Florida Fun Day 1- Flights and Festivals!

We have been in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the past few days on our very first family vacation. Rocky got the extra time off for an Ophthalmology conference and we went along for the ride. We had so much fun!

Since we took so many pictures and Brinley had so many experiences worth blogging about, I decided to split this post up into 4. So, this is the first installment of the series, Florida Fun!

We got up bright and early on Saturday to make our 8am flight. I have to say I was quite stressed about the whole process, I mean flying and getting to my flight on time already gets to me, and with a baby added in the mix, you can only imagine.

We finally got everything settled and boarded the plane with all the essentials- ear numbing drops, decongestants, bottles of juice, formula, nursing cover, snacks, a few small toys, and a few of our favorite books. I was hoping for the best and it was really fine!

The altitude change didn't seem to affect Brinley at all and she LOVED all the people!

She played peekaboo with the people around her, flashed smiles at the flight attendants, yanked the magazines in and out of the seat backs, looked out the window, and crawled all over us like jungle gyms.

We luckily had a seat in between us for both flights so she was able to spread out. We landed in Austin and changed planes which was a perfect chance for a little nap.

When things got boring, the snacks came out and kept us entertained for quite some time. It was a great first flying experience for all of us!

When we landed, we hurried drove out to West Palm Beach for Sunfest. It was such a random coincidence that 2 of Rocky's most favorite bands- Sister Hazel and Better Than Ezra- were both playing in this music festival back to back!

We found a grassy place to sit and watch both bands perform.

It was the perfect start to our vacation!

Brinley loved being outside with all the people and the music.

It is so hot and humid in Florida, we had to stay hydrated!

While we were sitting there she found a little ladybug and started holding and playing with it so nicely.

I was amazed at her level of attention to such a small creature!

I helped her keep it on her finger, then all of the sudden, she stuck it in her mouth!!

So much for the kid that doesn't put anything in her mouth! I fished it out before she swallowed it and she was not happy. Rest in peach poor little ladybug, sorry about your traumatic exit from this world.

After the festival, we headed to our hotel to settle in and get a good night's rest. I will leave you with a picture of the way Brinley slept. But first, let me give you some background...
I was stressed about how we were going to get Brinley to sleep in the room with us. She has done it before at grandparents houses and such, but we can always leave the room while she falls asleep then come back in to go to bed. I knew we were going to want to watch TV and have the lights on while she slept so I wanted to find a way to make a space for her. So, this was the solution (thanks for the idea, Haley!)

We put the crib as far into the closet as it would go, put the sound machine in the closet to drown out the noise, and hung the comforter by the hangers to block out the light.

I know some of you find this kinda cruel, but it actually worked out perfectly. I have no shame in the level of importance a good night's sleep is to our family. I will do whatever it takes! She was able to relax and have things quiet in her little cave, and Rocky and I were able to keep ourselves entertained while being stuck in our hotel rooms by 8:00 each night. We all got a great night's sleep and were rested for day 2 of our vacation!