Port A: Day 2

On Tuesday we woke up and were lazy. I think we were all still a little tired! We hung around the condo for a while and let Quin actually take his morning nap (only one he would get this week!) After he woke up we went to the beach again for a while. Same story, different verse. We still had a blast in the water. While playing in the sand, we decided to bury Quin and I...Braidy was not willing to be buried in the sand.





After our afternoon naps, and a quick swim in the pool, we went on a dolphin cruise. John got to be "co-captain" and sit in the captain's chair to help him look for dolphins. It was at 6:30 (DINNER time) so Quin was not exactly happy, but he did pretty well after I fed him a little snack. We saw LOTS of dolphins and they were so neat. We watched birds catch cheetos in the air. It was gorgeous outside, still warm, but a nice breeze helped us stay cool. Down on the bottom of the boat there were fish/crabs, etc that the kids could hold. During the cruise, they drug the net, and towards the end of the trip they showed us what all they caught and kept all of the "safe" creatures in the tub of water for us to see and hold. This trip it included a sting ray, crabs, a catfish that could cut an aluminum can with his sharp fin, other fish, and more! I think Braidy and John had the most fun with this. They weren't super impressed with the dolphins...daddy and I were!








After the cruise (8 or so) we went to find dinner, at another recommended place. AFter we waited at least 45 minutes we were finally seated, starving, cranky baby on hand....and the beginnings of a cranky 3 and 6 year old....and definitely a cranky mommy at this point! We decided to just order 2 pounds of peel and eat shrimp (that's what we all wanted)...after waiting about 15 minutes, the waitress came back to tell us they were OUT of shrimp! What!?! It takes alot for me to get really mad and show it, but I had arrived at that point! Ryan and I had eaten our baked potato and the boys had some fries as their side, so we just decided to leave and drive through What-a-burger. So "justaburger" at 9:30pm was NOT what we had in mind, but it sure beat waiting another hour to eat! Now we can laugh about it, but at the time we were NOT happy campers! So far we were 0-3 in the eating department. Such a bummer when we were so excited about some yummy seafood! Ahhhh memories!

Port A: Day 3

Day 3, we were headed into Corpus to go to the aquarium. It was really fun and the boys really enjoyed it. We saw giant sea turtles, more dolphins, otters, jellyfish, seahorses, fish, sharks, you name it, we saw it. For 2 little boys who LOVE Nemo, it was awesome! It was nice to be inside for a little while and get a break from the heat. We got to "pet" the stingrays which was really neat. They held some spiny creatures and some crabs, too. We watched from underneath the dolphin's tank and saw them swim by many times. Even Quin got a front row seat for this!










After the aquarium we headed to another "recommended" place for lunch...and THANKFULLY, this time it was actually good food! We, again, ordered some peel and eat shrimp and they were awesome. I think Braidy ate a pound all by himself. We had been craving some from the night before. After lunch and an ice cream cone, we headed back to Port A....for naptime, or "LAYOUT" time for mommy! It was a highlight of my trip, for sure!

After we got going again we went to play some miniature golf. We played a quick 18 holes, and I think John might have won. Braidy would hit his first shot and then go pick up his ball, place it about a centimeter from the hole, and hit it in...so he cheated, a little. We had fun though, and that's all that matters!




About 4 different people had recommended VIRGINIA'S for dinner, so we decided to try it out. It was AMAZING. We ate right on the water, and the food was delicious. I had tuna with a sweet teriyaki sauce, and Ryan had mahi mahi. It was by far the best service and best food we had eaten all week. We were tempted to go back the next night, and probably should have. Finally some great seafood with a great atmosphere!

Port A: Day 4...final day!

On Thursday, our last day, was Ryan and I's fourth anniversary! We would celebrate when we got home, but we still enjoyed our day together! This day, we wanted to do a LOT! Fishing was first on the agenda. We loaded up and headed back out on the pier to see if we could catch a few fish. It was HOT HOT HOT outside, and poor Quin was just miserable...making mommy a little miserable too. We hung around just as long as we could. John and Braidy both had their own poles, and daddy helped put the bait on it. A while went by and no fish...just lots of sweat. As Braidy, Quin, and I decided to head for the beach, one of the poles got a bite...and caught a SHARK!! It was a baby, but it was still a shark. We ran back and saw it, took some photos, and I'm so glad we didn't miss it!







After that excitement, the 3 of us headed down to cool down somehow. We camped out under the pier in the shade and let Braidy play in the sand while Quin took a nap in the stroller. He fell asleep as we were walking down the beach. Poor guy was SO good considering his schedule was no where to be found all week. He's adaptable, that's for sure! Daddy and John fished a while longer and then joined us for some more time at the beach before we called it quits for lunch and naps.

After naps, daddy took the 2 big boys to the beach one more time while Quin and I hung out in the condo and started the packing process. I was exhausted and just wasn't up for another beach trip. Before dinner we went and did a little shopping at the "shark place" that they had been dying to go to. It had a huge shark you could stand in and walk in through...pretty fun! Bought the boys a shirt and a toy they got to pick out. They both got a plastic dragonfly of all things. Like a big blue one that is squishy. Oh well, that's what they wanted! That night we went to a "Seafood and Spaghetti" place and it was pretty good. Not "Virginia's" good, but much better than the pizza or Fin's...or whataburger! We had some more seafood, but were ready to go as soon as we got there....I think by this point we were all SO tired and the boys showed it...making the going out to eat less than enjoyable. But we made the most of it and were thankful once we were done! We did manage to find a delicious ice cream place, where we all had a scoop of ice cream before we called it a night.


And that about sums up our trip. We had a GREAT time and enjoyed lots and lots of family time. I know the boys had a blast and really, that is all that matters. Vacations are exhausting and HARD WORK when you have 3 little ones, Ryan and I definitely learned that lesson quick! We'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I am so thankful we make time to spend together like this. We will always have our vacation memories to remember forever!!!

nine months old!

On Thursday, Quin turned NINE months old! I am a little OCD about posting on his actual "birthday", but we were on vacation, so a few days late is ok...this time. Ryan and I also celebrated our 4th anniversary on that day. Special day all around. More on the hubby/anniversary soon.

At 9 months old, you are still doing what I have dubbed as the "wounded soldier". It's an army crawl but only one leg does the work, the other leg just drags...hence the "wounded" soldier. However, you get around fast. The past couple of weeks you'll get up on all 4's and just rock. I have tried to show you how to move your legs/arms in order to crawl, but you'll just plop on your belly and go your way. You have 2 teeth on the bottom, and your smile that shows those little teeth is the most precious thing to see. You love any and all food. Your favorite "people food" is probably donut holes, cinnamon rolls, and as of this morning, french toast! You still have never taken a bottle, and probably never will. You are good with your sippy cup now, so if I ever leave you I'll just put some milk in your cup instead of a bottle. You nurse 3 or 4 times a day. Seems like you never nurse anymore, but that is just because you are too busy eating real food and playing! Lately (KNOCK ON WOOD) you have slept all night long! From about 8-7 or 8. Even on our vacation you did...woohoo!!! You take a good morning and afternoon nap...anywhere from 2-3 hours each. You're very easy to "figure out". When you're tired, you let us know.

You wear size 4 diapers, size 12 month PJ's....and your 9 month onesies are getting pretty snug...so it's time to bring out the 12-18 month clothes bin! Your hair is one of my most favorite things about you. It's getting thick and super wavy. While we were at the beach it would curl like crazy, and it was so cute. You have MUCH more hair than Braidy did at this age...maybe you got momma's hair!

You jabber alot, and say dadadadadada and mamamamamama, and we both love this. You're pincer grasp has gotten much better this month, and I've had to fish lots of "stuff" out of your mouth that you find on my floor!

You smile constantly, and laugh lots. We all act like fools trying to make you laugh, because your laugh is just the sweetest sound to our ears. You are such a blessing to us. We could not imagine our lives without you, Quin Joseph! Hard to believe you've been in our lives as long as you lived in momma's tummy!

B's 3 Year Old Pictures

Again, I do NOT claim to be a photographer in any sort of the word, but I do love taking pictures of my boys! Here are some of Braidy's 3 year old pictures. I have a HUGE amount of respect for photographers, how they get kids of any age (particularly 3 though) to cooperate is beyond me. I am sure they are better for anyone other than mommy though!!!

Trip down South

A couple weekends ago, Braidy, Quin and I, along with Jess and Crockett loaded up and headed to San Antonio to spend a long weekend with Poppa and JJ. Ryan was attending a men's retreat here in town, so we decided to go ahead and go. We went down on Thursday. A car full of 3 boys 3 and under was surprisingly very uneventful! We stopped once on the way down there (twice if you count letting Braidy teetee on the side of the road, huge advantage to having boys!)....but we made it in great time! We got there and headed straight for the pool. The boys had a blast swimming, feeding the deer, going on walks, looking in the "forest", looking for the kitty, playing in the legos, helping JJ cook, and anything else they could get into, they did. Quin LOVED swimming in Poppa's pool. He even got dunked a few times and didn't even cry!

Friday we went to New Braunfel's to ride the CHOO CHOO train! It took us through Landa Park and it was so much fun. We saw tons of squirrels, and the boys loved it. We then picked up some yummy treats at a bakery there, and headed to lunch and then home. Friday night, Aunt Rachy joined us! We were SO excited to see her!!!! Saturday we went into San Antonio for the farmer's market and to ride the boat down the river. It was a little too hot outside, but we still had fun. After a yummy burger at Chris Madrid's it was NAP time. Braidy even fell asleep in my lap at the restaraunt...that never happens, so I knew he was exhausted!

Other than that, we just enjoyed being out in the hill country. We had another "episode" of hives for poor Quin. After a good amount of homemade ice cream, he broke out again. We have come to the conclusion that he is allergic to raw eggs, and NOT strawberries! YAY! We can easily avoid raw eggs, no problem! He discovered his love for whip cream, waffles, and lots of yummy table food! It was gorgeous and hot outside, but the pool sure made it bearable! We had a great time and can't wait to go back! We will let Poppa and JJ recover a while though, I know they were worn out by the time we left!! Lots of Pictures!