Christmas: Part II

Wow! Has it really been almost two weeks since we got back from vacation? And I'm JUST NOW blogging about it? Time is just flying ... and in my defense, I've still been catching up on sleep after 2 weeks of sleepless nights while we were away. I mean, how do you turn away a sweet-smelling little boy in his footie pajamas when he wants in your bed and you're on vacation? I just didn't have the heart to let him cry in his crib while we were sleeping in the same room as him. And so ... I have paid the price -- sheer exhaustion. The GOOD news is I have been reminded that it is, indeed, possible to survive on very little sleep. The BAD news is I have also been reminded what a cranky person I am when I'm tired. Hmmm ... I'll have to work on that before Landon's arrival. :)

Anyways ... on to Christmas: Part II.

We returned home from Jon's parents' house the day after Christmas, opened a few more presents, unpacked, did some laundry, and re-packed. The next morning it was time to leave for a week in Orlando with my side of the family. My parents have a time share and got enough units for alllll of us to spend a week there together. We had a GREAT time. Jon, Tanner, and I stayed with my mom and dad while the other three siblings and their spouses/girlfriend shared another unit.

We spent our first day (SUNDAY) at Magic Kingdom with Lauren, Daniel, and my mom and dad. This was definitely my favorite day. There really is just something special about Disney. I can't wait to go back with more kids. Tanner LOVED the rides but was always devastated when they were over, crying and throwing a tantrum when it was time to get off. It was actually kind of hilarious. Poor guy. The great thing about Disney is that most of the rides are low key enough to take your toddler with you. That being said, I could NOT understand why anyone in their right mind would take their toddler into the haunted house. Inappropriate. Instead, we took Tanner to Pirates of the Carribean --- much better. (What was I thinking???? Skeletons?) We ended our day there watching the Christmas parade and by the time it was over, we were all ready to go home.

The next day (MONDAY), the men golfed while the rest of us went to the pool. Now, pool time has definitely changed since becoming a mother. No more laying in the sun, reading a good book, and snoozing (although that sure sounded wonderful!!!) Lucky for me, both of my sisters were willing to take turns with me playing with Tanner in the pool. And Eric's girlfriend was nice enough to take a nap in our room while Tanner was napping so that I could stay outside a little longer. Without everyone's help it would have been a LONG trip, for sure!

On Tuesday, Jon, Tanner, and I went to Sea World with Pat and Katherine. We thought Tanner would LOVE it because of all the animals, but it was SO crowded that it was hard to really see anything or even get from one place to another. The good thing was that our admission was free through their Hero Salute program. We did make reservations that morning to have Breakfast with Elmo and we all LOVED it! It really was so much fun and Tanner was just beside himself he was so excited to see the characters. (And he's not even a huge Elmo fan or Sesame Street watcher.) I would highly recommend it if you're ever there with a little one!

Wednesday: Universal Studios with the whole fam. I hadn't really considered taking Tanner here because I didn't know how toddler friendly it actually was. They had a great kid zone that he loved and we spent all of Tanner's awake time there. Now ... as a pregnant woman, you are allowed to do absolutely nothing ... but at least they had really great food options :) Since that evening was New Year's Eve, my parents graciously offered to babysit Tanner so Jon and I could go out with the rest of the crew to a Japanese Steakhouse. We had SUCH a great time and were so thankful to have a nice dinner out without having to worry about the little guy!

Thursday: Most of the guys went to the Georgia/MSU bowl game. (Lauren and Daniel are both UGA grads). My dad and Jon golfed. And us girls tried to keep Tanner busy -- it was a little too cool outside for the pool.

Friday: Boys golfed. Girls went to the pool. Tanner had been unusually cranky, and my parents suspected an ear infection, so we ended up taking him to a pediatric clinic at like 9pm and found out he had strep throat. I'm sure everyone was SO glad they'd been making it their mission to get kisses from him all week! (His little puckers are just IRRESISTABLE!) As far as I know, though, noboday else has gotten sick. Unfortunately, our last evening was spent in a waiting room, but all was well once we figured out the problem and got Tanner started on some antibiotics.

Saturday: Flight home. Hmmm ... I don't know what else to say except for this was a long day. The plane was PACKED -- both of them, since we had a connecting flight. The good news is that I was seated between my mom and Jon (my two favorite people). The bad news is that Tanner ONLY wanted on my lap, which is just a little uncomfortable when you're in your third trimester and there isn't much room there anyways. That's all I'll say.

So, all in all, our trip was FANTASTIC. Thank you, Mom and Dad for treating us to such a wonderful trip! We all agreed that what we enjoyed most was the precious time we got to spend with each other.

*I'm working on the pics!!*