Back from the babymoon

Just returned home from our week long beach vacation in Maine. We had such an amazing time with amazing beach weather! Looks like we picked a great week to go, as next week the forecast calls for rain every day.

We stayed at the "Shell Camp" and my expectations were not very high. We have seen other houses up at Higgins and they aren't the most updated places. So when the real estate agent called to discuss this place with us and warn us that it wasn't the most modern house, I was really nervous. But it was great! We'd definitely stay there again, given the fact it is pet friendly and the price. The shower could be improved (leaked ALL the time), but it was also used a lot by 6 adults!

Bailey had a BLAST. She was such a happy well behaved dog. Every morning Steve and i got up and took her to the beach to run and play. We'd walk to the other end, to see my family, also staying up there that week, and to let her run in the water and play in the sand. At first she wasn't very sure about the waves and tried to avoid them. But by the end, she was jumping over them and using them to carry the ball back to shore. Such a goober :)

We had amazing weather most days... except Friday afternoon/evening, when some severe storms rolled through. We lost power for a while and there was even a tornado the next town over! Luckily we just got rain and thunder. But it altered our dinner plans up at Two Lights :( So I STILL haven't been to eat and watch the sunset... i am definitely going next year!!

We definitely are excited to go back next year. We really had a blast with the people we stayed with, but also having my mom and aunts there. It was so much fun to spend time at the beach with the kids. Everyone was planning for next year when the baby is there to play in the tide pools formed during low tide. I really hope we will be able to get the same week as my aunt and uncle get next year. They want to plan for late august, as jesse will have baseball next summer in july. Maybe we can spend the baby's 1st B-day in Maine!

I absolutely LOVED wearing a bathing suit on the beach this year... for the first time i didn't feel self-conscious on the beach in a bathing suit. Yet another benefit to being PG in the summer!

We had a nice time with the 2 couples we stayed with. I didn't realize how much younger they were than us and it was very apparent this past week. Not in a bad way... they are all in their mid to late 20s, out of grad school and beginning their careers as professionals. They reminded me of us a few years ago... no immediate plans for kids and just enjoying being "Dinks" (Duel income no kids). I guess i just realized how much steve and i have changed to prepare ourselves for becoming parents. At one point Lavina even said how it was like we were the parents taking care of them. We joked that we were the cruise directors. But i did feel like i was taking on a lot more responsibility than i normally would. So maybe we are ready to become parents!

Did a lot of reading.. mostly preparing for the baby... read the hypnobirthing book and started the happiest baby on the block. They both brought up the concept of the "4th trimester" and how to help the baby adapt from a small, tight environment, full of noises, constant stimulation and being held 24/7 to this world of freedom. There are techniques (and explanations) for the use of swaddling, white noise, swinging/bouncing and other things to help teach the baby to adjust. I have heard great things about the happiest baby book, so i think we will try to apply these techniques. We'll see how it goes!

Now that we have moved and got back from vacation, it's now time to start to plan for the baby... getting everything ready for the hospital, the overnight bag, washing clothes, getting the furniture, etc etc. Lots to do in just a few short weeks!!!