Vacation

We went to the Poconos this year for vacation. We left the Saturday after Labor Day, right in the heart of hurricane season! We had a few beautiful days and a few not so beautiful days (thanks Ike!). We rented a four bedroom house so there was plenty of room for Dave, myself, Anna and my parents. The house was in the middle of a gated community called Timber Trails and part of a larger community called Lake Naomi. We had access to a community center equipped with a gym, pool (closed for maintenance - bummer!) and recreation area. The membership also gave us access to the lakes/beaches and club house (restaurant), but we didn't get a chance to take advantage of that part too much due to the cool weather.

Anna did go in the lake one day - Daddy didn't give her much of a choice! But as usual, she loved it after she got used to the cool water. She caught a little bit of a cold and I was concerned that it was going to be a repeat of last year's vacation (her very first cold on top of five teeth coming in - fun!), but luckily we only had one night of her in our bed breathing heavily due to congestion. The rest of the week, she had her very own room - definitely the way to travel! And even though her cough lingered, it didn't make for any completely sleepless nights for anyone so we got lucky.

Anna enjoyed the play area in the community center. She loved the train set and, of course, she had to take the stroller and a very odd looking hot pink baby/creature for a walk around the second floor of the center. We bought a bike seat for her and although not thrilled at first (she wanted to walk), she quickly adjusted and seemed to enjoy the ride. Of course, it was a bit of an adjustment for me as I'm not used to an extra thirty pounds on the back of my bike, but I grew more comfortable after I practiced with a weighted down diaper bag while she took a nap one day. I'm still not perfectly comfortable with it but found a local bike trail that I want to practice on with her when I get a free moment (unfortunately, Anna's busy schedule doesn't make it easy!).

One of the best parts of the bike seat was after a quick ride, the three of us returned to the house and were welcomed by Grandma. When Grandma asked Anna who she went on a ride with, she said 'Daddy and Mommy' quite clearly - her first string of words. Yay!

In other speech related news, she started saying 'all done' also quite clearly and seems to be saying phrases/sentences even though we can't quite understand what she's saying. It used to be that she'd put together a bunch of similar sounds, but now the babble sounds more complex and more like a language - a foreign one, but language all the same!

We returned last Saturday and had a busy day Sunday with two (not one, but two) picnics. Probably our last chance to swim this summer as the days are getting cooler but a fun way to end the season. Anna returned to school yesterday and had a little difficulty adjusting to life back at home. Nothing too horrible, but it's going to take a couple of more days, I think, for her to get used to being home and adjusting to her fall schedule.

So good bye Summer 2008. A pretty good one - Anna grew by leaps and bounds in and out of the pool. We're looking forward to seeing what her jam packed fall will bring. I'll keep you posted.