After our Make-A-Wish Disney World trip for Sayla, in 2016, I said I could never go back due to the royal treatment we received during our stay, and thinking no other trip could compare. Well, here we are four years later, and two more kids later, we decided to go back. This stay at Disney was very different than our last, but still just as wonderful. The hardest part was not having Sayla there to enjoy it with us this time! We found out a few months ago that children under three years old, can go to Disney for free. This is what prompted us to go on this trip now with Pax (2 years old), and Pepper (14 months), instead of waiting until they are a little older. We actually flew home the day before Pax turned three. I had several people message me during, and after our trip asking questions regarding taking toddlers to Disney World. We learned A LOT on our trip, so hopefully this post will be both entertaining, and informative!
When deciding upon a destination for our babymoon, we knew we wanted to visit a city we had never been to, and that we could explore together as a couple. My main objectives included good food, relaxation/spa amenities, pretty views, and easy transportation while exploring… since I am not currently in the best shape of my life. After some research and recommendations, we decided on Savannah, Georgia for our getaway. Sayla was with her dad this week, and Patrick’s parents (Gigi and G-Pat), kept Pax for us so we could enjoy some quality time before the chaos begins of having a special needs child, and two under two years old (making that three in diapers). Savannah ended up being the perfect choice. The first thing we noticed was that this “urban jungle”, as the locals call it due to the insane number of trees, is a mix between Charleston, SC, and New Orleans, LA. They consider themselves sister cities. The absolute best part of Savannah were the people. Everyone was so nice. It was very southern in the way of people we met were not strangers and wanted to know, “Where are y’all from?” “What brings you to Savannah?” “Is this your first baby?” Those of you who know my husband can understand how he became a hit among the hotel staff immediately. He told them we were there to make a baby (as I’m obviously showing and we have already achieved this goal). Some of the staff saw us out and about town one evening and yelled, “Heyyyyy Parkers!” We felt very welcomed in this city. Keep reading to find out where we ate, stayed, and played.
Hey yall! We have enjoyed our beach trip so much this past week! The weather and water were perfect every single day. We went with my husband’s family, and stayed in the most adorable hippie beach house. Pax went to the beach several times last year, but he was just an infant. This is the first time he has been as a toddler, and could actually be in the sun, and play in the sand. He loved everything about it. He played for hours with his bucket of water and beach toys. We enjoyed watching him try to figure out the sandcastles his daddy and uncle built, and then he would slowly knock them down. He loved having my husband take him out into the ocean and he would say, “oohhhhh!” I’m so thankful we had beach wear to keep him safe in the sun. I wanted to share a few of his beach-wear outfit details from i play., Inc.
I love iplaybaby’s new Breathable Swim and Sun Flap Hat! It is UPF 50+, and protects head, neck, and eyes while playing. The water friendly foam brim is perfect for Pax, since it stays out of his eyes when wet. Pax kept his hat on the entire time, but there is a tie strap to keep the hat in place if need be. His Long Sleeve Rashguard is also UPF 50+ and made of stretchy quick dry material. It is so soft with flat seams for comfort while he plays. The rashguard matched his adorable turtle print Pocket Trunks With Built-In Reusable Absorbent Swim Diaper. There is no need to wear an additional swim diaper with these trunks, which is a mom win with less to pack!
As much as we have enjoyed vacation, we are happy to be home now. This week will be full of unpacking, and vacation laundry. We have our Sayla back, and I plan on enjoying lots of snuggles with both my babies! Being able to stay at home with them makes me so happy, and I am very grateful for this job of mine.
Thank you to i play., Inc. for partnering on this post. All thoughts and opinions on products are my own.
For the last 6 years, I have been a part-time stay at home mom (SAHM) and a part-time nurse. I feel very fortunate that my employer has been so understanding of Sayla’s needs and the intermittent medical leave I was able to take when necessary. After eight weeks of maternity leave at the beginning of this year when Pax was born, I returned to my job. Pax attended daycare a few days a week while our LPN, Peggy, continued to watch Sayla while I was at work. It has been very difficult maintaining a job, being a mother of a special needs child, and an infant, wife, caretaker of the home, and managing Sayla’s healthcare, even though I really want to do it all! I was also accepted into a part time Nurse Practitioner online program starting this fall. This is hard to admit, but I’m choosing to be real with y’all right now…one of my biggest struggles is taking on too much, and not being able to commit myself 100% to any one role, so not giving each one my best. (Another struggle is my habitual run on sentences) The stress I have put on myself to try and do many things, is just not fair to anyone, so I have decided to stop being a “part-timer” with many roles, and focus on being a “full-timer” at home. No more work, and no school. My children (and the hubs) are my priority and they need 100% of me right now. Sayla has her upcoming surgeries with many pre-op appointments, and I am excited to stay at home with Pax, just as I did with Sayla the first years of her life. I am blessed to have this option, and thankful for a husband who supports my new full-time gig. This will not be for forever, but for right now, it’s the best choice. To celebrate the first week of my new full timin’ mom status, baby Pax and I decided to road trip it with my sister in law and niece to Charleston, SC, to see my brother and other sister in law. Sayla was with her dad and is not stable enough to travel right now, but she would have loved the ocean breeze as much as we did!
I look forward to many more adventures with my babies. Out of all the part time commitments I had, I chose the hardest role to commit to full time, but I know it will be the most rewarding. Any SAHM sanity tips would be appreciated, so leave a comment!
