First Family Vacation

We just returned yesterday from our very first family vacation. We took a long weekend and went to stay at a "family-friendly" B&B in Rehoboth, Delaware called At Melissa's. It was a wonderful B&B and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a totally relaxed stay in a beautiful house about a block and a half from the beach. It was perfect because we didn't have to drive anywhere if we didn't want or need to and could walk to the boardwalk, beach and the main strip of restaurants and stores. Melissa, the owner, was so friendly and accommodating and thought of so many small touches from having a baby monitor all ready in our room to leaving stamps out by the postcards. We have never stayed in a B&B before but after staying in this one, I can see why it's so appealing and we'd definitely do it again. That said, it was a bit tricky with Sophia because we worried about her loud noises (both happy and not so happy) since she's really into loudness these days. But, it seemed to not bother the other guests and so maybe we worried about it more than we should. Definitely, if we could afford to get a place to ourselves for the week, we'll probably be more comfortable in our own little getaway in the future but if time or money do not afford that luxury, a few nights at Melissa's sure can't be beat. Plus, we had a delicious breakfast included in our stay and complimentary beer, wine, bloody marys, sodas, water and she provides the beach towels, chairs and coolers. It really does make it so simple!

We think that Sophie did really well but boy, being away made us realize how much we have all come to rely on our certain routines here. Sophie seemed to be constantly exhausted and a little on the cranky side - not sure if it was all the newness of the environment or missing her "things" and her routines but she definitely seemed like a happier baby when we were all home.Of course, it could have also been the teething factor. That said, she did have many happy moments and we enjoyed sharing new things with her like the ocean, the beach, seagulls, balloons (she got two!) and so much more. Jim and I often felt a bit like we were running a marathon to try and keep her happy and get her to take her naps because she was so overstimulated all the time. So while it wasn't exactly totally relaxing, it was a great taste of what vacationing with a child will be like for the next several years! And, we had a wonderful time all together as a family for several days sharing our love of the shore and eating shore/vacation foods and just being together. It blows our minds to think that NEXT summer, Sophia will be running around, chasing seagulls and jumping waves!! If you are a grandma or godmom and want to see many more photos, click here!