Seasons

In six days, we leave for Florida.  I cannot wait.  Eliot is so excited to go to Disney World.  We will get to see some family.  And Chris is looking forward to seeing palm trees everywhere.  More than anything, though, I am just excited to be warm.

I just keeping thinking that after we get back, we will be moving along into spring with warmer days and fun adventures ahead.

I think about last summer when it was hard for me to go to the beach--I always felt nauseous in the heat.  I remember being two weeks from my induction date and feeling.so.big and ready to be done.

One of Jack's first outings was to the bay to see two sea turtles released.

I didn't want to take Jack to the beach too much and expose him to the heat, so we spent most of our days in the backyard hiding beneath a poolside umbrella while Chris and Eliot played in the pool.  And maybe we seemed pretty silly to plant palm trees, but I have to say...  Being able to feel like I am out someplace tropical or at the beach made me feel so much better while I was adjusting to a new baby and not really able to get out of the house much.  If we felt cooped up or overwhelmed, I just let Eliot go play on the pool steps (and Chris swam with him every.single.day) and I could pretend that I was at a resort.  Palm tree therapy.  Really, it should be a thing.

I can't wait for beach trips this year.  It doesn't even necessarily have to be warm enough to swim.  I love just letting Eliot go run up and down the beach and dig in the "big sandbox," as he calls it.  We were pretty spoiled this fall and winter and got a few warm beach days in.

Last summer was a little more... complicated... being very pregnant and having a newborn.  Not "bad" necessarily.  Just complicated.  This spring and summer, though, are going to be that much more amazing.  And I can't wait.