A week at the beach is something I’ve never done before. A few days here and there, but never a WEEK ( well at least not since I was a kid perhaps, but well just stick with never for the dramatics). We filled up my “barely call it an SUV because it has zippo trunk space” CRV with everything I could possibly imagine needing for us (mostly the littlest member…why do these tiny things need SO MUCH?!) for an entire week, by the end of it Luke was riding in between a laundry basket full of food and a box of diapers (comfy right?). Comfy or not, we shipped up and down 95s for a week in OBX (in my opinion anytime spent on 95s should result in a reward of time at OBX…just an idea).

We had basically nothing on our agenda, but sun, sand, pool, and eating Duck Donuts as many times as possible (which is 2 separate trips, but 4 mornings apparently)… (notice how I didn’t list sleep…I’m too realistic for that). Mostly because this being our first vacation with a tiny human…I didn’t really know what to expect. Normally our beach vacays consist of beach by 10, ocean by 10:15, sand again by 11 (off and on like that all day), some napping, some bottled beverages, and then back to the house by about 6:30/7…this is how you beach it without a baby.

With a baby, you (and by you I mean me)…

• a. freak out the first day when he gets sand near his eye and automatically think he’s going to go blind by the age of 5 months because of a morsel of sand (obviously).
• b. spend most of your day lathering up baby, holding baby in a pool of freezing ocean water, and changing those god awful things known as little swimmers…thanks huggies for not incorporating any type of clasp so you have to wiggle the poopy short off a squirmy, sandy baby…geniuses. (the f?!)
• and c. spend maybe a max of 2 hours on the beach a day because someones either always hungry, icky, cranky, or the idea of lugging a baby back to the beach when the pool is 5 seconds away is just too exhaustin’

Without the help of 2 wonderfully helpful grandmothers and a highly encouraging husband..i’m not sure my toes woulda seen the sand beyond day one (who knew such a thing would be so stressful?? Oh everyone but me? thanks for the warnings). I read all the tips and tricks on taking baby to the beach…baby powder for sand…check…lil pool to swim in…check…sun hat and sunscreen…check…oh…I see what I forgot…the xanax….and bottle of “chill pills” I was spose to take….well shiz.

Squishy one didn’t warm up to the idea of the ocean or the pool until about day 2 or 3. I mean, I get it. It’s a big, vast, thing that is apparently trying to knock you over every 5 seconds with waves and lotsa sand (specially only being 26 inches long…)…this may take some time to warm up to…however i’ve never seen the kid fall asleep so fast than when he was on the beach…obviously a Hinders trait.

Now the pool, that is his happy place, mostly because his grammie bought him moving fish toys, ducks, frogs, and a baby float that even I wanted to get into…

By about day 3, Luke got into a groove (a groove of not sleeping well, but being a delight and enjoying the water anyways), and I got over my “Holy crap he’s gonna get eatin by a sea monster if he gets too close to the ocean” state of mind…Hey…I never claimed to have it ALL together ALL the time…

Things I learned from this experience….
1. Um everything
2. Don’t go on vacay with a 4 month old and expect him to miraculously let you sleep because you’re all on vacation and that’s the kind thing to do…idiot
3. Babies won’t die from sand…duh
4. Luke will sleep all day after just 15 minutes in the water…Score.
5. Chik fil-a milkshakes are the only cure to hearing your child scream for 90 minutes in his car seat on the way home (Oh food isn’t therapy you say? Get outta my face).
and 6. Vacations with babies are tough, but such an awesome experience knowing we tackled our FIRST family vacation 🙂

Thanks for a such a wonderful week family! Where we going next year?!?!