying plane tickets and flying out of Nashville.  That's how far we made it before we were tired of it. But seeing how those were $1200, we decided to pass and tough it out. Eventually, Kyle did get her out of her seat for a little bit. I know, I know-so dangerous and I was a complete wreck driving while she was out, but none of us could take it anymore. That calmed her down for the most part and she was able to sleep for about an hour.

It was a 16-17 hour drive. I drove all but an hour. I. was. pooped!  We literally only made stops for gas most of the way. We stopped somewhere in Kentucky I believe to get gas and let Kayleigh stretch her legs for a bit. We stopped again at a McDonald's right before the FL state line in the morning to stop, stretch, and get something to eat. Luckily, we did not run into any traffic jams the whole way there. I was so thankful because I honestly would have just probably turned the car around and headed back home.

We got to our condo at 12:30ish and couldn't check in until 2, so we went to grab a bite to eat.  We still had a little time so we took Kayleigh to the beach for the very first time.  She was instantly not a big fan. We were hoping that it was just because she was so tired from the lack of sleep. We found out the next day that that wasn't it. She just flat out didn't like it. Didn't like the feeling of the sand. Didn't like how it stuck to her. Definitely did not like the ocean. The sound. The taste. The movement. Didn't like it. We were super bummed. She was a trooper for us though.

We hung out on the beach for a little bit that first afternoon, went and got a quick dinner, and went to bed early that first night. We were all exhausted. I was worried about having her sleep in the pack-n-play since she rarely is in it, but she had NO problems going to sleep any night we were there. Praise the Lord!

Our typical day there was as follows. Eat some quick breakfast. Get our suits and sunscreen on. Get the cooler, our beach bags, and chairs. Head to the beach.  Relax. Lay out. Drink. Get in the ocean. Lay out. Relax. Drink. Get in the ocean. It was AH-MA-ZING! The water was the warmest I have ever felt it. The weather was perfect every day. It did not rain once.  Usually in the afternoon we would go to the pool for Kayleigh. She liked that a lot better. It was a nice, heated salt-water pool, that had a ledge around the outside where she could sit and put her feet in.  She was also a big fan of the walk in steps which is where she spent most of her time.

It was honestly so relaxing and just what we had been wanting. We went to John's Pass one day and just walked around and enjoyed the little shops.  It was crazy. The last time I was there was with Jackie our Sophomore year of high school with the rest of the baseball team.  It brought back a lot of great memories!  We ate seafood at least for dinner every day. We were determined to get as much as we could and we did. It was so delicious! Other than that we were complete beach bums.

Most nights after we ate dinner we headed back to the condo.  Kayleigh would usually fall asleep on our way to dinner. Without her afternoon nap and being up and at it in the sun all day, the kid was just zapped. We were all nestled into the condo by about 7:15 every night, while she was dead to the world.

We ended up leaving a couple of days early because she had had enough, we had gotten enough R&R, and we didn't want to spend too much more money.  So we decided on Thursday morning around 10 to make the long, dreaded drive back.  Let me tell you-we were NOT looking forward to it.  All we could think about was how horrific the drive down was and how we hoped that would not be the case on the way back. Fortunately, Kayleigh was an angel the whole drive back.  She slept a little bit more, but was still up most of the time.  We were so thankful.  We got home around 2:30 in the morning and boy were the pups ready to see us. And Kayleigh was definitely ready to see them. Especially her Macky Boy. We got to see her really, truly excited for the first time ever when we got back. It was so sweet and precious. The expression on her face and her reaction to seeing the dogs was priceless.  I wish I had it on video.

Despite the catastrophe of a drive, we had a great time just getting away and spending time as a family. I think I finally convinced Kyle that vacations are good and he's already said that he's looking forward to going back sooner rather than later {flying, of course}.  I must say I agree.  We should've known better.

Enough from me.  Here's a photo dump of our 1st family vaca.

 Ready for our 1st full day at the beach

 The view of the beach from our condo. It was literally across the street! SO NICE!

 You want me to go in there?!

 Mommy's Girl 

 Love this one

 Yeeahhh...I'm not goin in there. Love her little toes here. She def. did not want them getting wet.

 One of the few things she liked at the beach

 She's just too cute for her own good.

 This will probably be a canvas in my living room soon.

 footprints

 Before we left

 Killing time before heading into the condo. 1st time at the beach.

 How we kept her entertained during the day. Thank the lord for the Leapfrog!

 She's become obsessed with alligators.

 Reading with Daddy

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

After 9 months of living in a nursing home and hospice care, my grandma, decided to finally get some rest yesterday afternoon and went to join my sweet grandpa in heaven.  She has been sick for quite some time with emphysema and colon cancer, but stuck it out much longer than I think any of us ever anticipated she would.  I'm sad to lose my grandma, but I know that she's in a better place now and can finally relax, which she hasn't been able to do in awhile.

I am sad to see the pain and grief that my dad is going through.  Nothing hurts more than losing a loved one and seeing those you love hurt. It breaks your heart. It makes you question everything. It makes you want to live life to the fullest each and every day. And it makes you want to hug those ones you love so dear even tighter.

My dad has now lost both of his parents. It breaks my heart. I know how much both of my parents mean to me and the thought of losing either of them someday, let alone both of them, makes me cry instantly. Other than my daughter and husband, they are my life. I can't even begin to describe my love for them. Hopefully those days are way far off, but dealing with death is making me question and think really in depth about life. And to be honest-it freaks me out.  I just took Kayleigh to the nursing home to see my grandma about 4 weeks ago. It's hard to believe how things can change so quickly in 4 weeks.  I am so grateful that I got to see her one last time, while she was feeling well, and so that she could see Kayleigh one last time since she's gotten older.  I know it's not something that Kayleigh will remember, but it's definitely one of those moments that I will think back on and say to myself "Man-I'm glad I took the time out of that day to go see her".

However, my fear is that the drama is just beginning. Relationships on my dad's side of the family definitely are far from ideal as far as his sisters go. Phone calls and comments have already been made that make my blood boil. I just hope and pray that my dad can be strong and hold his head high these next three days as we go through this difficult time and maintain the same restraint, pride, and maturity that he has had his whole life with his family. He truly is a class act and has always been the better person. I know that no matter what happens he will make the right decisions and do the right thing. I just hope for once his sisters can do the same.  It is, after all, a time for grieving, not for fighting.

Rest in peace Grandma. I love you!

I Sound Like a Broken Record

Well...As hard as it is to believe, our baby girl is 2 years old already! I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but where does time go? It sounds so cliche to say that it's unreal how much our lives have changed in the past two years and how much joy and happiness this one little girl has brought into our lives, but I've realized I've turned into one of those people. Until you're a  parent, you just. don't. get. it. Yes, your life changes SO dramatically and SO quickly once you have a baby. Yes, you experience a love you never realized was even possible. Yes, you realize you would die in a millisecond for this little person you've only known for even a minute. Yes, you think every. little. thing. is something to document either with pictures or pen and paper, or a milestone of some sort, or cute, or that you need to declare your infatuation and admiration on Facebook to family and friends. Yes, suddenly this little person trumps your spouse or your marriage for that matter. Yes, you talk about them ALL.THE.TIME. Yes, you catch yourself smiling with pride and admiration all the time just by watching them do something so small or routine. Yes, time really does fly by. I could go on and on about the things that I thought people were "just saying" when I was pregnant that really are true. It does sound cliche. But it's not. It's real life. And that's definitely something I've come to realize as Kayleigh gets older and older. I wish I could freeze time. I know I can't, but if there was a way that I could, I would do it in a heartbeat.  I have had an absolute blast with her so far this summer. She is at such a fun age where she can talk more and her personality is developing so much. Not to be the pessimist, but my summer is almost halfway over. Don't get me wrong-I am not complaining. I am so grateful to have my summers off, but I'm absolutely dreading going back to school in August already. That first day back may very well likely be harder than the first day I dropped her off at daycare as an infant. Don't get it twisted though. She definitely has her moments and I'm half convinced that the infamous "terrible twos" are headed our way, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Through the good and the bad, my mindset from the very beginning has been to cherish it all. The good. The bad. The fun times. And the not so fun times. Because before you know it's over and you're on to the next "phase". There are so many things that I can't wait for her to do, or to see what she'll like, or what she will look like. But I can wait. I don't want to wish her life away. I'm going to cherish every moment and enjoy them all because she very well may be our only one. So I'm going to make it count. We are absolutely enamored with this little girl. I could go on and on (clearly), but I'll stop there for today.

Instead, I'll leave you with her birthday party.  We celebrated on Saturday with close family and friends with a Minnie Mouse themed party. The party went really well and the weather was perfect in comparison to last year's heat stroke that we endured. I know Kyle and I were so grateful to everyone that was able to make it to spend some time with our sweet girl.  Here are some pictures from the day.

 Welcome!

 Lunch with some of her friends

 Cousin Love

Mommy's Girl

I Can Live Without Ever Going Through That Again

And by that I mean strep.

I have never had strep...until almost 2 weeks ago and at that point I felt like I would have rather died.  I went to bed Sunday night with a pretty bad sore throat and woke up Monday to 12 inches of snow, school canceled, and a sore throat, fever, terrible headache, and complete body ache.  Oh.my.goodness!

Needless to say Kayleigh and I stayed in bed all day because that was the only thing that worked for me that day. We watched about 10 episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which she thoroughly enjoyed. And I felt like the laziest, worst mother ever, but I seriously could not do anything.  When she laid down to take her afternoon nap, I laid back down and took me an afternoon nap. Luckily, Kyle gets off work at 2 so when she woke up she was all his. I know that's not how he planned on spending his birthday, but the poor guy was great and never once complained.

We both ended up taking the next day off because by then his throat was hurting also.  I called the doctor's office as soon as they opened and got an appt. Mind you, I'm typically a pretty healthy person that rarely gets sick and if I do, I NEVER go to the doctor. Not because I don't like going, but I just don't go. I'd rather just try to fight it off by gargling hot salt water or taking cold medicine for a couple nights.  This was different and I knew something was not right. I truly had never felt that terrible overall.  The doctor took one look at my throat and said he hoped, for my sake, it was strep and not a viral thing so that I could get the antibiotics.  So I guess luckily it was because I woke up the next morning feeling normal again. My throat was still insanely swollen but I stayed home (again and much to my dismay). I HATE having a sub. I cleaned and got all sorts of things done. My mother-in-law, Shannon, had already taken the week off to watch Kayleigh because the babysitter was in Florida on vacation.  She was able to take Kayleigh those 2 days and watch her even though I wasn't working. I knew how much it was kicking my bootie.  All I knew was I did NOT want her to get it.  I was so relieved when she didn't, but I honestly don't know how after that first day of literally laying right next to me in bed all day.

I spent the last two days of the week at work trying to do damage control and make up for my lost time.   Not a fan of strep. Not a fan of missing work. Not a fan of sub plans. And definitely not a fan of subs.  Hopefully I don't have to worry about that for a LONG time and this weather will start being nice more. I'm over the cold and the big shifts in temps. This weekend has been beautiful so far, so here's to hoping the snow and cold are done...at least until the fall (although I do wish forever).

Would you like some poo-fries?

Confused? Not sure what poo-fries are? Apparently they're french fries in Kayleigh's mind.  My mom and I took our annual drive up to the Lighthouse Outlets in Michigan City on Monday to do some Spring Break shopping.  On our way back, we always stop by the Steak N' Shake right by the interstate to grab some grub (healthy, I know).  Kayleigh started asking for some poo-fries.  Confused at first I started asking her if she meant french fries.  Her repeated response: "I want poo-fries!". I promise you she does not have french fries very often, but her memory has been improving greatly as of late and she definitely knows what they are, wants them frequently, and eats the heck out of 'em. The girl loves her some poo-fries. Don't even ask me about the complete wardrobe and half of Carter's that my mom bought her on the trip. Let's just say the girl is set! I must admit I'm a little jealous. What used to be clothes from mom going in my closet are now clothes of hers going in her closet. Perks of being a mom and adult.

I am wrapping up my week off for Spring Break and I must admit that I'm in a state of shock.  I am not quite certain where the whole week went and how it went by so quickly, but tomorrow is my last day before reality strikes again and it will be a day filled with laundry and some TPT shopping for the St. Patty's Day sale that some teacher's are throwing. Is it bad that's one of the highlights of my day? Scoring some good deals from TPT? What can I say? I'm a woman of simple pleasures.

Kayleigh has been so much fun over break. She's no longer just a listening toddler, but a repeating and conversing toddler. It blows my mind over and over again that I can have small conversations with the girl. And sorry to say (insert bragging mom here) she is SO. STINKIN'. SMART! I know every parent says this, but I truly feel like she is. She can officially count to 10 all by herself, sometimes 20 if we're lucky. That darn 17 gets her every time.  She can sings her ABCs no problem. She has now figured out how to turn the doorknobs in our house. She mastered the ones that were handles long ago, but recently figured out how to do the knobs. Watch out now!

Here are some other fun facts about our sweet little miss:

• She LOVES. LOVES. LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and asks to watch it ALL. THE. TIME! She's figured out who the disciplinarian of the household is because she knows who to ask to watch it. He always gives in.  Anything to make his princess happy. Mommy's answer is typically no. She knows the whole opening part of the show by heart-character introductions, responses to Mickey's questions, as well as other parts once the show has started. You name it, she's got it.
• My parents got her a small plush Mickey and Minnie last year for her birthday. She never showed much interest in them until her obsession with show came about. Now she's wanting Minnie to go to bed with her.  Her bunny and blankie are enough. Trying to set boundaries here.
• She loves to wash her hands when she's done eating. She totally knows the routine. Asks to wash her hands and always "with soap" to make bubbles.  
• She LOVES to take showers with mommy. Totally takes me back to when I was a kid and took showers with my mom. I can no longer take a shower solo if she's awake or I will have company.
• She likes to go potty (or so she thinks). Since my nephew, Landon, started potty training she has taken an interest and wants to be like Landon. However, she hasn't grasped the concept to let me know before she goes.  A lot of times when she asks to go, I'll feel her diaper and it's warm so she just went. We've just got to get her to realize she's got to tell us before she goes and then we'll be good. Her favorite part is flushing the toilet (that she does nothing in) and putting the seat down.  Gotta start those manners early.  If I could get her potty trained this summer it would make my year. Wishful thinking I'm sure, but one can hope.
• New favorite quote- "You wanna piece of this? Do ya?!" True story right there and I'm sure there is no explanation needed as to where or who she learned this from.  It is quite hilarious to hear her say.
• Mac is her best friend. Don't try and take him. You would think someone was torturing her. Pappaw Withers already tried and I think he was sorry. That girl has to be around him all the time. If he's laying on the floor sleeping, she will lay right down beside him.  As she says: "My Mackey".  And he really is good with her. He will bite (playing of course) the heck out of us, but has never tried to bite her.
• She now shares an insane love for fruit snacks with Landon and averages at least two packets of them on a daily basis.
• Favorite songs: "Come Over" by Kenny Chesney (She will literally say "I want Kenny".  I'm thinking, "Honey, so does Mommy." bahaha) and "Cupid Shuffle" (major hip-thrusting going on in the carseat on this one).
• She is her father's daughter. The girl is a straight daredevil. See last picture.

She is 21 months today. 21 months!!! Kyle and I have started talking about her birthday party which seems surreal to both of us (don't judge).  Time truly does fly. We've decided on a Minnie Mouse theme this year. It's only fitting. Of course Pinterest has overloaded my brain with tons of cute ideas that I will have to implement complete with some hot dog-hot dog-hot diggity dogs.  See!! Too much Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

I'll leave you with some recent pictures.