millie takes florida

Last week was our long-awaited First Beach Trip with Millie!! Going to the beach with my baby was always near the top of my list of things I daydreamed about when I was still waiting for my baby to come...so no pressure, Millie, but there were a lot of years of dreaming going into this trip.

Betcha didn't daydream about the eight hours in the car it would take to GET to the beach, didja?

We joined my parents at their timeshare in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and it was truly a fantastic week. My only complaints are a) the long drive there. This baby ain't cut out for long car rides...and b) Matt was sick the whole trip. A few days he was still able to get out and do fun things, but much of the time he spent in bed or at the doctor's office...so that was a huge bummer.

Those two bummers aside, though, it was perfect! I won't torture you with a lengthy play-by-play...you've been to the beach, you can imagine what was happening here. 

Millie was initially a little hesitant to embrace the sand and the surf, but after she realized that we weren't going to just toss her out there and abandon her, she warmed up to the idea of enjoying it.

It's just like a really really REALLY big bathtub, Daddy? You promise?

Oh, this stuff is delicious!! I do love it here!

You parents with your lame smiles...a smoldering stare is what it's all about.

WHOA NOW, BATH. Watch yourself.

I'mma take a nap real quick while the Big Bath gets itself under control.

We also spent a lot of time at the pool, because we're equal opportunity like that.

My cuteness causes a riot every time I go to the pool.

 It's true, though. I have gone to this resort almost every summer since 1999 and can confidently say I have NEVER actually gotten to know other people there. I'm just not the girl that makes friends on vacation. I'm the girl with her nose stuck in a book.

But Millie? Oh, she's there to make friends. We made friends with Gideon and his parents and grandparents...we shared toys, swapped stories, chatted it up. We made friends with Catalina and her parents. They gave us tips about how to teach Millie to swim. We made friends with about 20 other families whose names I don't remember. I mean, it was pretty insane. Millie is apparently a people-person. I guess I'm going to have to learn to be one, too!

When I could tear her away from her admirers, though, Millie settled down to focus on the things I excel at...like having a nice drink by the pool.

 And eating seafood by the river (while watching for manatees, of course).

Hey wait, Mom, your drink looks way better than mine...

Matt's sickness meant that we had to cancel our kayaking with the manatees reservation (BIGGEST SAD FACE EVER), but my parents tried to cheer me up by joining Millie and me for a more low-key manatee hunt at a local manatee preserve.

My dad and Millie scoping out the scene.

I know you're jealous of my (dad's) sweet binocs...

We didn't have any super close encounters, but we did see several from a distance...and with binoculars, that's almost like seeing them up close. We saw a lot of dolphins, too, so that was good. It definitely wasn't my most fruitful manatee hunt ever, but it was better than nothing.

At least there was this statue, so Millie would know what to look for. 

For our last afternoon of vacation, we returned to what we do best: hanging out by the pool.

Millie observed that all the grown-ups wear their sunglasses up on their heads...she was super excited when my dad helped her wear hers like that, too!

Finally, after all of that relaxation, fun, and undivided adult attention, Millie decided she may as well learn to walk. So we went to the beach with a crawler...and came home with a walker. YIKES!!!!

For the record, now she is up to about 12 steps at a time. In other words, the 2016 Summer Olympics better watch out.