Beach Baby!

We made our annual trip to Myrtle Beach this month and Vic and I were so excited about how much fun Aiden was going to have. He was only 6 months old the last time we were there, so we really considered this his "first" time at the beach. We decided to make our trip a little longer than in years past, we usually only stay a week, since it was going to be such a long drive. But boy, did we have a great time!!!

Our biggest concern was how Aiden was going to fare during the long drive down to South Carolina. But our little man did absolutely wonderful! It took us about 11 hours to make the trip, stopping only for meals, gas and to replace an unexpected flying wiper blade. Daddy set up the iPad so Aiden had his friends Dora and Diego to keep him company along the way.

The next day was our first at the beach. It was a perfect sunny 87 degrees. This is a picture of Aiden's first few steps on the sand. I was anticipating a mouthful of it going into this mouth, but he resisted the urge. It was funny to see his reaction feeling the grains of sand between his toes.

It only took a few minutes for Aiden to fall in love with everything about the beach. He loved the ocean, building sand castles with Daddy, and playing in the sand.

Aiden loved helping Daddy build sand castles. Poor Daddy had to build one every day! =)

One thing I can say is that if you want your child to take a serious nap, take them to the beach!

By far, I think Aiden's FAVORITE thing to do was jump the waves with Daddy:

This has to be my favorite picture we took. I love my boys. <3

Every day after the beach we would head to the pool to cool off and de-sand. The condo we stayed at had an amazing children's area with 2 kiddie pools and little fountains for them to run through. I think the swim classes paid off because Aiden was really comfortable in the water! Once he was in, it was hard to get him out!

For the most part, the weather was amazingly perfect. There were even a couple of overcast days so we could spend some time enjoying some of the other activities Myrtle Beach had to offer.

Our first adventure took us to the Ripley's Aquarium:

I think I win Mom-of-the-Year for this picture. =( I had no idea he was that mortified! In my defense, I didn't see his reaction until I saw this picture. But the dinosaur's mouth was a slide, and I was really trying to get him to slide down it... really I was!

Jellyfish!

A few days later, we took Aiden to Wonder Works. It is this really cool playland that features educational rides and games. Our little man was still a little too young to enjoy all of the activities, but we think next year this venue will be a must-see!

Vic and I always make sure to stop by Sugar!, a delicious candy store that has absolutely everything and anything sweet! Here's a little clip of Aiden busting-a-move in the store:

One of the prettiest things we did was visit Brookgreen Garden. It's a historic sculpture and flower garden right outside of Myrtle. It was the perfect place for my energetic little man who loves to just run and run and run... and run he did!

Aiden is obsessed with flowers. I think the bright colors catch his eye. The garden was filled with so many vibrant colors.

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To say we had a great time doesn't even describe it. It was so fun to get away from everything and just enjoy some quality time with my family. Watching Aiden experience things for the first time is priceless. Next up, Florida!! =)