Disney Day 1 - Part II

It is Mickey Backyard BBQ time!

Ice Cream mouth

His first Mickey ice cream bar

JB's reaction when he saw Mickey & Minnie run out

We had a great afternoon swimming and touring around! Once we came in and rested a little while it was time to head out for dinner. Just about the time we needed to leave our resort it started pouring rain! Oh and lucky for us our BBQ was outdoors =(  Thank goodness it was under a pavillion. We had to drive to Fort Wilderness Resort and catch their bus to take us back to the pavillion. We got dropped off a good 200 yards from the pavillion and we had no choice but to make a run for it. I had a towel over my head, Drew was holding JB and we ran ran so we could grab a good seat for the BBQ. Mom, Dad & Beckett waitied on the rain to stop because they were headed to a different restaurant while we were at the BBQ. Glad we toughed through the rain because we got a great seat and about 10 minutes after we arrived people started to pour in. Dinner was a buffet all you can eat and all you can drink wine and beer. Thank heavens! We needed some vino after our trek in the pouring rain to the BBQ. As soon as the lines opened up I headed to grab two plates for the three of us to share. [Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, slaw, potato salad, baked beans, mac & cheese...ya know all the healthy things at the BBQ.] We started on some cab in a plastic wine glass...classic! JB loved the food and kept saying yummyyyyy! We ate our $$ worth and JB even got a Mickey Mouse icecream bar.

Once dinner was over the band started up and JB was focused in. The band introduced the man with the ears!!! Mickey Mouse!!!! John Brady was star struck and not sure what to think. Then seconds later ran out Minnie, Chip & Dale! They invited all the kids to come to the dance floor to dance with their favorite character. Once all the children were out there...SURPRISE here comes Goofy! John Brady loves Goofy too!  John Brady was not scared to dance...at all! He was shaking it all over the dance floor. Drew and I laughed so hard at all his new moves. He loved dancing with the characters....he followed them around, did the Congo, etc. He would run up behind them and tap them on the leg and say their name. He wasn't so sure about them when they turned around and got in his face though. We had a BLAST running after JB and taking pictures of him dancing and having a blast. The BBQ lasted about 1 1/2 hours. I am already ready to go back again with both boys in about two years...please Drew!!! ;)  We will definately do the BBQ again because even though the characters don't come to each table, the kids get to run around and interact with them for longer than the one second photo op like all the other character dining experiences. John Brady spent a good 30 plus minutes interacting with whichever character he prefered.

On the bus telling Poppi about his time at the BBQ

By the time it was ending the rain had stopped and we met up with mom and dad and headed back to our resort. We ran in changed diapers, got comfy, grabbed beach towels and headed back out about 8:45 to the Polynesian. We arrived to their beach right at 9:00 for the water parade on the Seven Seas Lagoon. We sat on the beach and watched the water parade and then a little of Lion King on the beach while waiting for the fireworks to start over the Magic Kingdom @ 10. It was worth the wait. The Polynesian plays the same music being played at the Magic Kingdom....it started "A dream is a wish your heart makes when your fast asleep....etc" JB sat in my lap and laid his head back on my chest and watched the fireworks with wide eyes the whole time. He didn't move a muscle other than to look up at me and smile in between them and also call out the different colors and shapes of the fireworks. I couldn't help but cry...some tears trickled down my face as I watched the beautiful fireworks over the Magic Kingdom with JB snuggled in my lap... for the first time as a mom. I had watched these same water parades and fireworks over 10 times on the same beach at the Polynesian with my mom and dad ...seems like just yesterday. But it isn't just yesterday...years and years have passed. We have all aged, things have changed, and time hasn't stopped. Tonigh I sat on the beach with my TWO boys, my awesome husband and the best parents in the world. My have things changed. It was a perfect ending to the day. This was THE latest JB has been up at night. He had a bath at 10:45 and was out like a light within 10 minutes.

Tomorrow...O'hana & Magic Kingdom here we come....

Good Morning Disney!! Day 1 - Part I

Today we started off the day with a little swimming at our resort. John Brady loved the zero entry pool because he could run around in the water and not worry about it being too deep. I love the "puddle jumper" I ordered him for the trip...it was so cute and he loved wearing it!  He played, splashed and laughed! He practiced blowing bubbles and kicking his feet while Drew & I held him. He got more and more brave as the morning went on. Once his swimming adventure got a little scary for my taste it was time for a pool break and time to head in for lunch. We had so much fun watching him and will be doing another pool day on Monday!

After we regrouped and had lunch we got ready and headed out to pick up our park passes for the week and dinner tickets for Mickey's Backyard BBQ. While at the Polynesian we took John Brady for a spin around on the monorail. He loved getting off and going into all the resort shops and looking at all the Mickey & Friend items. He tried on many hats, ears, etc and loved it. We showed him the Magic Kingdom from the monorail, where we will go tomorrow with him for the first time! He enjoyed watching the boats on the lagoon from the monorail too!

 

Back in the room hanging out before dinner!!! A little brotherly love! We had a few hours after our morning swim and adventure. JB took a little nap and then we realaxed until dinner. We knew we had a long night ahead!



Wiggles "Celebration Tour"

Arriving at The Fox

TOOT TOOT CHUGA CHUGA BIG RED CAR!

July 31st Drew and I had a big evening planned JUST for John Brady.

He is so great with Beckett and loves on him all the time but he is a little jealous because he no longer gets 100% of our attention or gets to do anything without Beckett. Drew and I knew taking him to the Wiggles at the Fox in Atlanta would be special for him.

Naming all The Wiggles while waiting

The look on his face when they came out

 

 

We purchased the tickets two months ago and got Orchestra level seats. Our seats were perfect other than the fact they were indeed seats...John Brady did not want to sit at all. He prefered running up to the stage to get a closer look and trying to dance anywhere other than in his seat or our laps. He managed to be patient for about 30 minutes in either my lap or Drew's but other than that we were chasing him around!

The show was great! Never thought I would be saying that....like Drew said as we were clipping down 75 to the show. "well I never thought at 16 when i was suiting up in my football pads I would be headed to a Wiggles concert....and excited about it." Thats when you know you are a parent alright....Drew and I were more excited to see the look on John Brady's face than I would be for a Bama game...yes, true!

Doing his arms like The Wiggles to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

In awe!

 

They started out with Big Red Car and John Brady was star struck. He was pointing and calling their names and looking back and forth from the stage to either Drew or I with wide eyes and a grin. We bounced him on our knees and he clapped along with the music. His favorite was "Getting Strong" where he did his running in place and then flexs his muscles when they say getting strong! He also liked Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and put his hands in the air like they did and waved them back and forth pointing to the twinkling lights saying "mommy star!" We had a blast watching him have a blast and got him a t-shirt to remember the event!

Doing his muscles to "getting strong"

 

The night proved to end very interesting to say the least...we left the Fox and headed to Cheesecake  Factory to treat John Brady. We decided to sit outside because a 25 minute wait with a hungry two year old screams....DISASTER!!! So we got a nice seat under an umbrella....he loved the spinach and artichoke dip(first time trying) & chips as he calls(dip chip), for his meal he had kids chicken fingers and was so cute dipping his fries and chicken in the honey mustard saying "chicken bok bok bokkkk & fren fry"

All was going great until out of NO WHERE comes a down pour! The umbrella was holding up until the rain started coming sideways and pooling up on the table... then running off the table into JB's lap. In a matter of minutes he was soaked! Not damp....soaked! The poor waiter was drenched and boxed up our remaining dinner while Drew ran to get the car in the down pour and I held JB...again who was soaked. We stripped him down in the car to his diaper and his new Wiggles t-shirt. It got use right away....by this time it is 9:30 at night, way past his bed time. We were all soaked by the time we made it to the car...JB looked adorbale curled up in his carseat in his oversized new t-shirt in diaper quietly singing "lights, camera, action WIGGLE" over and over again. Drew drove us home while I finished my dinner that was boxed up! Never a dull moment! It was so much fun and nice to see John Brady have so much fun. Even in the pouring rain he was holding his hand out from under the umbrella into the rain saying "mommy daddy rain" and then dying laughing! The rain didn't phase any of us a bit...you learn to just roll with it once you have kids.

JB goes to CAMP!

JB heads to his FIRST CAMP!! Yay for John Brady! Drew and I decided to send him to Camp Delightascope at Darlington Lower School. We picked the third session which had a theme of China. He loved the camp and his counselor Caroline Baker, one of my former cheerleaders and now friends. Thank goodness for her because she text me videos and pictures daily. She was a life saver and John Brady has asked about her since camp ended.

 His class was a combination of 2&3 year olds and was about 11 kids total. The first day I dropped him off I realized he was one of the youngest campers but one of the tallest...hard to believe! I hope he doesn't end up being like Yao Ming!

The first day I had to walk him in and get him settled but after about 5 minutes I was able to slip out...it was the first time Drew and I had left him with anyone other than both of our parents. I was so happy for him but hoping he would do well. He proved to be a big boy and handled it until about 11:30 the first day when I had to come back and assure him I was coming back to get him. Luckily I packed his bunny, which he sleeps with so the bunny helped comfort him until I was about to get there.  After the first day he did wonderful though and was able to stay until the end each day. He did his first camp crafts and art. My favorite was his handprint chinese dragon which Drew & I can't wait to hang up in our new house...whenever we find one we like! 

Watching JB walk into camp holding hands with Caroline with his blue and red backpack reading "JBN" on the back with his water in his sippy cup in hand was slightly heartbreaking and exciting at the same time. Luckily, I knew it was only one week for four hours a day and not permanent like starting school. At that point, I am sure I will lose it considering he is my little man, my first child and has stayed home with me all this time. I will be sad to know one day those days are over and he will be in school until he leaves home and our days of playing, doing puzzles, painting, making homemade lemonade, play dough, etc are no more. Sad times...this was a little taste! I will be soaking up the time before he starts school in a few years!

 

Beckett @ 2 months

Hello to all Beckett is 2 months old today!

Height: 24 3/4 inches (over 100%)

Weight: 13 1/2 lbs(75%)

All checked out well at the doctor. She said Beckett looked great and was very strong. He is able to hold his head up very well and does great with his tummy time. He is certainly growing. Now he is eating every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-5 hours at night. It all depends on the day and his growth spurts but he is settling in to his little schedule.

He loves his jungle gym, tummy time, human touch and interaction(he is so happy as long as there is someone holding him or talking to him), bath time(wasn't a fan at first now he smiles the whole time), cooing and smiling, his swing, kicking around, etc.

He still hates having a dirty diaper(cries the minute he is done)

Things he did this month(July): visited the Ga aquarium with Mommy, Daddy, Pa & Dora, my friends Tara and Jordan came to meet you, went to Birmingham to look at houses with mommy and daddy twice, ate at Cheesecake Factory kicked around on the booth with mommy.

Happy 2 months Beckett!