OBXcitement

It probably goes without saying that you learn a lot of new things when you have a kid. Strange things, such as babies need to sleep on their backs, honey before the age of one can cause botulism (don't worry, I didn't learn this the hard way), and it's ok if your baby doesn't poop for seven days. Seriously. The doctors say so.

Not only do you learn weird and random new facts, but you also develop a new way of looking at and thinking about things. I'm always trying to figure out a way to streamline my activities so they have minimal impact on Finn's schedule. Trust me if you don't already know, a fussy baby equals a no fun baby. I'll do what it takes to prevent those epic meltdowns, thanks. So, when my family planned a week-long vacation to the Outer Banks, Nathan and I had to discuss the best way to get the Finley down there. Four hours in a car? That equals at least two naps, one feeding, and a varying amount of alert "wake-time." To date, Finn has been a wonderful traveler. He generally will stare out the window or chew on his BFF Morty Moose until he falls asleep and wakes up upon our arrival to our destination. This trip, however, would be nearly four times as long as we've ever taken with him. What if he hated being strapped in that long? What if we listened to FOUR HOURS of a wailing, unhappy child? Not much you can do to soothe a baby when you're traveling 70+ miles on the interstate. That thought, right there, is the stuff, "Horror Stories for New Moms," is made of.

Nathan and I decided the best way to prevent this possibility from becoming a reality would be to drive through the night after Nay got off work at 2 am. And you know what? It turned out beautifully. Finn did sleep the entire drive down, there was minimal - ie, ZERO - traffic and we made the usually four hour trip in 3.5 hours, and that included a fuel stop and a quick trip to McDonalds.

On top of my fear of Finn suddenly hating life in a car, I was also worried about how he was going to react to the beach itself. Nathan and I have always enjoyed spending the entire day on the beach. Clearly, our usual routines would be different with a baby, but how much so? I wasn't looking forward to having to alternate who stayed at the house and longingly watch as everyone lounged on the beach. Fortunately, Finn was a champ. He woke up from his morning nap around lunch time and joined us on the beach all day. He stayed in his adorable swim trunks and rash guard in his rocker under the shade of the canopy. He slept, he played, he was awesome. Although he hated the water. Like, HATED it. Instant crying. But if that's the only thing that got his blood boiling, then hey! I'll take it.

On top of Finn being an exceptional beach bum, he also met a new milestone while we were there - laughing out loud! He made us work for it, but he was giggling! Seriously, he's growing up too fast.


Overall, we had an amazing trip to the beach with my family. The weather was perfect and the company fulfilling. Nathan and I were even able to sneak in a date night to Captain George's with Jake and Kelsey while Mom and Dad watched Finn. Call me lame, but I always look forward to our annual trip to the beach simply so we can go to Captain George's. It's seriously a manic food-fest whenever I'm in there. So. Good.

The week certainly went by quickly. If only work days went by as fast as vacation days. Or maybe not. I don't want to wish time away...I'm still working on soaking up every single second with my little stinker before I return to work in three weeks. But that'll be a blog post all in itself.