Bahama Mamas (and Daddies)

We are settling back in this evening after four days and four nights of Caribbean living! Several months ago, plans were made for the Williamses, Houstons, and Kennedys to celebrate Josh's 40th birthday with a cruise to the Bahamas. After coordinating our calendars, lining up Grammy for babysitting, renewing our passports, and packing a couple of suitcases, we set sail!

Day 1: Leaving Charleston

The cruise left out of Charleston, a little over 4.5 hours from Kernersville, and our boarding time was between 1:30PM and 2PM. My mom picked us up around 7AM to head over to the Houstons where Emmy would be staying with Zander and Maddox for Grammy Camp. After arriving to Charleston, it was a very easy loading process onto our boat, the Carnival Sunshine. Sarah, Josh, Megan, Zack, Boomer, and I headed straight to the food and familiarized ourselves with all of the ship's dining options: made-to-order tacos, deli sandwiches, pizza, a hot buffet, numerous desserts and frozen yogurt. Not long after that, we departed from Charleston and had the mandatory safety drill - and then it was time to eat again! Each night, we had the early dinner sitting at 6PM, and on that first night I ordered the Charleston special of sweet and spicy shrimp. The evening ended with the Welcome Aboard Show in the main theater. We were all excited for the start of vacation...but also a little tired from our travels, so we made a plan for the next day before saying goodnight around 11PM. 

Day 2: A Day at Sea

Friday was a day at sea as we made our way to the Bahamas. We started our morning with a workout in the ship's fitness center and then a buffet breakfast on the Lido deck. We found some lounge chairs together on the upper deck and made a home base for the rest of the day. The Williamses and the two Bakewell girls stayed out in the sun most of the day, alternating between the pools and sun bathing. Zack and Boomer opted for cooler options in shadier parts of the boat. I managed to snap a photo with Boomer during the few minutes that he joined us on the sun deck. Since there is no hiding my baby bump in a bikini, it was a good opportunity to document Baby Kennedy #2 at 18 weeks. You'll also notice that I am sporting two black armbands. Because I am pregnant, I did not want to risk taking any of the oral medicine that the others took for sea sickness, so my dad found a natural option that uses pressure points in the wrist instead. Luckily none of us got sick...but unfortunately I am the only one that came home with interesting hand-cuff tan lines!

That night was the formal evening, and we all put on our best attire for dinner. I ordered the prime rib, and it was delicious. I wish I could remember the appetizers and desserts I ordered each night - sometimes I even ordered multiple of each! We watched some stand-up comedy before the 9:30PM show, which was a 70s theme. We hung out in the atrium afterwards for more music and singing. 

Baby Kennedy #2 - 18 weeks

Day 3: Nassau, Bahamas

After a full day of blue ocean, it was strange to see land as we ate breakfast on Saturday morning. We debarked the ship around 10AM and briefly explored downtown Nassau. Then we took a water taxi over to Paradise Island to see the Atlantis Resort. We walked through the marina village and the casino, to which I made a $20 donation. We also found the public beach and put our feet in the Bahamian ocean. After a couple of hours on Paradise Island and even fitting in a Facetime call back home, we made our way back to our ship for a late lunch. Shortly after, around 5PM we departed Nassau to start the journey back to the US. At dinner that evening, I tried the Bahamian special, Junkanoo Pot, a savory rice dish with chicken, shrimp, scallops, and calamari. I also tried the featured appetizer of braised rabbit. I've certainly come a long way from the chicken-tender kid that I was growing up! After dinner, we went to one of the bars for Karaoke. Josh and Megan were the only brave souls in our group, and they sang "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister. The evening show was the "Love & Marriage" game with three couples from the audience. It was entertaining for sure!

 

Day 4: A Day at Sea

Sunday was much like Friday with another day at sea. We got out to the deck a little earlier than the first day, so we were able to snag prime seats near a waterfall pool. It was nice to be so close to water when we wanted to cool off. Boomer and I had lunch overlooking the very back of the ship: Boomer - a burger from Guy Fieri's Burger Joint, and for me - made-to-order pasta with a Ceasar salad. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we enjoyed several hours outside chatting, reading, and lounging. That evening was our final night for dinner, and I was adventurous once again, the only one at our table to order the ox tongue! I also ordered the beef tenderloin and the melting chocolate cake. The show was my favorite of the cruise, a 80s theme with songs like Livin' on a Prayer and Sweet Child O' Mine. The performers were phenomenal each night. Around 11PM before going to our room, Boomer and I hit up the 24-hr pizza bar one last time. 

Day 5: Returning Home

We woke up this morning back in Charleston and made the drive home to our little ones. Since there were international charges for WiFi on the cruise ship, we had not had any communication with them aside from the short Facetime call when we were in the Bahamas. It was so sweet to see theses photos from Grammy and Grandpa! Not only were the kids fed, bathed, and alive when we got home, Grammy had planned all sorts of adventures: swinging at the neighborhood park, baseball slip 'n' slide in the backyard, riding bikes at the elementary school, and an outing to the Science Center. I'm not sure they missed Mommy and Daddy at all! Since today was also Megan's 36th birthday, we had dinner at Fire & Sticks and continued catching up together. Happy birthday, Meg! And a big "THANK YOU" to Grammy and Grandpa for the opportunity to enjoy a kid-free vacation. It is certainly fun to have the time away, but it is also good to be home! Tomorrow Daddy has to return to work, but we will continue the summer adventures of Mommy and Emmy! 

 

 

Summer Break 2019: Week 1

The summer has officially started! My last Teacher Workday was last Wednesday, and I packed up my room and turned over my keys for the next six weeks. 

Even before the last school day, we got to work on the 2019 Summer To-Do List. Boomer told me that my list this year is a bit "optimistic", so I wanted to get started right away. With careful planning, I think we can do it all! We started with first tackling "Setting up the Nursery" and "Lunch at Deli on Main." Setting up the nursery will take multiple days this summer I'm sure, but I feel really good about the progress so far. Phase 1 was de-cluttering, which Boomer did on a previous weekend. As a result of his work, the task of emptying the room was a bit easier. Boomer was insistent about keeping his "mega-desk" as he affectionately calls it. Even though he isn't doing quite as much work on it these days now that he is finished with graduate school, his office and the desk are the closest things he has to a man cave. I was willing to make that concession, although it was quite a job to disassemble the desk and maneuver it through the doors and hallway. The new nursery is now mostly empty except for the Wake Forest photos on the wall and a small computer desk that we plan to take to Goodwill. It is a tight squeeze in the now office-guest room...but Boomer got to keep his desk! :)

After organizing the new office slash guest room, we went to lunch at Deli on Main. It is a cute local restaurant in our downtown that we have driven and walked by several times but have never been inside. Since they only serve lunch 10AM - 3PM, it has been tricky to go during the times that they are open. I ordered the chicken salad croissant with a side of potato salad, and Boomer had a club sandwich with potato chips. Emmy's favorite part of her grilled cheese kid's meal was the scoop of strawberry ice cream that came with it!

Even though a Dash game was not on the Summer To-Do List, I told Boomer that any previous summer items could be applied to the current summer. He was on board, especially since it was baseball! From his work with the YoungLife Golf Tournament in May, Boomer was given free tickets for the Carolina Plan (unlimited hot dogs, hamburgers, and soda). What a nice treat! It was a beautiful night for baseball after several days of rain, and we got to enjoy extra baseball from a double header that got rescheduled. We invited along our friends Jason and Tiffany, which regrettably I did not get a picture of. By the time they arrived, we had already put down three hot dogs between the two of us! 

This past weekend, we celebrated a belated Mother's Day with our annual mother-daughter spa day. For the last three years, Mom, Megan, and I have gone to the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. Since we are familiar with all the amenities of the spa, we have our own little routine of arriving right when they open, working out in the fitness center, showering off before our massages, and then enjoying the rest of the afternoon poolside. We scheduled our treatments a few months ago, and after finding out the news about Baby Kennedy #2, I had to make a change from my Swedish massage to a pre-natal massage. The masseuse was so great to make sure I felt comfortable the whole time. Instead of laying on my stomach, I laid on my side, cradling a large full-length body pillow, much like how I sleep at home now. Then when I was laying on my back, the table was raised so that my back was higher than the rest of my body. All three of us felt relaxed and pampered when we left the Grandover that afternoon. We have decided that this is how we always want to celebrate Mother's Day! That evening, we met up with our guys at Dairy Queen for dessert; they had had a fun day at the Science Center while the mommies were away.  

The next day was Father's Day! We joked how ironic it was that we left the guys with the kids rather than giving them a golf outing or some other guys' trip. Between my own father and my husband, I sure hit the Dad Jackpot! I am so thankful for the godly men that they are and for the time they invest in their children. While I have been away on girls' weekends, at ESHS Graduation, and spa days, Boomer and Emmy have had a lot of Daddy-Daughter time. Whether going out to dinner together or dressing up as Iron Man, Emmy sure loves her Daddy!

Even though Daddy had lots of Emmy time this past weekend, I am quickly catching up as we spend our summer days together! Emmy went to daycare through last Friday, the 14th, and I definitely have my work cut out for me to compete with all the fun that she usually has with Miss Jewell and Miss Melissa. (We will miss them in August when Emmy moves up to a new class!) We kicked off our first full week of summer today with a pool day at the YMCA with our friends Stephanie and Lyla. We also saw Grammy, Zander, Maddox, and the Williamses there. It was such a fun day, and I found little ways in which this pool day was easier than pool days last summer: no more swim diapers and holding hands in the parking lot instead of juggling a pool bag and a squirmy one-year-old, just to name a few. I'm looking forward to many more summer days like this one!

Oh, and one more thing! I got a major haircut this week! This is the third time that I have donated my hair, and it is good timing as we approach the heat of summer. Bye Bye, long locks! See you again in a few months!

Big Sister Status

Emmy has some exciting news to share! She is going to be a big sister!

 

We've known for a couple of months now and have been slowing telling family and friends. When a coworker asked me if I was expecting today, it seems like a formal announcement is necessary! After having my own suspicions in mid-March and then confirming with a pregnancy test on March 23rd, Emmy and I shared the news with Daddy a couple of days later on March 28th. That morning before school, I dressed Emmy in her new "Best Sister" shirt, and almost as if we had practiced it, she trotted down the hallway to the kitchen to show Boomer the test results. He was surprised to say the least, especially since it was before 6:30AM and he hadn't had his morning coffee yet! It was special to share the news with Boomer in this way, since the first time with Emmy I was a nervous wreck as we waited together for the test to change. I still have some of the same nerves, but I felt more of the excitement this time as I was telling him. I love that I was able to capture the moment on camera.  

We have started to talk to Emmy about the baby, and as I continue to grow, she will surely notice that something is happening. One of her favorite books right now is a book called Maple about a little girl becoming a big sister. We have noticed that Emmy seems to have a nature for nurturing. She often will hold and cradle her stuffed animals, rocking them in her arms or propping them on her hip or pushing them in her stroller. Sometimes she will throw them down the stairs....we will have to work on that (haha!)...but I'm hopeful that she will take quickly to her new role as a big sister and that she will be excited to have a younger sibling. 

I am 16 weeks already, and my due date is November 17th. Both Kennedy kids will have November birthdays! It is funny how the timelines during pregnancy have seemed to align. Just like with Emmy, I completed a half-marathon with Baby K #2, and although not Disney World, I again rode some roller coasters, this time at Dollywood during our Spring Break trip to Gatlinburg. It was during this trip that we shared the news with my family, and then we told the Kennedys a few days later. I have had a few doctors appointments already. The initial 8-week consultation confirmed the pregnancy. Then I had another appointment for blood work at 10 weeks and an ultrasound at 12 weeks. My most recent appointment was this past Monday. It was a simple check-up with another round of blood tests and an opportunity to hear the baby's heartbeat. What a reassuring sign! At earlier appointments, the heartbeat was in the 170s; at this appointment it was a little lower in the 150s. Here are the first few photos of Baby K #2!

Boomer's Graduation - 12 weeks

We have a pretty full summer ahead, and the new early start in Surry County has me anxious about balancing fun with baby preparations. My summer will be about three weeks shorter than in the past; the first Teacher Workday is on July 31st, with students returning on August 7th. I want to be sure to soak up all the special moments with Emmy during this last short summer of just the two of us. I am sure this is a common feeling among moms when they find out that their first born will no longer be an only child. I get sentimental when I think about some of the 'lasts' I will have with just Emmy, but I am also excited to make memories as a family of 4. Here is our Kennedy Summer To-Do List for 2019!