Hola from Puerto Vallarta

Bound and determined to continue to take vacations - even with an infant - we ventured off again, this year, to a week of sun in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We invited several friends and family members with children to join us, the adults all came, but left their children home. Hmmm, wonder why? Fortunately for us, this left us with another 6 sets of watchful eyes to monitor our little one's every move...and move she did. From the time she woke up until she fell into bed, one could find her progressively tanned tiny body in constant motion.


The trip was exhausting, but an absolute blast. Devi loved the ocean, sand, pool and all the guests. I think she walked up and said "HI" to just about everyone at the Vallarta Palace Resort. Naturally, most thought she was Hispanic which lead into an easy conversation to correct them about where she was born and how we came to be a family. We were met with positive comments the whole trip and met some very nice people from all over the US and Mexico along the way.

Having a child in a hotel room presents some interesting challenges. Right after we arrived, we baby-proofed the space and were wondering how we would manage with a bassinet sized crib for a child who basically runs a marathon in her sleep, when the phone rang. We both stood frozen as we witnessed our child picking up the phone and saying "Hello" into the receiver. We still have no idea how she knew to do this as the phone looked nothing like ours at home. Normally a sound sleeper, we were awaken several times during the trip in the middle of the night to view, through our tired blurry eyes, our bed-headed daughter peering over the top the the crib saying "Hi momma" while waving hello. She has always slept in her own room, so seeing us in the night must have been a great surprise? By the end of the trip, we had wised up and made the jacuzzi tub, which was open to the rest of the room, into a make shift bed for her to have a bit more room to roll around which helped her sleep a bit more soundly.

Most fascinating to both Pat and I was watching Devi explore a plethera of firsts on the trip. Sand...how it feels under your bare feet. How it sticks to your hands no matter how hard you shake them. How it tastes. How it squishes through your toes when a wave rushes past. She was definitely not short on her emotional display of feelings and it makes my cheeks hurt from smiling, even now, to recall the moments.

We witnessed her explosion of vocabulary on this trip also. Devi was captivated by the foam of the ocean....Bubbles! she would chant. Lunch times were spent at the resort's little grass shack where she ate her first hot dog. Hot dog! Isn't it just plain fun to say? Late afternoon indulgence...ice cream - now there is something that when said loud and clear brings a grand prize....especially when followed by "please"!! Swim, doose (juice), gaca (guacamole), glsess (glasses) and drass (grass) were some of the other words she surprised us with. She has mastered the concept of peoples names too. We traveled with Neice (Denise), Bn (Ben), Markkk (Mark pronouced with emphasis on the K), Nanneee (Nancy) and also had a couple of overlap days with Nannin (Aunt Shannon) and Gorsh (Uncle George). Devi has also started to call herself by name...Dee Dee!




I would guess that 80% of our day was spent in the pool. She got braver and braver as the week progressed, jumping in from the edge and going under water were met with a smile and the sign for more, more when she surfaced, by the end of the trip. Devi also mastered drinking from a straw which she is still extremely proud of.

As for daddy and me, this trip was extremely different. There were no carefree naps taken in a pool side lounger and we didn't arrive home with a stack of completed paperbacks to cross off our reading lists. We also didn't burn the midnight oil in the resort disco recalling 80's dance moves, although two of our friends generously babysat for us one night so we could enjoy an evening of fine dining and dancing which was so sweet of them and totally unexpected. Daddy and Devi did score major points with momma when they presented me with a day at the spa for a wonderful massage for Mother's day which is an indulgence I have rarely experienced, but am growing quite fond of :)

For us, just spending 8 days and 7 nights playing with Devi was a vacation so worth the effort to take. We just plain played hard all day...with no worries about going to work, what to cook, doing laundry, or cleaning house. A complete break from outside stresses - a true rejuvenation! We can't wait to plan the next get-away, but need to rest up first :)

Tacos at a street vendor - yum!

Flirting with Uncle George

Playing with Ben

Lovin' the ocean!



The Gang. From left U. George, A. Shannon, Mark, Nancy,
Mommy , Daddy, Dee Dee, Ben and Denise

One reason to come back!