Our Trip to Ocean Isle Beach - Part 1

We just got home yesterday afternoon from our very first trip with the babies to our favorite place - Ocean Isle Beach! It was so nice to escape town for a few days and take our little miracles to Ocean Isle.....Mike and I have been there together at every important stage - we fell in love there, went there when engaged, for our one year anniversary, after the miscarriage, and now with our babies. We wanted to go when I was pregnant, but the Dr. had advised us not to travel.

Aidan sleeping on the ride there:



We made it!



Coming over the bridge onto the island:



Our hotel - the Ocean Isle Inn:




What a wonderful, magical two days. Both Ella and Aidan were so good...they napped good, ate good, and LOVED the pool! Aidan took to the beach immediately, Ella took a little bit of coaxing.

They were the main attraction in every restaurant (well, there are only two choices of places to eat!) - they talked and flirted with everyone around, and Ella showed off her waving skills coupled with her cute tiny little southern accented "Bye-Bye". Aidan laughed and made faces with people at neighboring tables.

Not to mention what good little eaters! We even discovered that Ella enjoys both grouper and mahi mahi! Aidan, of course, would not even take a bite (he is a bit of a picky eater). They also tried peanut butter and jelly for the first time (a big hit).

The day we arrived, Tuesday, we took them to the pool for their very first real swim!! They both loved it, and are naturals! They didnt last too long in their little baby floats (Ella's was a turtle and Aidan's was a crab), as they much preferred to be in our arms floating, splashing and kicking. Boy, it was fun....and they both pitched quite a fit when it was time to leave the pool!

Getting ready to swim! (I could not get them both to look at me and smile at the same time):



Aidan in his crab "floatie":



Ella in her turtle "floatie":



They are too cute for words:



After dinner we took them down on the beach for a short while just to sit for a few minutes.

Beachtime:









And he's off (this was a theme the whole time - keeping up with Aidan is a feat in itself!):



Ella was pretty unsure about the whole ocean thing...actually she screamed the minute water touched her!:



They both napped like champs in their pack-n-plays. The room obviously was not child proofed, so we made Aidan's pack-n-play the main play area and "stored" them both in there for safe keeping when we needed to shower, dress, etc.

Temporary playroom (i.e. baby jail):



After the beach, we took them inside and did their normal nightly routine of baths, books and bed. They both went to sleep like champs, and we sat out on the balcony and drank wine until we went to bed!

PS - In case anyone is wondering, or thinking we are bad parents - neither Ella nor Aidan would keep their hats on, and they also would not keep up the little shades that came with their floats. They were not in the sun too long, and were LOADED with sunscreen.