Fort Myers Beach

Love this little dude. 

He was not so sure about the sand. 

Thanks Chelsi for the spontaneous invite and wonderful week in the sun! 

Florida Part 2

This kid kills me. Honest to goodness I did not pose him like this. Clearly, he loves the camera already.  His adorable little swimsuit and baseball cap were a gift from family friends we visited while in Chicago. Talk about perfect timing! Seriously, cutest thing ever.

Downtown Fort Myers was adorable. Historic buildings, colorful awnings, and palm trees lined the streets.

  

Chelsi and I thought this funny tree looked more like a pinnapple than a palm tree. 

This was our attempt at a group picture. I am unsure why my hand is hovering above my lap. 

 

The Trip to Chicago that Ended with a Flight to Florida

Well, our trip to Chicago had a surprise ending... Florida sunshine! The story goes something like this.

Audrey: "Hey Chelsi, I am super jealous that you are leaving Chicago today to visit your family in Florida. I wish I was going on vacation to Florida."

Chelsi: "You know you are more than welcome to come. My flight leaves in six hours."

Audrey (with a joking tone): "Hey Nick, can I go to Florida today with Chelsi?"

Nick: "I guess, if you can find a plane ticket."

Audrey: "You're joking."

Nick: "No, seriously. That would be fun."

The whole exchange took less then five minutes and three hours later I was at the airport leaving for Florida with nothing but the clothes on my back, the stroller, and the diaper bag crammed full of baby things, my swimsuit, and pajamas. Caleb and I ditched Chicago and it's chilly wind for the sunny, warm beaches of Fort Myers. Spontaneous? Yes. Crazy? Yes. Best decision ever? You bet!

Let me tell you, traveling with a baby is a pain in the rear. You really need a third arm and an extra dose of patience. Caleb was not the problem, he was a total trooper. The problem was the masses of annoying people at the airport. If you ever see a young mom holding a sleeping baby trying to take off her winter boots, hand over her boarding ticket, collapse a stroller, and place everything on the security conveyer belt simultaneously, please don't gawk. Here's an idea....offer to help. It was also extra special when the couple I sat next to on the plane rolled their eyes and whispered, "Oh great, a baby." Nice. Real nice. I have to say, it was incredibly satisfying when Caleb was perfectly adorable and quiet the entire flight. Go baby.

Ok, so enough complaining. In spite of the of rude travelors, the trip really went quite smoothly. We landed in Fort Myers at 1:00am, just twelve short hours after my impromptu decision to blow outta dodge. We met up with Chelsi (she was on a different flight) and headed to her family's condo. When we stepped outside the airport, the night air was sweaty and sticky on my face. Ah...sweet, sweet heat. The insane humidity wrapped around me like a hug. It was awesome.

After purchasing some oneies for Caleb and a pair of flip-flops for myself, we were ready for the week. Chelsi, Caleb, and I spent our time laying by the pool, watching Boy Meets World reruns, eating ice-cream, and enjoying the sunshine.

Here's a glimpse of the pool. Gorgeous.

Oh sweet Florida sunshine, I miss you. I will post some more of my favorite pictures tomorrow.

Happy Wednesday!

The Windy City

There is just something about Chicago. I will never get tired of traveling to this marvelous city. The buildings, the lakeshore, the pizza, the shopping, I love it all. Back in April, Nick and I packed up the baby and drove to Chicago for a weekend visit with friends. Our weekend included cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, some deep dish from Girodano's, tons of catching up and laughing, and of course a little shopping. We all stayed in a condo with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city on one side and Navy Pier on the other. It was gorgeous. Here's the best of my iPhone pics. 

Insta - D.C.

 At the airport. So excited to go see my husband!

 Seeing my husband for the first time in 4 weeks!

 

We took a trip to the zoo. It was hot, hot, hot!

 Dad!

  

Mom and baby!

 The hotel pool was amazing!

  

Lovely, but once again...hot!

 Starbucks for breakfast.

 Union Station for lunch.

 Thomas Circle ... right outside our hotel.

 At the White House.

 Church next to our hotel.

 Waiting for the Metro.

 Smithsonian National Portrait Museum.

 Navy Memorial.

 

Trying to get just one good pic. :)

 

One more try...

 

Breakfast on the 4th of July. 

 Big news on the 4th!

 Fireworks!

 Next to the Washington Monument.

So pretty. Awesome trip!

Sunday Morn

Our Sunday morning in Chicago was pretty relaxed. Hudson did what he does best....smile. Laynie got her nails painted and talked to Nick, then we all headed over to Panera. I've gotta be honest, Panera never disappoints. I simply love it.

Rainbow nails

Facetime with Nick!

Mocha Frappuccino.

Mocha Frappuccino on Laynie's face.

Happy Wednesday! Hope it is sunny!