Beach Bum

Big Brother was busy hunting dangerous sea creatures like this crab that he captured.

Noodle Time

After lunch we strolled back to the pool for some noodle time. Baby Bella decided she wanted out of her float so that she could just hang with the noodles like the rest of the family.

Ice Tea

or Southern Girl by the Grace of God.

You will notice the theme of ice tea running through the vacation blogs. I would love to know just how much ice tea the four of us consumed during vacation.

It was never a conscious decision on our part to start giving Baby Bella ice tea. She wanted to try it, we thought it was cute, she loved it, we thought it was cute, she drank more, we thought it was cute...you get the picture.

By the end of day three Baby Bella was grabbing the glass off the table and throwing it back southern style. And no, it didn't keep her awake at night. She slept great during vacation - in her own pack 'n play.

The Surf

Once in your life, you have to travel to Amelia Island and enjoy the food and music at The Surf.

Dancing with Daddy...

at The Surf. Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, CCR...

These are treasured moments.

Amelia Island - Day One

Baby Bella was giddy with excitement as she dressed for her very first day at the beach. And she should be.

For those of you who do not know...this is our second visit to Amelia Island. We were here two years ago and Baby Bella was the souvenir we brought home with us. This is where it all started for precious little Baby Bella.

First Waves

We wasted no time introducing Baby Bella to the vast and beautiful Atlantic Ocean. The waves were rough today so we could venture out so far. She didn't know what to think but seemed interested until Daddy dipped her for an in-coming wave.

After that, she was more content to sit at the edge or lay securely on Daddy's shoulder.

Beached

It's tradition in the House of Cain - Mommy goes to the beach to sit under the umbrella while the boys go to ride the waves. Baby Bella, much to my surprise, seemed to fit right into the equation on beach trip number one.

She and Mommy bonded well under the canopy as they soaked up the sun, enjoyed the breeze, listened to the ocean, and consumed an endless supply of ice tea.

Ride 'em...

...if you can. These were the roughest waves we have experienced at Amelia. A long time resident told us they were the roughest he had seen in many years.

Skyler and I spent more time in the water than on the raft or board - you might think that getting hit by so many waves would knock some sense into us but we kept going back for more.

Chair Play

When not resting, Baby Bella was playing in her chair. You would think this girl was born at the beach...

Sand

It took Baby Bella most of the day to come to terms with the concept of sand on her hands and feet. But finally...

Baby Beach Bird

We made the mistake of giving Baby Bella a drink of ice tea through the straw. She loved it and immediately started opening her mouth like a baby bird every time we picked up our glass.

It's amazing how quickly bad habits can start. Now she does that every time we have something in our hand that she wants. Just wondering...what would a Momma bird do?

Pool Side

After lunch, it was time to leave the ocean and relax at the pool. This proved to be one of Baby Bella favorite activities. She felt a little safer in the pool and was able to stay cool by floating around in her Beetle float.