It's a Railey great life!: Destinations, Dada, and Dogs

The last week has been busy for a variety of reasons, but I thought I would fill everyone in on some of the fun things that have been going on in our lives. Since Savannah was born we have made two trips home, but we haven't had a chance to take a truly "vacation" vacation since November of 2010. Needless to say, a vacation has been a long time coming! Both Brent and I wanted to do some more traveling abroad this year, but we weren't quite sure what traveling with a baby would be like. In the past, we have traveled from city to city with 12-14 hour days of sightseeing. Every day was in a new place, a new hotel, and a new world to discover. This is great for two adults, but throwing a baby into that type of experience sounded like a disaster to us. We wanted something that was both relaxing and exploratory, where we could still see lots of new places. After lots of discussion, we had the idea that a cruise might be just the ticket. It offers us the chance to see different cities/countries, yet provides the convenience of providing transportation, food, and most importantly not having to move our luggage around constantly. Several Google searches later, we had a list of different cruising options. We finally decided on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise at the very end of May and early June. On Thursday, we spoke with a wonderful "Vacation Planner" from Royal Caribbean and she helped us get a HUGE (for cruise standards) room at a discounted price because they were trying to sell them out! Brent and I are PUMPED and can't wait to go on vacation with Savannah! This will be the first of many wonderful vacations together as a family! :) During the trip we will see Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Ephesus, Athens, Santorini, and Naples. CANNOT WAIT!

Speaking of Savannah, our little Miss has had quite the week! Much to Brent's absolute delight, she started saying "Dadadadadada." Talk about melt your heart!! We have had the best time listening to her "talk" to us and express herself. I'm pretty sure her bottom two teeth are starting to come in as well. Her gums are really raised and turning white, but who knows, watch them not show up for another few months! Those of you who know Savannah well are well aware of the fact that tummy time has been her arch nemesis since the day she was born. Savannah's severe reflux meant that she often threw up during tummy time and was uncomfortable. Many tears and screaming sessions have finally paid off, and she is beginning to enjoy herself. She is rolling around all over the place and has figured out how to go backwards on her tummy, but we're still working on going forward. You can tell that she wants to move so badly, she just hasn't figured it out yet! I'm sure it's going to be here soon enough. :)

Another highlight of the past week and a half has been Gizmo, the fun loving shih tzu that we have been dogsitting for. Don't tell Scarlet, but Savannah LOVES him! Every morning as soon as she wakes up and hears his little collar jingle, she's looking for him. She just talks and squeals with delight when he comes near her. She is mezmorized! Gizzy, as we affectionately call him, is really good around her. He gets really brave and will come sit beside her and he will even let her "pet" him, of course I'm right there making sure she's not grabbing a fist full of his hair. The only thing that Gizmo hasn't been as crazy about is when Savannah starts chasing him in her walker. Believe it or not, our little almost eight month old is quite the speed demon when she gets in her walker. Gizmo's only defense is to jump from couch to couch and stay high enough out of her reach. He's such a good sport!

On Thursday, we went to the old Jubail Central Market. This is an open air market where they sell veggies, fish, and meat. Brent has been to the market before, but I'm sad to say that after living here for two and a half years, this was my first trip. We picked up some veggies and some fresh tuna and shrimp. It was a unique "Saudi" experience, and I'm sure the first of many visits.

This coming weekend we are headed to Bahrain for a chance to escape from the "Magic Kingdom" for a bit. We head out on Thursday morning and will return Friday afternoon. We are planning to visit some of our favorite spots that we came to love while we lived there. This will be Savannah's first trip there as well, so are looking forward to a fun outing.

Here's a few random pictures from our week.......