Virginia Beach

Matt and I wanted to do something to celebrate our year anniversary, and since I have always wanted to check out  Virginia Beach since I moved here we thought that would be the place to go.  It is only two hours away the perfect distance while traveling with a six month old and a dog.  Since sunday was suppose to be thunder storms we decided to go friday to saturday, so we packed the boys up and went about our way.  Friday night Matt made dinner reservations at a restaurant on the beach called Ocean 31 a place recommended for their seafood.  It was out of this world, both of us agreed that it was the best crab and oysters we had ever had.  They even sat us at a table that was facing the ocean so we had a front row view of the sunset.  Ethan was really great through it all, except he was so interested in everything that was put on the table he automatically reached for anything that was placed within his reach.  He even grabbed an oyster off Matt's plate when he wasn't looking and me being the worry wart I am we had to wipe him down for fear of an allergic reaction.  He also wanted to be apart of the festivities when the waiter brought Matts beer and set it on the table he was frantically trying to grab at it.  We snapped a pretty funny picture of it.

Celebratory dinner

Even Ethan wanted to celebrate and toast us

In order to keep with Ethan's routine we got back to the hotel and went to give him a bath before bed when we quickly realized that this was going to be doomed from the start.  Not only did we forget baby soap, but the room we had only had a shower.  Improvising we put him in the sink.  It was a tight fit and he seemed to give us a look like "really mom and dad?"  He probably would have lost it but we gave him a rubber ducky and he immediately forgot about the cramped make shift tub and went about his business with his rubber ducky.  Ethan has an obsession with his rubber ducky at home, lets just say the part of the song "rubber ducky I'm awfully fond of you" holds very true.  When we first checked in Ethan charmed all the ladies at the front desk and they told us to grab him the whole set of Homewood Suites rubber duckies and the matching book from the gift shop absolutely free!  Thank goodness or we would have had one sad bath time.  All in all he was such a sport about it.  

Bath time hotel style

Saturday we went to the beach!  It was over cast and cold but we still decided to  go for a few minutes.    This by far was Tuckers favorite part of the trip.  Matt said he hadn't been to the beach since he was a puppy but boy did he not forget.  We took him down to the water and he immediately started running, jumping and flipping around.  This was sort of difficult because since it wasn't a leash free beach we had to keep him on the leash and since Matt had Ethan in the baby back pack I had the pleasure of holding him.  Believe me it did not stop him one bit he made the best of it.  I really wish I could have seen him run on that beach I honestly think that he would have thought he died and went to heaven.  We only stayed by the water for a few short minutes before we headed up to the boardwalk.  We only got a short distance down before we decided to head back.  All though Ethan was bundled up we were afraid that he was freezing.  After that we headed towards an ice cream shop that we had seen on the travel channel for the"best ice cream" and so of course seeing how we were there we decided we should make our own executive decision about it.  Unfortunately it was closed and wasn't going to open for another hour and a half.  We decided that since Ethan was passed out in the back a two hour blissful car ride would be more worth it than the "best ice cream."  We were right to do that  because he slept peacefully the whole way home.  Traveling with a baby was a lot of work I can't believe the amount of stuff we took for an over night trip. So long are the days of throwing a duffle bag and going.  It was well worth it in the end though... but we are taking offers for babysitters for our next one!!!!

Ethan's first beach trip wish it was warmer

Going

Gone