We spent a lot of time on the second floor deck enjoying the view of the ocean. The ocean was a little further away than we expected because of protected land closer in, but it was still a beautiful view and short walk to the shore. And we could hear the waves crashing at night.
Anlon loved sitting with his daddy in the water. They would draw in the sand together, talk about the birds and boats they spotted, and do what Vipul called "ocean jiggle", a slight variation of "jiggle wiggle."
I had a little time too. :)
We took him out into the water a lot, but he preferred staying closer to the shore. He especially loved running around on the sand. He was SO happy doing this.
Early one morning I took him out for a walk on the beach and when we returned home, I turned on the outdoor shower to rinse off our feet. Anlon decided that it was much more fun to take a full shower! He had a blast!!! He didn't want to let go of his piece of salami so it went in the shower too. :)
We also had a lot of fun just relaxing around the house.
Anlon discovered his love of stars on our trip. He began noticing stars everywhere! Of course, there were many starfish around the house as part of the decor so it wasn't hard to spot them. He would get so excited when he would find a new one.
Thankfully sleep was better than we expected while on vacation. We think at least part of this was due to us bringing his crib bumper that he loves to cuddle up to at home.
We were within walking distance to Siesta Key Village, a quaint area with a lot of great restaurants and coffee shops. Some mornings we walked to breakfast before Anlon's morning nap and walked back later in the day for ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Our last 2 nights we were joined by very special friends, Steve and Carolina with their little boys Jack and Palmer. Palmer was exactly 2 weeks old the day they arrived! We're so glad they were able to come. Anlon really enjoys being with Jack and they had a lot of fun together.
And Anlon always loves it when Carolina is around. We think he has a bit of a crush on her. :)
Carolina handles motherhood with quiet strength and grace. She made caring for a 2 1/2 year old and a 2 week old look easy (which I know it is definitely not!). I'm so very thankful for her friendship.
Vipul and Steve enjoyed some guy time too.
And Vipul enjoyed making incredible french toast and burgers almost as much as we enjoyed eating them!
I'm very thankful for our special week together as a family and for our time with dear friends who joined us.
(Anlon is wearing Carolina's headband which he did not want to take off!)
