Vacation Time!

Roselyn became a beach baby a week ago! The Prout family made our way down to Destin, FL for our first family beach vacation. The trip down left something to be desired- it rained all the way- but Destin was beautiful and sunny, and it stayed that way the entire time we were there! We stayed four nights in the Embassy Suites. Having a suite was perfect when you have a baby- the Pack in Play stays in the bedroom during the day for naps, and the "living room" are for nightly bedtime. The first full day there we walked across the street with Roselyn in her stroller to the beach. We did not anticipate a couple of things: 1) there were stairs leading up and then down to the beach, 2) the sand was super soft and definitely not conducive to strollers. We attempted to walk down the beach, but eventually gave up and took a bunch of pictures before we returned to the hotel. Luckily, there were a pool at the hotel that did not have the difficulties of stairs or sand. Rob and I spent our afternoons at the pool while Roselyn napped in the room. Don't worry, the pool was outside our bedroom and we had a monitor with us in case she woke up from her nap early. We brought food with us to have lunch in the hotel, but dinners were always out at a local restaurant- Pompano Joe's was our favorite! Prior to dinner, there was always a Manager's Reception with snacks and free drinks. This was a perfect time to enjoy a glass of wine and feed Roselyn her snack before dinner. While on vacation Roselyn discovered some new food she has grown to love- pancakes, bacon, eggs, and saltine crackers. Now that she is eating more "regular" food she always reaches for everything that we put in our mouths. We often have to turn our heads to eat the last piece of cheesecake or tiramisu.
We did attempt the beach two more times with Roselyn. The second time we actually sat in the sand to get some sun while Roselyn sat under an infant sun shade. Unfortunately, Rob's concern over the heat of the sun and Roselyn's skin had us out there a mere fifteen minutes. The last opportunity at the beach was on our way out of town for more pictures. I was disappointed that Roselyn did not have more time on the beach, but I guess she has many more years to experience it.
We did experience two fun excursions in Destin. First, we drove to Seaside to see the pastel homes found in The Truman Show. They truly made me want to move there. Roselyn sleep during that excursion so we were unable to get her opinion. However, the next day we went to Fudpuckers to see the alligators and Roselyn definitely enjoyed that. We walked around their mini reptile museum and she reached out for every critter behind the glass. I hope she always stays that brave!
Overall, the vacation was a fantastic getaway. Rosleyn must have loved it- I have never seen that girl sleep harder than the couple of nights after we returned.