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.......
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| Uncle Jamie has his hands full with Aden and Savannah! |
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| Aden thought Savannah needed a little help in her walker! |
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| This is one of our AWESOME drivers, Alex! |
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| Someone figured out how to pull the pans out of the cabinet! |
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| Savannah is really trying to chase Gizmo, fortunately for him, this toy doesn't move. |
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| Face Time on the IPad with Grandmommy (Brent's Mom). |
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| Getting dried off after bathtime! |
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| Mommy and Savannah! |
