Bear Hugs & Piggy Kisses - Baby's 1st Trip ~ Updated 12/6: Aulani TR Started!!!

Yeah, that would have made me mad too!!! LOL Typical! And I don't think any mom on this board will judge you for losing it on him for a min haha

And yikes on your transportation issues!!
 
DH & I are going on a kid-free trip this December with similar dates to your trip so I started reading your trip report earlier this week. I'm all caught up and thoroughly enjoying it. I'm a CPA (who also dealt with infertility) so I think we think a lot a like. My DH is a lot like Dug. Three kids later, he still needs "gentle" reminding sometimes that he has to do more than find a table and a high chair.
 
Oh mygosh I was feeling MAD at Dug just reading that?!!! What is up with that?! I'd have laid into Andrew NOT SO QUIETLY LOL! AND NO WAY would I have gone back down to get the food. His A$$ would have gone down there WITH Aria in tow, and hopefully she'd have had a big poopy episode on him while he was in line. I can picture it now. :rotfl2:

Ok my revenge on him is over...moving on...

:rolleyes1

WHAT an afternoon you had!! I can't wait to see the Poly pics though! I'm so excited that we were able to book family pics for the Beach Club in October. I SO wanted to get Animal Kingdom lodge pics in August, but they only did them on Wednesdays or something annoying. Anyway...
 
Those moments are just inevitable on Disney trips. Sometimes there's miscommunication, confusion, or a brain blank moment. Anyone who's a parent or a spouse or simply an adult knows those things happen. I never take stock in those scenes when I pass them. I mean, you're in a stressful place with heat and chaos....

Alex and I have issues all the time with the dumb iMessage system, too! When you said he wasn't getting your texts, I guessed that was probably the problem. Apple can be a pain when it comes to text messaging.


Oh dear, the monorail closed. That's awfulM:eek::scared1:
I couldn't imagine. And of course it happened when you were heading to an appointment. Thank goodness the photographer was reasonable about it.
 

Oh I LOVED CHH! I think it was my fave food in MK, for sure! The upstairs was soooo nice and relaxing compared to the craziness that is just outside!

I totally get your mommy-breakdown moment there, I think we've all had some version of that happen to us, I could feel my insides getting stressed just from your description! Bummer on the phone situation. I think there is a way to turn off iMessages and just send texts as regular ones, for future reference, the hubs and I had this problem before.

Crazy on the monorail being down! I am pretty sure that is rare, so of course it will happen when you're late for something!!
 
ugh, that troubles with technology when you think it is working but it in fact is not. Definitely seems odd as, at least in your mind, it was clear he was to go up and check the high-chair situation out and report back - but obviously he thought differently.

and speaking up for the dads a bit (:duck:) I'd like to think that it wasn't anything done on purpose by Dug, just a brain fart ... though that doesn't mean you weren't justified in laying into him a bit (certainly seems like he deserved it - he should have figured something was up when he was waiting so long)


And that sounds so frustrating about the monorail. At least it was for a legit reason and not just "maintenance" but still, doesn't make you feel better at that point in time. At least you got a nice boat ride out of it. Hope things worked out well with the photo session!
 
Reading through your situation, I would have been upset too. I feel exactly the same, feeling like i'm doing everything 24/7 and DH is just kind of along for the ride :lmao: He's a good dad/guy, but he definitely has a one track mind 99% of the time.:upsidedow

I would like to visit CHH at some point! I'm really narrowing it down from CHH or Pecos...hmm...

Aw man! Of course the monorail had to be down when you are already late for an appointment. :furious:

Hope the session went good though!
 
Good day to catch up, you mentioned me in your TR! :rotfl: Love those Mickey straws!

Wow, I would've been pretty upset in that situation, too. I'm actually really glad to see Dug just wasn't getting your messages. Can't believe he decided to set up the table though and leave with the rest!

Your comments back about the Country Bears show were great. I remember thinking the same earlier this year, but it just made me want to see it again. I love how you kept trying shows, even though she wasn't super into it. I've been there!

& Rapunzel's hair? I don't get what she was trying there at all!

Hope you both had a great last visit! June 13th was our only park day, and I noticed it was your leaving day the night before. It didn't look like meeting up would work so I didn't bring it up. Our APs expired on the birthday this time so it was pretty busy, too. No renewing this time. Well, we haven't renewed yet anyway. I'm the only one that wants to. :sad:
 
Not cool, Dug, not cool!!!

I've had moments like that too, and it always seems like the phones fail right when you need them the most to prevent moments like that. Technology is so frustrating sometimes!! I hate that awkward feeling of, "Should I move? But what if I do and he comes back and I'm not here?"

WOW, I have never seen the plaza beyond the turnstiles so empty in the middle of the afternoon! Talk about terrible timing for the monorail to be down. I hope being late didn't ruin your photo session!
 
Yeah, that would have made me mad too!!! LOL Typical! And I don't think any mom on this board will judge you for losing it on him for a min haha
Thanks, I'm glad others understand the frustration. It was definitely a low point of the trip.

And yikes on your transportation issues!!
Yeah, that was an unexpected problem for sure. What are the odds of that happening in general and especially right when we need to actually get somewhere on time?

DH & I are going on a kid-free trip this December with similar dates to your trip so I started reading your trip report earlier this week. I'm all caught up and thoroughly enjoying it. I'm a CPA (who also dealt with infertility) so I think we think a lot a like. My DH is a lot like Dug. Three kids later, he still needs "gentle" reminding sometimes that he has to do more than find a table and a high chair.
:welcome: Glad to have you here - and, yes, sounds like we have some things in common. :goodvibes Glad Dug is not the only one who forgets that he's got parental things to do sometimes. By the way, we also went around this same time period back in 2010 (before Izzy), so feel free to check out that report if you want more about visiting at that time - we love it - probably my favorite time of year to visit!

Oh mygosh I was feeling MAD at Dug just reading that?!!! What is up with that?! I'd have laid into Andrew NOT SO QUIETLY LOL! AND NO WAY would I have gone back down to get the food. His A$$ would have gone down there WITH Aria in tow, and hopefully she'd have had a big poopy episode on him while he was in line. I can picture it now. :rotfl2:

Ok my revenge on him is over...moving on...

:rolleyes1
:lmao: :thumbsup2 Ok, that's hilarious! And quite therapeutic, really. :rotfl: In that moment, I just wanted to get away from him and not have to watch Izzy, so I pretty much dropped her in the high chair, told him to do everything, and took off as fast as I could. And I kind-of wanted to get away from that area, in case anyone thought I was a lunatic. :rotfl:

WHAT an afternoon you had!! I can't wait to see the Poly pics though! I'm so excited that we were able to book family pics for the Beach Club in October. I SO wanted to get Animal Kingdom lodge pics in August, but they only did them on Wednesdays or something annoying. Anyway...
It was quite an afternoon - not at all relaxed. Oh, well. Thankfully, we were still able to get our photo session in at the Poly! :woohoo: That is great that you have a session at the Beach Club. I remember reading a TR where they had a family session at the Beach Club, but it wasn't through Disney - it was through some company that does weddings, I think. But I remember pics being amazing and it may give you some ideas. It was cdotla's "disney-resisitant husband" report (well, the first one, since I think she did a PTR after that with a similar name).

Those moments are just inevitable on Disney trips. Sometimes there's miscommunication, confusion, or a brain blank moment. Anyone who's a parent or a spouse or simply an adult knows those things happen. I never take stock in those scenes when I pass them. I mean, you're in a stressful place with heat and chaos....
Yep, that is totally what happened. The brain blank in particular, I'd say. I don't know that the communication could have been much clearer. I guess it should have been, "Go look if there are highchairs, then descend the stairs and report back to me." :confused3 By the way, thanks for sharing these types of "couple conflict" stories in your TR - makes me feel better about having some crummy Disney moments, knowing that others are dealing with them too.

Alex and I have issues all the time with the dumb iMessage system, too! When you said he wasn't getting your texts, I guessed that was probably the problem. Apple can be a pain when it comes to text messaging.
That's interesting to know that it's a common issue. We didn't even know it could happen, so it didn't enter our minds that texts weren't going through. Very frustrating, though!

Oh dear, the monorail closed. That's awfulM:eek::scared1:
I couldn't imagine. And of course it happened when you were heading to an appointment. Thank goodness the photographer was reasonable about it.
That was just so crazy to come out and see the monorails shut down and empty. Thankfully, our photo session worked out just fine, despite our tardiness.

Oh I LOVED CHH! I think it was my fave food in MK, for sure! The upstairs was soooo nice and relaxing compared to the craziness that is just outside!
I agree - it's so calm and quiet up there and the people-watching is great!

I totally get your mommy-breakdown moment there, I think we've all had some version of that happen to us, I could feel my insides getting stressed just from your description! Bummer on the phone situation. I think there is a way to turn off iMessages and just send texts as regular ones, for future reference, the hubs and I had this problem before.
Thanks - yes it was so stressful just feeling abandoned there. That is interesting to know about turning off the iMessages. Might be a good idea next time. I tell ya, though, this whole thing has made me paranoid whenever I send Dug a text and don't get a quick response. We were at the Twins game yesterday and I was wandering around with stroller-napping Izzy and he wasn't responding to my messages immediately - I just asked him now, though, and he DID get them, just didn't see them right away. But, with this fresh on my mind, I thought it was happening all over again.

Crazy on the monorail being down! I am pretty sure that is rare, so of course it will happen when you're late for something!!
I would think it's rare. Normally, if they're going to be down, there's lots of advanced notice and extra buses and such. And I'm sure they got extra buses going, but we didn't hang around to find out when we saw the chance to get on the ferry.

ugh, that troubles with technology when you think it is working but it in fact is not. Definitely seems odd as, at least in your mind, it was clear he was to go up and check the high-chair situation out and report back - but obviously he thought differently.
It did seem really clear. I think that was why it was so frustrating. It would be one thing if I asked him to go get a high chair while I parked the stroller or something. But, no, we didn't have anything else worked out beyond making sure there was a high chair.

and speaking up for the dads a bit (:duck:) I'd like to think that it wasn't anything done on purpose by Dug, just a brain fart ... though that doesn't mean you weren't justified in laying into him a bit (certainly seems like he deserved it - he should have figured something was up when he was waiting so long)
Thank you for the dad POV. I will 100% agree with your description. Talking to him after the fact, it was clear that he just was having a moment of non-thinking, after a tiring MK morning. Somehow, it just never occurred to him that I was standing there waiting for him to come down, or for a text, or for SOMETHING/ANYTHING. It was baffling to me that he'd be sitting there so long and not start to wonder where his wife and daughter were. :confused3

And that sounds so frustrating about the monorail. At least it was for a legit reason and not just "maintenance" but still, doesn't make you feel better at that point in time. At least you got a nice boat ride out of it. Hope things worked out well with the photo session!
Of course, if it was "maintenance", we may have known in advance and been able to plan around it, but I know what you mean. It was nice to ride the ferry for once, though!

Reading through your situation, I would have been upset too. I feel exactly the same, feeling like i'm doing everything 24/7 and DH is just kind of along for the ride :lmao: He's a good dad/guy, but he definitely has a one track mind 99% of the time.:upsidedow
I agree with this DH description! Maybe this is why neither of us is in a big hurry to have a second kid! :goodvibes Nice to know I'm not alone with feeling like I'm pulling more than my fair share sometimes.

I would like to visit CHH at some point! I'm really narrowing it down from CHH or Pecos...hmm...
Mmmm, both good choices! Have you never been to either? :scared1: Really depends what type of food you're in the mood for. If you want some fish or broccoli, CHH. If you want a burger or taco salad, Pecos Bill.

Aw man! Of course the monorail had to be down when you are already late for an appointment. :furious:
Of course! Isn't that the way things always work?

Hope the session went good though!
Thanks, it did!

Good day to catch up, you mentioned me in your TR! :rotfl: Love those Mickey straws!
Good timing indeed! It's like I mentioned your name and the DIS called to you! :rotfl: Thanks for the tip on the straw - she loved it!

Wow, I would've been pretty upset in that situation, too. I'm actually really glad to see Dug just wasn't getting your messages. Can't believe he decided to set up the table though and leave with the rest!
Yeah, the whole thing would have gone a lot better if he got my messages. But I don't think I'll ever understand how he could be sitting there by himself for that long and not think something was strange.

Your comments back about the Country Bears show were great. I remember thinking the same earlier this year, but it just made me want to see it again. I love how you kept trying shows, even though she wasn't super into it. I've been there!
The Country Bears are just so odd. Guess I just don't get it. But at least singing bears mildly amused Izzy, so that's a win, I suppose. I don't know what we were thinking by continuing to go to show after show with a toddler that clearly preferred rides to shows.

& Rapunzel's hair? I don't get what she was trying there at all!
Rapunzel was perhaps a bit too proud of her locks. Very odd. :confused:

Hope you both had a great last visit! June 13th was our only park day, and I noticed it was your leaving day the night before. It didn't look like meeting up would work so I didn't bring it up. Our APs expired on the birthday this time so it was pretty busy, too. No renewing this time. Well, we haven't renewed yet anyway. I'm the only one that wants to. :sad:
Hope you guys had a good birthday visit. Oh, that makes me sad that nobody else wants to renew! :sad1: Maybe they just need a short break and will soon be begging for more?

Not cool, Dug, not cool!!!

I've had moments like that too, and it always seems like the phones fail right when you need them the most to prevent moments like that. Technology is so frustrating sometimes!! I hate that awkward feeling of, "Should I move? But what if I do and he comes back and I'm not here?"
That awkward feeling was the worst. I was getting pretty clear vibes from the CMs that they didn't want me standing there, but they weren't asking me to leave either, so it was just very uncomfortable. It was one thing if it only went on for a few minutes, but this was just too much.

WOW, I have never seen the plaza beyond the turnstiles so empty in the middle of the afternoon! Talk about terrible timing for the monorail to be down. I hope being late didn't ruin your photo session!
I know, isn't that crazy to see it so empty? :eek: It was just one of those moments of disbelief where you have to stare at it and make sure of what you're seeing. Yes, awful timing for sure! We would have been on time if they were running. Luckily, it didn't ruin the session, though!
 
Thank you for this trip report... I'm hoping to be a new mom on our multi-generational/my sister is getting married/it's AUGUST IN FLORIDA/5th anniversary trip in August 2015 and it can be really hard to find trip reports with babies so I've really enjoyed reading through your report and can't wait for an update.
 
Thank you for this trip report... I'm hoping to be a new mom on our multi-generational/my sister is getting married/it's AUGUST IN FLORIDA/5th anniversary trip in August 2015 and it can be really hard to find trip reports with babies so I've really enjoyed reading through your report and can't wait for an update.
:welcome: I'm actually working on a new update right now! :goodvibes Looks like you had a Disney wedding...how cool! :thumbsup2

You have come to the right place for TRs with babies! If you browse through the signatures of commenters in here, you'll find a bunch of us that took our babies/toddlers and lived to write a report or two about it! It's a whole new experience going with a little one, but also filled with all kinds of extra magical moments. pixiedust: Good luck to you with your goal of bringing a little one on that trip! :goodvibes
 
After making it back to our room for a quick clean-up after our monorail-less journey back to the Poly from the MK, we quickly made our way to the Great Ceremonial House to meet our photographer.

A quick recap: I had seen a few TRs that did photoshoots at the Poly (and other resorts) with Disney Event Photography. They all did the mini sessions ($150, all photos included electronically), which are supposed to be 20 minutes, but ended up with great photos and a photographer that was not in a hurry. Given how late we were, it was a little concerning that the photographer would not want to spend a lot of time with us, but we were very lucky.

We quickly found our photographer in the Great Ceremonial House and apologized for being so late. She was very nice and didn’t seem bothered at all. She did give us her name, so I’ll mention that it was Amanda Turner and I’d highly recommend her (assuming she’s still there and all, since this was 7 months ago). She spent a long time with us (I want to say 45 minutes+) and was terrific with Izzy and got a lot of great shots (88 total – I had a lot of trouble narrowing down which to post!)

So, once we met up, we discussed locations. Dug had the Luau Beach in mind, because he was concerned that the construction on the Poly might make the main beach not-so-great. Amanda was pretty familiar with things, though, and recommended we stick close-by and the main beach would be fine (and she was right).

She had clearly done this before and had some locations and poses in mind. She started us off inside, posing in front of the Poly’s iconic waterfall. If you’ve been following the DVC construction progress at the Poly, you probably know that this water feature no longer exists! So, these pictures are more meaningful now, given that the backdrop is now gone:







After that, we headed outside and got a couple pictures in front of the little geyser thing:





Then over to the bridge for what ended up being our Christmas Card photo:



And then off to the beach! First, some family shots:







Then me and Izzy. At that moment, Izzy was being a bit of a grump, so we had to play around to get her to crack some smiles:









During this trip, Izzy was VERY Mommy-attached and often freaked out if Dug was holding her. So, when we switched to doing some daddy/daughter shots, she lost it. The first pictures taken were of her just crying hysterically. However, with a few tickles and some well-timed shots, you can make a miserable baby look reasonably happy:





Then it was time for some solo shots of Izzy. We thought it would be fun to capture her first time enjoying a sandy beach. However, the second her little toes hit the sand, she decided she hated it and climbed into a lounge chair immediately. But, once in the chair, she was being cute, so Amanda just snapped away:





Hey, do you guys see that castle?







I should mention that Amanda also came prepared with a noise-making toy to get Izzy’s attention. It worked pretty well and, when it came time to take mom-and-dad-only pictures, she gave it to Izzy to keep her occupied (still in her chair) while we got a few shots:







For a different perspective, here is a shot Dug took of the photo shoot:



Also, Dug took this before we headed back inside:



Nice!

Anyway, we reconvened inside to transfer the pictures to us electronically. This experience was well worth it for us! I love having the photos of us all enjoying Izzy’s first trip in our favorite place (the Poly)!

Up next: Playing, swimming, and eating.
 
Yup...another vote for "you're allowed to have mommy meltdowns...when daddy is having a duh moment!" I wouldn't have cared who heard me either! But I'm glad you were able to put it all behind you, because you got some GREAT family photos!!! :love:
 
wow - those pictures came out great and it sounds totally worth it given that you get all the pictures electronically!

I love the one of Izzy pointing to the castle!

Also nice that you were able to get some of just the two of you.

:goodvibes

oh, BTW - We had gotten a family picture in front of the Poly Ceremonial Hall Waterfall last trip (just a regular photo) but I feel the same way that knowing the waterfall is now gone that picture means that much more. Glad you were able to get your pictures there since the Poly means so much to you
 
Love the photo shoot! Izzy pointing at the castle is so darling!

What a great idea! I will have to remember this for future trips :)
 
That photo of you holding Izzy up on the beach is fantastic! Definitely my favorite. It's great that you were able to capture a quick little moment of mom with daughter. :goodvibes


I'm so glad to hear the photo session was such a success. I have to say, 150 dollars for 45 minutes (I know that time wasn't guranteed) and copies to all the photos electronically is a fantastic deal. I've done a few photo sessions, and I'd kill for that price.:rotfl2: Makes me really regret not doing something like this in May.
And to have a seasoned photographer that knew to bring a noise toy and had the perfect locations already in mind is worth the price, as well.



Oh, poor Izzy, not being a fan of the sand. Hasn't she since changed her opinion? Since your Oregon trip? Right? Or am I just completely forgetting everything. :rotfl2:
I hope she has, though. I'm pretty sure that'd be a deal breaker with Landon and a potential friendship. :lmao: Landon cries when I make him leave the beach.



And, I am glad you guys got some shots in front of the waterfall. The Poly looks so strange without it now, so it was good to have that last time at the resort with it there memorialized. I can already picture the conversation with Izzy ten years down the road.
"This was back in the day, Izzy, when the Poly had a waterfall."
"The Poly had a big waterfall?!"
"It did! And plants and rocks. Those were the days." :rotfl2::rotfl:
 
The photoshoot photos turned out wonderfully! No wonder you had a hard time choosing, they are all great photos. And that's not a bad price for 45 minutes. I'm so disappointed that they are removing the water feature from the Poly, so it was really perfect for y'all that you were able to do the shoot before they took it out.
 
What a wonderful photo shoot you had! Izzy is just adorable! And I loved the card you chose for your Christmas Card!
 












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