Hilton Head Island About This Page:

[Belle*]

Who: Belle* - 31, Stitch - 33, Ryan - 14 months
Where: Hilton Head Plantation, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (Nan & Pop's House!)
Why: To visit Nan & Pop (my parent's) and see their new house plus celebrate the 4th of July!
When: July 2 - 6, 2005

Saturday, July 2

We had packed the previous night so when we awoke on Saturday, we fed Ryan and put him down for his morning nap. Which normally he takes but he must have known something was up because he didn't sleep but sat in his crib and talked to himself until it was time to get him up. We showered and pack our last minute toiletries, etc. We got Ryan up and dressed in specially chosen overalls. (It's nice to have a handle when you are going to be chasing him around airports all day!) We had our boarding passes thanks to www.usairwways.com so we weren't in a huge rush as we left to drive to Stitch's parents who generously offered to drive us to the airport.

More later...

[crystalloubear]

SOunds like a good start - more please

[lauren-roxy]

Great start Sara!!! Can't wait to read more!!

[Belle*]

Sorry I had to stop so soon - naptime came to an abrupt end!

We arrive at Grammie & Grampie's house with plenty of time to spare. So we hang out and Ryan proceeds to dismantle their living room. Stitch helps his Dad install an air conditioner. At about 9:30 we all pile into our car (Grammie can't bear to leave Ryan yet!) and head to the airport about 20 minutes away. Grammie and Ryan have a fine time in the back seat playing peek-a-boo and "remove Ryan's sandals" - his new favorite game.

We arrive at the airport, replace Ryan's shoes and wave "bye-bye" tp Grammie and Grampie who will take our car back to their house while we are gone! Luggage checked we head to the gate. Or at least - we try! The line for Security is very long. Luckily the people around are maused by Ryan (and vice versa) so he happily flirts the time away. By the time we are through Security and arrive at the gate they are pre-boarding so we walk right on.

Now because we are using the tickets we had originally purchased for this trip last year sans Ryan (but thanks to a hurricane couldn't use) we do not have a seat for him. He will be flying as a "lap baby". We purchased a Baby B'Air Flight Vest for him which is a red fleece vest attached to a strap that hooks on to our seat belts. It is FAA approved for use during flight to prevent injuries in case of turbulence. I loved it! I felt much better knowing Ryan could not fly off our laps on the bumpy flights. Then the best part came - as we took off and I offered Ryan his sippy cup to help with his ears - he fell fast asleep!! We thought we were golden! We arrive in Philly on time, Ryan awaking about 10 minutes before landing.

We arrived in Terminal B and were leaving from Terminal F but had a 2 hour layover. We had lunch at TGIFridays. I had heard (thanks maggiemay!) about the Please Touch Museum in the airport but unfortunately we did not have time to visit. We hopped the shuttle to Terminal F and spent some time chasing Ryan while he stretched his legs.

We boarded our next flight onto a smaller plane (only 2 seats on either side of the aisle) and strapped in. They shut the door and...nothing. For an HOUR!!! No explanation, no we're sorry for the delay, NOTHING!!! No air, door shut, sitting at the gate. Needless to say with no immediate take-off Ryan did not go right to sleep. Instead like any toddler would he played for a while, fussed for a while, ate just about every snack I had brought and kicked our legs. Finally we took off and he whined and wiggled his way all the way to Savannah. (In retrospect I feel sorry for the poor kid but at the time...) We arrived in Savannah to find my Father chatting with a lady waiting for her flight. We were over an hour late, they had never updated the board in Savannah saying we were going to be late - you would think he would be frantic, right? Nah, my Dad gives new definition to "laidback". We immediately handed him Ryan and headed for the car. Well - Ryan had had it! The last thing he wanted, poor baby, was to be stuck somewhere where he couldn't move again. Sorry kid - we have to get there somehow! Needless to say, my Dad never wants to hear "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" again as long as he lives.

After surviving the traffic to get on to the Island (keep in mind, it's the 4th of July weekend - the busiest week of the year on Hilton Head) we head to my parents. Luckily they live in one of the first plantations as you get onto the Island. I couldn't get over how beautiful everything was! Not to mention how humid! Good Lord, I don't think it was this humid when we were in WDW in August! But because of the warm weather everything is lush and beautiful.

We arrive at my parent's house around 8:00 pm - 2 hours past Ryan's bedtime. He goes to bed immediately and the rest of us get the tour of the house. It is absolutely gorgeous! After some hot dogs, it is straight to bed for us, as we know Ryan will not sleep well being so over-tired. Our day started a 6:30 am, and out of the whole day he slept 45 minutes on the plane. He normally sleeps 4 hours a day and is in bed by 6:00pm, this would not be pretty...

to be continued

[lauren-roxy]

Glad you all finally arrived Sara!! That is awful to be stuck for an hour with a small child, sounds like Ryan behaved very well!! Can't wait for more!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Sara I did many itsy bitsy spiders with Colin as well

Can't wait for more

[chezp]

Great start Sara - and it was all going so well until the second leg of the journey. That is out of order to just leave you sitting there with the doors shut for so long with no explanation.

[GoofyMom]

That's too bad you got stuck on the plane for an extra hour. Thank goodness your Dad wasn't worried. I think it sounds like Ryan travelled very well, considering! I hope he let you get some sleep your first night.

[DawnDenise]

Great start Sara!! Hope you were able to get some sleep. Looking forward to more!!

[Belle*]

Sunday, July 3

Sure enough Ryan woke up at 4:00 am and fussed. But never enough to go get him. He fussed on and off until 6:00 when I went and got him up. I took him downstairs, figured out how to turn on the TV, a few more minutes to figure out the high chair (theirs is nicer than mine! ) and breakfast was served! I had e-mailed my mother a gorcery list before we left so he had plenty to choose from. Eventually everyone wandered in and it was wonderful to see how excited my parents were to have Ryan there and how excited he was to be there. My mother suggested we go over to Harbortowne (sp?) for the morning. With Ryan down for his morning nap, my father and I went out in search of breakfast. Atlanta Bread it turned out opens late on Sundays but luckily there is a Publix right next door so we went there. And there is where I earned my "WOTY" Award!! (Wife of the Year!!) You see, Shawn loves Mello Yello which is no longer sold in the Northeast. He used to have a co-worker that traveled down south and would bring him back some but she no longer works there. But I found it at Publix and grabbed a 12 pack for him! I just knew he would be so excited.

Dad and I drove back to my parent's house and into the garage where my Dad showed me the coolest thing - a dumbwaiter! You push a button and this tiny elevator comes down, you load your gorceries or whatever you want to send upstairs, push the up button and off it goes to the kitchen! Sooooo Cool!

We breakfasted, showered, dressed and hit the road. Harbortowne was very cute - lots of little shops and restaurants. We walked out onto the docks and saw a dolphin about 20 feet away! Most of the shops were closed for Sunday (something I was having a hard time with, in CT the only thing you can't buy on Sunday is liquor!) but my Mom and I found a Lilly Pulitzer store that was having an amazing sale. They didn't have anything in my size though so we left empty-handed. In the meantime, my Dad and Stitch had taken Ryan over to the playground so we headed there. We did some shopping for Ryan in the toy store (I think he only got everything he actually touched not everything he looked at - my parents spoil him rotten! ) and decided to go over to the Salty Dog Cafe for lunch. Great decision! The weather was gorgeous - warm and humid but not unbearably so. I had the crab cake sandwich and my first ever hushpuppies - yum! After picking up Ryan the mandatory Salty Dog souvenir t-shirt it was back to Nan & Pop's for naptime.

Or naptime for Ryan at least! My Mom and I snuck out to continue our shopping adventures. First stop - Off 5th - the Saks 5th Avenue outlet. This used to be an actual Saks 5th Avenue until just a few months ago so it is not with the other outlets just off the island. It's HUGE!!! I got some great stuff - 2 pairs of shoes and a dress. The shoes were less than half price and the dress was marked WAY down!

We then headed for Fresh Market, the grocery store my Mom likes, to buy fixings for Monday's 4th of July cook-out. Needless to say the store was packed but what I can't get over is - they bring the groceries to your car!! AND, they won't accept tips!! Man, you're lucky if you can find a bagger up here!

When we returned, bags in hand (our husbands quickly spotting the bags and wondering how much damage we had done ), Stitch had already started Ryan on his dinner. My sister called to let us know they had arrived at her in-laws and were going to take my 8 month old niece Kate for a walk on the beach but that then my parents were welcome to come see her for a minute. I opted to go with them and after Ryan was in bed we left Stitch content with the remote and a book.

Now, ok, my parents live a very nice life. And their home in Hilton Head is absolutely beautiful. But my siser's in-laws are in a WHOLE other stratosphere. They live in Sea Pines - the largest of the plantations. But they live in the Leamington Section of Sea Pines - an exclusive, even more gated community within the exclusive gated community. Their house is INCREDIBLE! They recently returned from a few years in Singapore where her FiL & MiL were living while FiL worked there. They bought all the furnishings, rugs, decor, etc, all over Asia while they were there and shipped everything back for the house in Hilton Head. It is like something out of Architectural Digest! And there in the middle of all this splendor, is my adorable, cranky, very fussy niece bawling her eyes out. I just love kids! She could have cared less that she was sitting on some carpet that cost I-don't-want-to-think-how-much, she is just mad and jet-lagged. So we only spent a few minutes with her so she could go to bed and were quickly on our way to pick up Pizza from Giovanni's - apparently the island's bext pizza. (Ok, it was good but I live 2 hour from NYC - we know great Pizza!)

Then it's off to bed for us by 9:00 in case Ryan decides to wake up at 4 again!

[HiddenMickey]

Great update! You've already seen some of the important tourist sights and you've only been there one day! Your sister's inlaw's house sounds wonderful...but not the kind of place I expect at the beach. I want to be able to kick-back a bit.

Looking forward to more.

[DawnDenise]

Wow....another great update Sara! Your shopping excursion sounded great. Your description of your niece on the carpet was hilarious. I could really picture it! Looking forward to the next installment!

[disneymom9092]

Another great update Sarah-Can't wait to read more!

[Belle*]

Monday, July 4th

It's Ryan's first Independence Day as a US Citizen and he celebrates by sleeping until 7! Everyone is up early today, excited to go to the Plantation celebration. Dad and I continue our breakfast ritual and head for Atlanta Bread while Mom and Stitch play with Ryan. We return with grub, eat and all scatter to go get dressed.

I have purchased coordinating Old Navy Flag Tees for all of his us in honor of the occasion and we look pretty cute, I must say! Ryan is also sporting an Old Navy Flg baseball cap that he keeps on for about 2 seconds. We pack up the car, hand Ryan a flag to wave and off we go!

It was like a Norman Rockwell painting - too cute! The whole thing is kicked off by a parade of the children who live in the area all dressed in red, white & blue (natch) with their bikes, tricycles, big wheels, roller skates - you name it! - all decked out as well. The parade is led by some poor college kid dresses as Uncle Sam! The best was one little girl driving her Barbie Jeep which had been covered in red, white and blue bunting towing a float of a red, white & blue cake with sparklers on top!! I kid you not! We then proceeded to the fair to watch the dunk tank, the moon bounce, etc, and grab some lunch. After hot dogs and cupcakes, it was back home for the afternoon nap.

Nap for Ryan anyway! The rest of us went into a frenzy of cooking, marinating and cleaning to get ready for the arrival of my sister, DBiL, DN and DBiL's parents. We made Bruschetta, Chips & Salsa, Kabobs (Beef, Lamb, Chicken & Veggie), Cold Rice Salad, etc. And since my niece Kate is only 8 months old and jet-lagged we had no idea when they might actually be coming! Eventually they called and said they would be there around 2:30.

They arrived while Ryan was still sleeping. It was great to see Kate but she was not as happy to see us. She would not barely let anyone touch her! I went to wake up Ryan so he could meet everyone. (Normally I wouldn't wake Ryan from a sound sleep but I was dying to show him off and I thought it might take some pressure off Kate.) He woke up cheerful and went to work charming everyone. While he was making his magic, Kate calmed down enough to allow us to play with her a bit.

The rest of the day was just spent hanging out, eating and playing with the kids. That night we could see three seperate fireworks display from the balcony of our bedroom!

[GoofyMom]

Sounds like a really cool day, Sara!