life's a beach - sand and surf and all the rest

This will be my last vacation post!

{Signal the group sigh of relief - I understand}

It's time to cover the rest of everything: the good, the bad, the baby. 

This was Asher's first experience with sand.  Oh my.  Maybe some babies would do well with it, but for us, 8 months was just a little too young.

Mr. A was very curious and liked to touch the sand...but then he'd cry because it was stuck to his sweaty little hand.  Or he'd want to put his hand in his mouth {because he always puts his hands in his mouth} and I'd have to dive bomb on him before he ate a mouthful of sand.  You don't have to be a mother to imagine the kind of disaster that would be.

I think next summer he'll be able to run around and play with his cousins, and that will be a much better beach experience.  This wasn't bad, just pretty limited.

The pool, however, was a huge hit!  Asher had this little float that he loved!!  The first time we put him in it he just laid his head back against the rest and fell asleep.  I couldn't believe it.  I was taking pictures and told Drew that he looked like he was sleeping.  He was!  Naturally, we pulled him out so he could sleep inside.  Haha, silly baby.

The other times we used the float were just as fun {but less sleepy}.  Asher would float around like the Pharoah on the Nile. 

One fun thing we were able during to do during our week was visit my great-aunt Betty who lives on Long Beach Island full-time.  Her daughter, Carol, and my sister Erin and her husband Ryan, were visiting Aunt Betty so we got to see them too!  A. Betty is in her eighties but more spry than a lot of middle aged people I know! 

She was on the floor playing with Asher and let him ring the bell on her porch {wow, he loved that!}

It was fun to introduce Asher to my grandfather's sister.  How many people get to do that?!

Asher also had a few other first experiences.

Mostly of the gustatory variety.

While {on a normal day} I firmly insist that Asher won't eat anything with added sugar I did get a little swept up in the "baby's first vacation" of it all and may have given him a little something special.

In the form of Rita's Italian ice.

What could I do?  He was being so sweet, sitting on my lap while I ate delicious cherry ice.  I couldn't not give him a little taste!  Of course, he loved it!  Little bugger wouldn't give me a moment's peace after that.  He wanted more and more!  Fortunately I was almost done, so we were able to get away with just a taste or 2.

Here's a random photo of Asher with his Daddy and Aunt Lisa.  I had to put it up because of how BIG Asher looks to me here!

If you couldn't tell, we had an amazing first vacation as a family of 3!  I can't wait to take Asher back each year.  Maybe next year I'll have new pregnancy photos to show - who knows!  :o)