St. Pete Beach

We spent the first week of June lounging by the pool and soaking up the sun. Not a bad way to start off the month. This was Addie's first vacation, first time in a pool, and first time at the beach. I was really worried about an 8 hour+ car ride with Addie, but she taught me yet again to stop worrying so much. She did so well in the car thanks to Elmo and cheerios. We arrived at the house on Boca Ciega Isle around 4:00 which was perfect since Addie was ready for a bottle.

I think the only thing I didn't bring with me was the kitchen sink (and Addie's bath tub). So it was a bath in the sink for the week. Addie didn't mind it at all and the view from the sink was to die for. It looked right out to the pool and the bay-oh how I miss that view.

Here are some pics of the pool and the dock overlooking the bay. It was so so so relaxing!

There were lots of little steps in the house like the one in the picture below, but we all took turns walking Addie around the house. She loved learning how to step up and down. By the end of the week she was pretty much walking on her own and she had learned how to stand herself up without any help. It amazes me how much she changes from week to week.

We ate most of our meals pool/bay side and Addie really enjoyed that. She also tried strawberries for the first time and LOVED them.

Addie is definitely a water baby. She loved it so so much! She would kick her legs like she was trying to swim and it was so cute. She giggled and smiled the entire time. She liked her float, but mostly wanted me to hold her and walk around in the pool. She loved sitting on the ledge of the spa while Jonathan and I would count 1, 2, 3 and then let her jump into the water. By the time we would get to 3 she was leaning forward ready to jump in. She loved the jumping more than anything. I tried to get her to float on her back, but she wouldn't stop giggling long enough to relax. She would stick her feet up in the air while I supported her head and back and then she would just start giggling. She also loved the taste of the pool water. It was a salt water pool and she would put her hand in and try to grab the water and put it in her mouth (we had some lovely diapers). Sometimes she would just stick her face in the water and take a big gulp:)

Addie's first time in the pool

Loving her float

Enjoying a quiet moment and a cuddle

The spa ledge was the perfect height for Addie to hold onto and walk around

Hanging out with Pop

My Girl (teething on her alligator)

Here's Addie jumping into the water

A storm was brewin'

Addie played cell phone with Grandma and Pop while we waited for the storm to pass

After dinner one night we went to Treasure Island Beach to walk around and see how Addie liked the sand. She loved the beach and had so much fun trying to walk in the sand. She tried to eat a little but decided it wasn't as yummy as she thought. She found sea shells and tried to eat those too. She pitched a huge fit when we were ready to leave, but we promised her that we would go back the next day (and we did). Fun times!

I was hoping that we could go to the beach in the morning when it was a little cooler, but Addie can't function through the day without her morning nap. We finally made it to the beach around 1:00 and it was super hot. Addie only lasted about an hour and a half, but she still had a lot of fun. She liked sitting in the sand, picking up sea shells, and letting the water splash up on her. She seemed a little puzzled as to why the sand kept rising up on her legs, but she liked it. We went out into the ocean for a while to cool off and she liked it too, but I think she enjoyed the pool a lot more. After a swim she had a drink, a snack, and played in the sand a bit. Then she decided it was too hot and she was ready to go.

This was one of the most relaxing vacations. It was just so much fun seeing how new everything was to Addie and watching her take it all in. Her personality is really starting to come out and she is just so sweet. She didn't seem to mind any of the changes to her normal routine and just kinda went with the flow. We were all sad to leave, but we were also excited because that meant it was time for the BIG 1st Birthday Celebration!!