Fantasy island, Day 6

Today, sharing the same room with Mom and Dad really started to become a problem. I was up at 3:45 am, bright-eyed and ready to start the day. Seeing Mom and Dad right there gave me even more energy, so I didn't go back down without a major battle: it took Dad 45 minutes to get me back to sleep.

Once I awoke at a more appropriate time, we headed downstairs for one of my daily rituals at the resort: saying hello to Grover out front.



As you can see, while I initially only had eyes for Grover, by now I had also grown to like Elmo, so I literally had Dad shuttle me back and forth between the two so I could spend time with both of them.



Considering we were at a place called Beaches, it's strange that today was the first day that I actually spent some quality time on the beach itself with Mom and Dad.




I can't say it was a success. I simply was not happy standing in the sand and feeling it under my feet. Sitting and playing with the shovel and bucket didn't help either. I was okay going into the ocean with Dad (as you see up above), but the fact is, I'm not much of a beach person yet. I'm sure that will change when I start walking.

For now, the pool is definitely more my speed. Thanks to my early rising, Dad was able to go out and reserve the primo hut for the day, so we relaxed poolside in style. I even napped outside with Mom (the waterfall sounded like the white noise I listen to on the iPod every night while I sleep!).



When I got up, I played around with Mom for a bit.



The view from our hut was great, but I was ready to go back to the pool.


By this time, when I was in the water I enjoyed gripping the pool's edge and playing a bit there. I was also drawn to the "no diving" signs painted on the edge, complete with an illustration of someone diving in shallow water and cracking their head.

As Mom and Dad looked for additional ways to keep me occupied at the table during meals, Dad was inspired by my condiment-loving cousin Sophia and tossed me a ketchup packet to munch on at lunch. Good call, Dad!



While there was no Sesame Street show today, we did attend a Sesame Street event, a fun birthday party.


Happy birthday to...well, I'm not sure who, actually. Because once Abby Caddady showed up and I took a photo with her, we left (I was sleepy because I refused to go down for my afternoon nap).


One thing about this photo. The people running the event made me stand alone for the photo, without Mom, and once I realized what was happening I started crying. At least we got a cute photo before the meltdown happened.

Also, I realized that I never shared with you this odd ritual that I began following whenever we got on the elevator. It involves repeating something over and over and...well, see for yourself:



Then it was time for our final dinner of the trip. We went to a very nice Japanese restaurant for teppanyaki, where you are seated around a grill and the chef cooks your meal right in front of you. I was very happy there, and enjoyed watching the other teppanyaki chefs in action as we waited for our table. Plus, Mom, Dad and me posed for the only photo of the three of us all week that wasn't taken by a resort photographer.


My chipper mood changed, however, the moment that our chef began preparing the meal by loudly banging his utensils together. I started sobbing hysterically—Mom had to take me out of the room, and she and Dad took turns calming me down. I wouldn't come back in until the chef finished preparing the food and had departed. But then I was back to the same cheery demeanor as before. Watch me play with Mom's chopsticks (and watch Mom ignore my attempts to drink some water!).



With no Sesame Street show after dinner, it was time to say goodnight. All that was left was a few final hours the next morning, and then our trip home.

Fantasy island, Day 5

By today, I was fairly certain that we had actually moved to the resort, and that this was going to be my new life from here on in: swimming, napping and hanging out with my Sesame Street pals. Another daily highlight was waking up in my crib (usually at 6:10 am on the dot), standing up, seeing Mom and Dad, and waving to them. Then Dad picked me up and brought me into bed, where I got in some quality snuggling time with them for a few minutes, before I spotted my toys and ditched Mom and Dad for greener pastures.

Today, we went to a different pool (there were five of them in all). Instead of waterfalls, this one had a baby pool, which meant I could sit in the water, play and take my hat off...



Then I was in for a wonderful surprise: all my Sesame Street friends came by and I was able to take photos with the whole gang at once. I was so giddy!


One mantra my parents lived by this week: always make sure Julia had sunscreen. I usually protested, unless I was able to do my own thing with the sunscreen.


That was the sunstick for my face and hands; I had the same reaction to the regular sunscreen too.


Dad kept wanting to take me on the water slide (which a couple other parents were doing with their infants), but Mom said I was too young. So we settled for something that wasn't as adventurous but was still quite entertaining: going under the pool waterfall into the "cave" behind it.


We made it!


Back at the room, Dad let me wear his hat, which went nicely with my outfit.



Mom and Dad bathed me every night, to get the chlorine off me, though the baths were brief, because they didn't want me spending too much time in—and drinking—the water. As a result, they were brushing my hair a lot more than usual, and in the process I decided to do the brushing myself.



Here's some more hairbrush merriment, this time with squealing, crawling and (if you listen closely about halfway in) tooting.



I was a bit cranky during dinner (at a seafood restaurant), but perked up when Mom took me to the Sesame Street show. It turned out to be the last show I saw that week, because they don't do them on Friday nights. I got to hug Elmo, Grover and Zoe, and was thrilled to see all three of them. Dad said that Mom and him might have created a monster, now that I have developed such a massive Sesame Street addiction!

Fantasy island, Day 4

Why am I playing with my bucket and shovel in my room instead of on the beach? Because today was the day that it rained and rained outside, keeping me stuck indoors. That was no problem, because I kept myself busy.


Eventually, the rain did stop and we were able to hit the pool. I was ready for a drink, so we went to the swimup bar.


One pina coloda, please!



The rain started up again in the afternoon, so it was back to the room. I was stubborn and wouldn't go down for an afternoon nap (one of the problems of sharing one room is that whenever Dad tried to put me down, I got distracted by seeing Mom or all of my toys). So I went back to playing and found a great use for my pool toys.



I should also mention that this week, Mom and Dad noticed that for the first time, I was starting to hand them my toys and other objects on occasion. Still, it's still more fun to receive than to give! I also had a blast clowning around with Mom instead of napping.



We went back to the Italian restaurant for dinner. Mom and Dad were amazed at how many staffers, not just there but throughout the resort, knew my name and greeted me. I was smiling and waving to almost everyone, eagerly seeking their attention. And if someone walked by and didn't acknowledge me, I was not happy about it!

Then came the best part of the day again: watching that night's Sesame Street show, which was about what everyone wanted to be when they grew up (like what, when they turned 2?).



I was so happy to see my friends in action that I started singing along with them.



And that was the end of another day. It was hard to believe we were already more than halfway through the week. I have three more days to blog about, then I'll answer any questions you have about the trip. So be sure to send them my way!

Fantasy island, Day 3

Today was the day that Dad learned why you shouldn't put sunscreen lotion on my hands: the first thing I did was rub my eyes, irritating them with the lotion. I was weepy for a bit, but I recovered in plenty of time to greet the special visitor who stopped by during pooltime: Elmo!


Then it was back to the room for my morning nap.


We walked on the beach for the first time today (yesterday we looked at it from afar). Dad put my feet down on the sand, and had me feel the ocean washing over them as the waves came in. I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. I liked the view from above much better!


By the way, Dad also learned the hard way today that my swim diapers, which I wear with my bathing suit, aren't as absorbent as my usual diapers. I peed through my swim diapers, and onto him, twice this week.

At lunch, I got to do one of my favorite activities: play fetch with my two sippy cups.



Back at our room, I do more than nap, you know. I also crawl around and play.


Here's a look at all the books and toys Mom brought to keep me occupied. Good thinking, Mom!



For dinner, we hit the sushi bar, where I was taken with the kitty who was crawling around the restaurant (and the resort grounds). Hello kitty!


After dinner came the highlight of the day: a big parade, which included lots of performers and all my Sesame Street pals.



When I wasn't greeting characters in the parade, I kept turning back to Dad and giving him big grins like this.


As you can see, I was having a wonderful time, not only that night...but all week long!

Fantasy island, Day 2

For the second day, which was our first full day at the resort, it was finally time to start having some real fun. After breakfast (I ate at the same time as Mom and Dad for every single meal; we would all sit down at the restaurant and they took turns feeding me while the other one ate), I met a Sesame Street character that I finally knew: Grover (I have a Grover hand puppet). Hi there, Grover!


Then it was pool time. Mom and Dad took me poolside, making sure I had my hat and sunglasses on.


This was the only time I wore my sunglasses all week. Between the glasses, the hat and the layers of sunscreen that Mom and Dad kept slathering on me, something had to give. At long last, Dad took me into the pool, which was much cooler than the one I'm usually in at the Y.


First, Dad took me around the whole pool. I was so excited, especially by the waterfalls(!), that I couldn't stop talking about it!



Then, Mom and Dad pulled out a new toy for me: a floatie device with a canopy, so I could float around the pool while staying protected from the sun. There were even some water toys to keep me occupied.


Mom played along with me, and kept an eye on the water toys as I tossed them into the pool.


Here's another look at me and my floatie:



After some time in the floatie, however, I would inevitably start leaning over and trying to drink the pool water. That was always the signal to take me out and put me back into Dad's arms. But I still persisted in trying to drink. My preferred method, which I started doing last month during swimming lessons with Babcia, is to put my hand in the water, then suck the water off my hand.


I should mention that Mom and Dad did keep me well-hydrated, making sure I drank my sippy cup frequently. I've never had so much water as I did this week!

After lunch, I was ready for a nap. And each afternoon, Mom and Dad joined me for a family nap in the room's king bed, which we all enjoyed immensely. And when I woke up, they were always amazed at how I would go from 0 to 60—popping right up, full of energy. Those king beds are roomy, so I really got a chance to flop around!



Did you notice how close my crib was to Mom and Dad's bed? That will come into play later this week...

We didn't go back to the pool in the afternoon. Instead we walked around the resort, and went to storytime with someone named Elmo. (I got the feeling that Mom and Dad had been shielding me from him for the past 11 months.) Later, we took a look at the beach. How beautiful!


On our way to dinner, we stopped at a nifty water fountain, which I grew to love and insisted that we go back to often during the week.


I was in for a big treat after dinner (where I was super-animated at the Italian restaurant). We went to see a Sesame Street stage show, and afterwards, I got a hug from Grover.


He's sure a lot bigger than the hand puppet I have! Then Cookie Monster came over too and I got another hug.


I'm really starting to love these Sesame Street characters! All in all, it was another terrific day.

Fantasy island, Day 1

I was a little delayed sorting through all the photos and videos—hey, I had to catch up with all the toys I hadn't seen for a week!—but I'm finally ready to take you through my amazing vacation. We're going to go day by day, so for the rest of the week I'll be blogging about all seven days of the trip. If you have questions, send them along, and I'll tackle them once I've finished recapping. Here we go:

The first day of our trip, Sunday Apr. 27, was definitely the strangest day of my life. Mom and Dad woke me up at 3:30 am (do they have any idea how disconcerting it is to have someone wake you in the middle of the night?). I stayed up until we boarded my first-ever airplane. Then within 60 seconds, I started crying, but Dad knew I was just exhausted and got me down to sleep. When I woke up, we were mid-flight. Then we changed planes in Atlanta, and I once again conked out literally seconds before the second plane took off. I got a big kick out of the landings, watching the ground get bigger. Mom and Dad said I was a real trooper during both the flights. They made sure I always had something new to look at (my books, the plane's safety manual, a blanket), so the time flew by.

Finally we arrived at the resort. I celebrated the same way everyone does there: with a refreshing beverage from the bar.


Then we settled into our room. I thought it was great, but I heard Mom and Dad grumbling because it was tiled instead of carpeted, and the bed was raised high enough for me to crawl under. I didn't see what the big deal was, but minutes later, I crawled under and sat up only to—ouch!—bump my head and start crying. So Mom and Dad put all our baggage around the perimeter to stop it from happening again. Finally, it was time to check the rest of the place out.


The resort was so pretty! I saw some interesting, but strange-looking, furry characters. Mom and Dad said they were from Sesame Street, and they were called Grover and Zoe. Apparently they have a deal with the Beaches resorts, so I have a feeling I'll be bumping into them again soon.

Exhausted by all the traveling and new surroundings, I drifted off to sleep, wondering what the next day might bring, and where we might end up...

Best week ever!

I'm back safe and sound from my incredibly wonderful vacation in Turks & Caicos with Mom and Dad. There is so much to tell you and show you, but first I have to catch up on sleep (I just traveled 12 hours door to door!) and then sort through something like 500 photos and videos from my trip. So it might take a day or two for me to start blogging about my vacation, but trust me, it will be worth the wait!