The Many Adventures of...A Family With a New Baby! Jan - Dec 2016! New 11/7!

[Imagineer5]

How great that Maya traveled so nicely! Sorry that food was so challenging/ that must have been so hard!

Yes, it was SO nice!! She was much worse on the way to DL...

Glad things worked out with travel - you all are so good at getting up early. Most days at our house don't start much before 7am

I know Starbucks has gotten better with having soy milk and now almond milk I believe - guess DD isn't there yet

I know how you love your fake-orail pictures - wondering how you feel about them being replaced

Poly seems like a great place to just enjoy for a day - though I can imagine it was hard to go to MK to exchange the voucher for the AP but not go in ... at least you all got a monorail ride out of it!

Love the fold-down bed they have at the Poly

Well on a typical I get up at 5:25, shower, get Maya up, diaper and outfit change, Aria up, outfit change, brush teeth, hair, feed Maya bottle, and ready to go at 6:10. Andrew leaves around 5am. On travel days we shower the night before (you're going to feel grimy after flying anyway!) and have the car packed, so it can be handled pretty quickly!

You're right - unfortunately the Providence airport is very small and has two "terminals" (i.e. left and right of security) lol. Southwest is left, which is where DD is. I could have gone back for Starbucks, but I just figured DD would have something?! They looked at me like I had three heads when I asked :-/ (and remember, I was attempting to go Soy-free too - funny how many Disney places attempted to give me soy milk!).

Poly was fantastic, and I'm so glad we set aside that time to really enjoy it!

Yes, the fold down bed was great, Aria loved it!

 

[mousehappync]

How wonderful you had a smooth travel day! Elimination is the WORST, isn't it? I had to go dairy and egg free for my second, and it was really hard. I wonder, looking back, if the sleep and colic issues my first had were intolerance. We didn't know any better-- just thought he was really fussy!

We have come to really love the Poly for a relaxing day. The two bathrooms in the studio are SUCH a nice perk as kids get older--eager to read about your day!

 

[Imagineer5]

How wonderful you had a smooth travel day! Elimination is the WORST, isn't it? I had to go dairy and egg free for my second, and it was really hard. I wonder, looking back, if the sleep and colic issues my first had were intolerance. We didn't know any better-- just thought he was really fussy!

We have come to really love the Poly for a relaxing day. The two bathrooms in the studio are SUCH a nice perk as kids get older--eager to read about your day!

We had NO idea what was causing the issues, and no help from pediatrician either. All we knew is that SOMETHING had to change. From my research it seemed like MSPI, so that's why I started with dairy & soy. Aria was SO SO easy (still is!) and we have no allergies in the family, so this was totally new to us.

I did dairy & soy free for 3 months. She was 80% better (attitude a lot better) but still had eczema. At 5months we saw an allergist and found dairy, egg and peanut allergies along with dog and cat, and decided to try Neocate formula and it's been SO much better since we did that - I was afraid there was more she was allergic to than the 7 we tested for and didn't want to keep hurting her tummy (it was a hard decision to stop BF'ing). But I'm so glad we did. I actually just placed an extra order of Neocate formula in case Baby #3 shows the same symptoms...

Anyway, the Poly is fantastic! It was chilly, this wasn't my favorite time of year to go, but we still had a great time the short bit we did spend at the poly!

 

[JulieODC]

Great start to the trip! Glad your travels went smoothly. We took our DD #2 to Mexico just before she turned 3months and it was easy -- on the other hand I am totally dreading our WDW trip next February because keeping her contained on the flight will definitely be a challenge.

We did 1 night at Poly to start our last trip too - and definitely enjoyed it! We did spend some time at the pool, and had dinner - but there's so much to do I think we missed some fun stuff. Also, it was just before they opened the new pool and it was such a tease to see the beautiful new space that we couldn't take advantage of!

Sorry to hear about the allergy challenges. We had concerns about eggs with DD2 around 7mo and avoided them, but she seems to be ok now. But now we are worried about a possible strawberry allergy. It isn't fun and totally threw me for a loop!

 

[pixiemama91]

So excited to read about your trip. Glad you had an uneventful travel day. That always make things easier.

Hoping to stay at either the Poly or BC for our next trip. We love the BC but the Poly is on my bucket list. Can't wait to read more about your trips.

 

[Dugette]

Actually verdict is out on the baked dairy trial - Wednesday (day after trial) she was red, puffy, runny nose, Thursday after no baked dairy she was normal. Not sure if it was a super fast cold or what? We are going to test it out Saturday morning with a muffin (same she had for the trial) and see what's up.

Aw, that's too bad. I hope Saturday went well?

Our pet sitter, who moved to Florida, was actually flying in today and picking up our car, so we only had to pay for a few hours of airport parking!

That worked out fairly well!

I was not happy not really having a diagnosis and going to Disney having to skip all the good food.

Yeah, that would be really rough, not even knowing if what you're doing is helping.

She looks so angelic here (ha!).

She does!

but we had no idea how Maya would be so we wanted to be in the back (plus I wanted some privacy for nursing).

Smart! I've also heard the back of the plane tends to have a little louder white noise that can help babies sleep.

Soon after she awoke hungry and I fed her, then she was actually really content the whole flight (she likes being held!).
Aria enjoyed watching on the ipad and was a champ, eating some snacks and milk and just did great!

Glad the flight went so well!

Aria wanted out of the stroller anyway and enjoyed holding on.

Well, she was turning 4 and feeling like a big girl! (Izzy thinks being 4 means she can do ANYTHING, it's rather amusing.)

we figured we would check out the Poly for the first time!

Looks really nice! I hope to get back there sometime to try out a DVC room!

Awww, cute!

We needed a mid-morning pick me up, so we got a yummy Dole Whip and enjoyed that before heading up to the monorail to exchange the AP voucher!

Yay for easy access to Dole Whips!

 

[Imagineer5]

Great start to the trip! Glad your travels went smoothly. We took our DD #2 to Mexico just before she turned 3months and it was easy -- on the other hand I am totally dreading our WDW trip next February because keeping her contained on the flight will definitely be a challenge.

We did 1 night at Poly to start our last trip too - and definitely enjoyed it! We did spend some time at the pool, and had dinner - but there's so much to do I think we missed some fun stuff. Also, it was just before they opened the new pool and it was such a tease to see the beautiful new space that we couldn't take advantage of!

Sorry to hear about the allergy challenges. We had concerns about eggs with DD2 around 7mo and avoided them, but she seems to be ok now. But now we are worried about a possible strawberry allergy. It isn't fun and totally threw me for a loop!

Yes - this toddler age I'm walking into is going to make the flights much more difficult!! I am also dreading December - thankfully the flights are short! Disneyland in August was pretty tough, and my mom just read her book, so I was pretty annoyed at her while dealing with Maya for a full day of travel each way!

Oh no, hopefully that doesn't end up being an issue! Why do you think there's a strawberry allergy?

So excited to read about your trip. Glad you had an uneventful travel day. That always make things easier.

Hoping to stay at either the Poly or BC for our next trip. We love the BC but the Poly is on my bucket list. Can't wait to read more about your trips.

BC is my all-time favorite resort, but Poly had been on my bucket list too, so I was glad to have stayed there. However, I wished they built 1br rooms as they just did studios and the crazy-priced Bungalows (which yes would be awesome, but I am not shelling out $2k PER NIGHT to stay in one! I'd rather fly to Bora Bora and spend 1/4 that lol!).

Aw, that's too bad. I hope Saturday went well?


That worked out fairly well!


Yeah, that would be really rough, not even knowing if what you're doing is helping.


She does!


Smart! I've also heard the back of the plane tends to have a little louder white noise that can help babies sleep.


Glad the flight went so well!


Well, she was turning 4 and feeling like a big girl! (Izzy thinks being 4 means she can do ANYTHING, it's rather amusing.)


Looks really nice! I hope to get back there sometime to try out a DVC room!


Awww, cute!


Yay for easy access to Dole Whips!

Actually, the 2nd baked dairy trial went great!! So I think she did pass, and it was just unfortunate timing of the start of a cold that she has since passed on to Aria and me. lol!

YES! Whenever we joke about something Aria did, she will always say "that must have been when I was only 3!!" lol as if being 4 is so much older. Lately she's been asking to turn 5 and sometimes will even say older. Last night she told my Aunt & Uncle who are staying with us from Seattle, that she was going to High School today lol. Not sure where she got that from, but definitely growing up too fast!!

Yes, I want to make time for a dole whip this trip, just because it's dairy free and Maya can enjoy it!! I love finding treats she can have lol.

 

[Imagineer5]

So we made it back to the Poly and Maya was steadfastly refusing to nap in the car seat (by the way, I am 99% sure I will just put the new baby in the stroller with the seat laid flat vs. bringing the car seat into the parks in June 1- because Maya REFUSED to nap in it and 2-June will be a lot hotter and I don't want her to overheat!

She did however nap in the Moby wrap so you will see this used a LOT. It was a PITA to put on (it's like 3000ft long) but she did nap really well in it so it is what it is.

So first up on my Poly checklist was - HULA DANCING!! We got here a little early so waited around a bit until we figured out who was doing the hula lessons, and also figured out we were the only ones doing it today! hahaha

He put on the grass skirt, but that's about as far as Aria would go with hula lessons by herself...

So this happened...

I guess there are upsides to carrying a sleeping baby in the wrap :-D with Andrew's help, Aria ended up having a lot of fun - and while she was shy at the time, she STILL Hula dances at home hahaha.

Perfect timing, right after the hula dancing, bucket list item #2 was open - Trader Sam's!! (not like I planned that or anything...).

It was already packed, but we sidled up to the bar and didn't see any side eyes having two kids standing at the bar. I believe in CA they aren't allowed to be AT the bar, but FL laws do allow it thankfully.

I took so ambiance photos while we waited to order drinks.

There was a small wheelchair section of the bar that had a seat, so that is where we stood after asking if that was okay. Aria enjoyed a non alcoholic punch.

Andrew wanted the Shrunken Zombie head (which comes with the glass to bring home!) and I think I got a tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki rum

It may have been something else though. I remember being a little sad to hear that they don't serve my favorite drink from Disneyland's Trader Sam's (the Passionate Python).

I liked these cups, too

After our fun here, we headed back to the room for a bit. It was probably the warmest part of the day, so Aria asked to go to the pool. Andrew offered to stay back with a fussy Maya, so I fed her and then took Aria to the pool.

Aria ran past the smaller pool under construction to the newly renovated main pool.

Splash pad first!! (I didn't want to stand around watching her already wet from the pool, so we went here first - it was about 68 degrees outside, so pretty chilly IMO!).

I asked a lifeguard if I could go up with Aria and they said I could, but couldn't go down the slides I think.

Then we checked out the main pool. Aria was swimming at this point but still enjoyed having a life jacket on.

Aria attempted some photos

There's a nice zero entry area that we played in for a bit

I couldn't convince her to go down the slide, so we haven't ever done that!

After maybe 30-40 minutes, I was ready for a hot shower! (brr), so we ran back to the room and hopped in. Poor Andrew had tried everything and apparently Maya had been screaming the whole time. He asked me to teach him how to use the wrap, since it's about the only thing that gets her to settle down. I took a very fast shower then took over for him while he showered.

Continued in next post!

 

[Imagineer5]

Once we were all set, we headed back out, as we had an ADR for dinner at Ohana! This is a favorite of Andrew's (the best part of the meal for me is dessert!). We had been discussing trying out Neocate formula (it is one of 3 available that have zero milk proteins in it) and found a Walgreens that carried it nearby, so that was our plan after dinner. (Seriously, mixed emotions during this trip, with not knowing what was really going on). So because of that "semi-decision" (spoiler - it didn't come to fruition until months later...) I decided to enjoy Ohana.

We had some bread, then shortly after they started their entertainment and I talked Aria into going up with the other kids!

Aria would have enjoyed this more if she had a friend with her, I think.

Maya was being okay during the meal...

She did start fussing a bit but ended up falling asleep in my arms!

I enjoyed the noodles a lot and Andrew loved the wings!

And Aria was super excited for a birthday cupcake!

Maya stayed asleep while I imbibed in the bread pudding that was Ahhh-mazing but then I instantly felt uneasy about it all.

After dinner we went back to the room and I fed Maya once more and put her down in the pack n play (which we had put in one of the bathrooms so we could close the door. We watched some TV and rearranged some bags ready for the move to BLT the next day!

Unfortunately we didn't sleep will this first night - Maya was up for an hour around 1am, then fell back asleep, woke up around 4 to eat, fell back asleep until we needed to get up at 6:30 for our big day, so she ate again. But we'll talk about Aria's 4th BIRTHDAY!! later on

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The new splash area at the Poly looks amazing! It's been in the 40s here lately so I will take 65!

Love the little extra things they do at the Poly like the hula lessons - good job outta Andrew being a good sport!

Bummer about all the food challenges and that even your lovely bread pudding dessert didn't sit well - I am very thankful we never really had to deal with any of this with any of our kids

Aria really does seem pleased with her cupcake!

Hope the sleeping improved after the move!

 

[mousehappync]

This update brings back flashbacks-- the inconsolable screaming. I feel wracked with sympathy for you (even months after the fact!!!) because I don't think I will ever forget how hard that is! You were so smart to figure out that you could control it with Neocate-- we never really got that far, and I think I tortured one of my kids for a year and the other for several months.... Not to mention myself and my husband!

But-- your Poly day looks awesome!!! I'm already getting SO excited for our arrival day in January-- hoping the weather is warm enough for the boys to swim. They LOVE the slide-- and I like it, too! It's shorter than Stormalong Bay, but it's pitch-black for most of it. It's very neat. It is one where you are liable to loose your bottoms on your suit as you enter the water, though....not that I know anything about that

PS-- we are keeping that GC reservation-- I decided that it's worth the money to have an easier time, and I see us spending most of our time at DCA. Thanks for the advice!

 

[ariane37]

[QUOTE="Imagineer5, post: 56680810, member: 164176"

Aw thank you!! Love your screen name, is your name Ariane?

[/QUOTE]
Yes it is and thank you

 

[ariane37]

It's been years since my kids were infants, but my oldest had trouble with regular formula and it took awhile to find what was right for him. He ended up on Alimentum, not even sure it's something they make anymore but it was like the 5th thing our pediatrician had us try and the period of trial and error was killer Sounds like at this point it's all worked out, and I hope with baby #3 it's easier!

The hula dancing is cute! DH and I didn't notice anyone doing that when we stayed there in January, we must not have been in the lobby at the right time. Love that your DH got in the act for Aria

 

[Dugette]

Yes - this toddler age I'm walking into is going to make the flights much more difficult!! I am also dreading December - thankfully the flights are short! Disneyland in August was pretty tough, and my mom just read her book, so I was pretty annoyed at her while dealing with Maya for a full day of travel each way!

I hope the flights go well - wish I could help you out! For what it's worth, Izzy's first flight was around that age (14.5 months) and she was pretty good - just happy to nap and hang out on my lap. A few months later, though, it became much more like wrangling a wild animal on flights.

Actually, the 2nd baked dairy trial went great!! So I think she did pass, and it was just unfortunate timing of the start of a cold that she has since passed on to Aria and me. lol!

Yay on passing the trial! But, boo to getting everyone sick.

YES! Whenever we joke about something Aria did, she will always say "that must have been when I was only 3!!" lol as if being 4 is so much older.

That's awesome - Izzy does the SAME thing, except for her it's "3 and a half". I can't tell you how often I hear, "I couldn't do that when I was 3 and a half, but now I can because I'm FOUR!!!" They should change the Disney ticket requirements to 4 for paying admission because nobody would ever try to slip by a slightly over-aged "free" child - no 4 year old would tolerate being presented as a 3 year old. (and also it would better correlate with their height requirements, but that's another story)

Yes, I want to make time for a dole whip this trip, just because it's dairy free and Maya can enjoy it!! I love finding treats she can have lol.

Works for me! There's the Tiki Room allowing Dole Whips now. Or we can just have one whenever.

She did however nap in the Moby wrap so you will see this used a LOT. It was a PITA to put on (it's like 3000ft long) but she did nap really well in it so it is what it is.

I remember using that thing! I had to watch a video to learn how to use it, but then got used to it. I can't remember how it works now, though. By the way, I'm sure you have something for December, but if it's of any help, I have TWO Ergo carriers - the old Ergo Sport we used with Izzy and the newer style one that can face forward (got for free right after Izzy stopped using a carrier) - I can bring something along if it may help in some way.

So this happened...

Way to go, Andrew!

It was already packed, but we sidled up to the bar and didn't see any side eyes having two kids standing at the bar. I believe in CA they aren't allowed to be AT the bar, but FL laws do allow it thankfully.

So funny that we did the same thing in CA (including the wheelchair area of the bar) and they wouldn't let us stand there. Glad it was a good experience for you guys!

She looks so happy to be there! Looks like a great splash pad too - kind-of a mini version of the one at Aulani.

I asked a lifeguard if I could go up with Aria and they said I could, but couldn't go down the slides I think.

And this is really nice, since Aulani doesn't let parents up to help their kids.

And Aria was super excited for a birthday cupcake!

Aw, so happy!

Maya stayed asleep while I imbibed in the bread pudding that was Ahhh-mazing but then I instantly felt uneasy about it all.

That's got to be hard to battle with these decisions while trying to enjoy your trip and parent a newborn.

 

[JulieODC]

It was already packed, but we sidled up to the bar and didn't see any side eyes having two kids standing at the bar. I believe in CA they aren't allowed to be AT the bar, but FL laws do allow it thankfully.

This made me smile!!

Hula dancing looks fun -- I can imagine Ellie being the same way and not wanting to go by herself. Sounds like an overall great day! I'm impressed you got in the water though -- those were some chilly temps for swimming!!

Re: the strawberry allergy --- we've had a few vomiting episodes, and can't quite put a finger in what is causing it -- it could be an overactive gag reflex, or it happened a few times when she ate some strawberries. Though, she had a few bites at her preschool Halloween party and was fine! Luckily, it doesn't seem to cause any other reactions (with breathing, etc) -- just an upset tummy and a single vomit. So for now, I'm just sort of avoiding and will try her again in a few months....

 

[Imagineer5]

The new splash area at the Poly looks amazing! It's been in the 40s here lately so I will take 65!

Love the little extra things they do at the Poly like the hula lessons - good job outta Andrew being a good sport!

Bummer about all the food challenges and that even your lovely bread pudding dessert didn't sit well - I am very thankful we never really had to deal with any of this with any of our kids

Aria really does seem pleased with her cupcake!

Hope the sleeping improved after the move!

Yes the splash area and main pool were fantastic! I'd be interested to see what they did with the new quiet pool that was under refurb (I haven't looked it up since we have no plans to stay there anytime soon!). Yes, we came from a snow storm, so 68 wasn't THAT cold, but still fairly chilly to be walking around wet. PLus I love me some 100 degree temps!

This update brings back flashbacks-- the inconsolable screaming. I feel wracked with sympathy for you (even months after the fact!!!) because I don't think I will ever forget how hard that is! You were so smart to figure out that you could control it with Neocate-- we never really got that far, and I think I tortured one of my kids for a year and the other for several months.... Not to mention myself and my husband!

But-- your Poly day looks awesome!!! I'm already getting SO excited for our arrival day in January-- hoping the weather is warm enough for the boys to swim. They LOVE the slide-- and I like it, too! It's shorter than Stormalong Bay, but it's pitch-black for most of it. It's very neat. It is one where you are liable to loose your bottoms on your suit as you enter the water, though....not that I know anything about that

PS-- we are keeping that GC reservation-- I decided that it's worth the money to have an easier time, and I see us spending most of our time at DCA. Thanks for the advice!

Yes, and we were still REALLY early on without knowing much (I am trying to remember exactly what point we were at for the trip, I know the MSPI thing came up though Pedi was unsure, so that is why I wavered on what to do). It's also why I am 100% going right to Neocate if it happens with #3, I just can't deal with that again. We didn't control it until 5m with that because I was so gung ho on BF'ing but once I let that go, things got so much easier.

Poly was really wonderful, I hope it is warm enough for you too! I'm hoping our December trip we'll get some swim time in but it's really a crap shoot whether or not it happens. LOL on losing your swim bottoms!! Luckily I have zero interest in a bikini after 2+ kids lmao!

I'm so glad you'll be able to stay at the GC, I think the location will be fab once you get over that crazy cost! LOL.

It's been years since my kids were infants, but my oldest had trouble with regular formula and it took awhile to find what was right for him. He ended up on Alimentum, not even sure it's something they make anymore but it was like the 5th thing our pediatrician had us try and the period of trial and error was killer Sounds like at this point it's all worked out, and I hope with baby #3 it's easier!

The hula dancing is cute! DH and I didn't notice anyone doing that when we stayed there in January, we must not have been in the lobby at the right time. Love that your DH got in the act for Aria

\

Once we persued the route of formula at 5m, I didn't want to fiddle with trying to find the right one due to her allergies, so we went straight to neocate (it was more of a pick 1 out of 3 that had no milk proteins) and it thankfully worked (although the taste is horrific, no wonder she loves vanilla soy milk!). I'm sorry you went through all that too!

I hope the flights go well - wish I could help you out! For what it's worth, Izzy's first flight was around that age (14.5 months) and she was pretty good - just happy to nap and hang out on my lap. A few months later, though, it became much more like wrangling a wild animal on flights.


Yay on passing the trial! But, boo to getting everyone sick.


That's awesome - Izzy does the SAME thing, except for her it's "3 and a half". I can't tell you how often I hear, "I couldn't do that when I was 3 and a half, but now I can because I'm FOUR!!!" They should change the Disney ticket requirements to 4 for paying admission because nobody would ever try to slip by a slightly over-aged "free" child - no 4 year old would tolerate being presented as a 3 year old. (and also it would better correlate with their height requirements, but that's another story)


Works for me! There's the Tiki Room allowing Dole Whips now. Or we can just have one whenever.


I remember using that thing! I had to watch a video to learn how to use it, but then got used to it. I can't remember how it works now, though. By the way, I'm sure you have something for December, but if it's of any help, I have TWO Ergo carriers - the old Ergo Sport we used with Izzy and the newer style one that can face forward (got for free right after Izzy stopped using a carrier) - I can bring something along if it may help in some way.


Way to go, Andrew!


So funny that we did the same thing in CA (including the wheelchair area of the bar) and they wouldn't let us stand there. Glad it was a good experience for you guys!


She looks so happy to be there! Looks like a great splash pad too - kind-of a mini version of the one at Aulani.


And this is really nice, since Aulani doesn't let parents up to help their kids.


Aw, so happy!


That's got to be hard to battle with these decisions while trying to enjoy your trip and parent a newborn.

So true on the ages!! Although Universal should be even higher, like 6 or something before they start charging. Thank you for the offer, I do have a Beco Butterfly, but with my preggo belly I actually am unsure how I'll wear a carrier? I was planning on it for boarding the plane, and at buffets, but with you guys there I may not even need it? IDK. She is a lot better now about sitting in the stroller (BTW, don't let this TR scare you haha, Disneyland went SO SO SO much smoother and she had a lot of fuN!!). I am planning on investing in a new carrier for the new baby though, I want something she can face forward in so I'm looking at the LilleBaby. The beco has been great but Maya hates it lol.

This made me smile!!

Hula dancing looks fun -- I can imagine Ellie being the same way and not wanting to go by herself. Sounds like an overall great day! I'm impressed you got in the water though -- those were some chilly temps for swimming!!

Re: the strawberry allergy --- we've had a few vomiting episodes, and can't quite put a finger in what is causing it -- it could be an overactive gag reflex, or it happened a few times when she ate some strawberries. Though, she had a few bites at her preschool Halloween party and was fine! Luckily, it doesn't seem to cause any other reactions (with breathing, etc) -- just an upset tummy and a single vomit. So for now, I'm just sort of avoiding and will try her again in a few months....

Haha what, sidling up to the bar with two kids :-D nothing wrong with that right?!

I had hoped there would be more kids for the hula thing, I think that would have helped, but Aria alone with the strange Hula guy? I can see why she was being totally shy! I'm glad Andrew got in there.

We left way chillier temps here in New England so it wasn't *that* bad haha.

Huh, well that is really great that it didn't cause breathing issues or anything!! I hope it is just the gag reflex and not something more.

 

[schmass]

Hi - I finally made it over here! I can't wait to read all about these trips (although I still need to go back and finish the France TR, too!).

I am so glad to hear that Maya has shown some improvements with her allergies! We haven't been so lucky (I had to give Lola the epi-pen a few weeks ago and we're still not even sure what she reacted to!). And Trick-or-treating last night with 2 kids who are allergic to most candy was interesting. Anyway, I hope Maya continues to show signs of improvement, and I hope baby #3 doesn't have any allergies!

We are booked for a split stay (BLT and BCV) for May. I was torn between BLT and Poly, and now seeing your Poly pictures is kind of making me want to switch! It looks like you guys really enjoyed your day at the resort. I love that Andrew hula-danced and also that he asked how to wear the Moby.

I love the picture at Ohana with you and Aria looking at each other and smiling - so cute!

 

[Imagineer5]

Hi - I finally made it over here! I can't wait to read all about these trips (although I still need to go back and finish the France TR, too!).

I am so glad to hear that Maya has shown some improvements with her allergies! We haven't been so lucky (I had to give Lola the epi-pen a few weeks ago and we're still not even sure what she reacted to!). And Trick-or-treating last night with 2 kids who are allergic to most candy was interesting. Anyway, I hope Maya continues to show signs of improvement, and I hope baby #3 doesn't have any allergies!

We are booked for a split stay (BLT and BCV) for May. I was torn between BLT and Poly, and now seeing your Poly pictures is kind of making me want to switch! It looks like you guys really enjoyed your day at the resort. I love that Andrew hula-danced and also that he asked how to wear the Moby.

I love the picture at Ohana with you and Aria looking at each other and smiling - so cute!

Hahaha sorry for all the updates, glad to have you over here though!!

I was surprised after the baked dairy trial that the allergist made an appointment for 1 year from now. ?!?!?! Very confused on that, as I would expect to check allergies more often than that? IDK. I'm so sorry about her epi pen experience, how scary (and even moreso that you don't know what it was from!). I bet Halloween was tough, do you participate in the teal pumpkin thing? No one in our neighborhood did. Maya can have dum dums, smarties, and things like that so I told Andrew to be sure to grab some (we all went and did our street, but I have been super sick and Maya was SO cold, that we called it a night and Andrew & Aria continued TorTing while I handed out candy.)

We LOVED BLT, you'll see that coming up. What size room? We got a 1 bedroom, and seriously absolutely love it. The studio is very small, it was fine for Aria & me, but Andrew, Aria, maya and me it would be too small. I liked the Poly, but I don't like how spread out everything is, I don't like not being able to walk to a park, and would definitely choose BLT or BCV over it in a heartbeat (unless they bring the price of the bungalows way down lol).

 

[schmass]

Hahaha sorry for all the updates, glad to have you over here though!!

I was surprised after the baked dairy trial that the allergist made an appointment for 1 year from now. ?!?!?! Very confused on that, as I would expect to check allergies more often than that? IDK. I'm so sorry about her epi pen experience, how scary (and even moreso that you don't know what it was from!). I bet Halloween was tough, do you participate in the teal pumpkin thing? No one in our neighborhood did. Maya can have dum dums, smarties, and things like that so I told Andrew to be sure to grab some (we all went and did our street, but I have been super sick and Maya was SO cold, that we called it a night and Andrew & Aria continued TorTing while I handed out candy.)

We LOVED BLT, you'll see that coming up. What size room? We got a 1 bedroom, and seriously absolutely love it. The studio is very small, it was fine for Aria & me, but Andrew, Aria, maya and me it would be too small. I liked the Poly, but I don't like how spread out everything is, I don't like not being able to walk to a park, and would definitely choose BLT or BCV over it in a heartbeat (unless they bring the price of the bungalows way down lol).

There weren't any teal pumpkins in our neighborhood, either. Hopefully it catches on soon and there is more awareness around it.

We stayed at BLT when Rory was 9 months old and we loved it, but I just really love the Poly, too. And Rory keeps talking about the volcano pool. We are staying in a studio - I know it will be small, but it's just for 2 nights and then we move over to BCV for 5 nights!

 

[Imagineer5]

January 30th - Aria's 4th birthday!

This trip's reasoning (if you need a reason to book a Disney trip) was two-fold - 1) I wanted to be sure and celebrate Aria's birthday, knowing that having a new baby sister would be a HUGE change for her and 2) I was home on "maternity leave" (in quotes, because you know, the US Government doesn't feel like paid maternity leave is necessary and thus I was given 12 weeks unpaid...).

So today was all about her!! But first, we had to call up bell services and have them grab our bags so that they would transfer them to BLT, as that was our home for the next 5 nights. Also, Aria had a preliminary birthday present to open:



This is her Ariel gown she'll be wearing to BBB and later CRT for lunch. Soon we were out the door, up to the monorail and over to the MK for breakfast. Maya did okay on the monorail and *actually* fell asleep in the car seat, wahoo!! BTW I had pumped after feeding her first thing, so I planned to give her a bottle around 9am (this worked out really well as I'm not really one to nurse right at a meal, so I was able to do this for just about every breakfast).



Soon we were through the gates and checked in for the Crystal Palace. Aria didn't want lots of Photopass pics so I did listen to her, this morning anyway.

Maya stayed asleep for a little while (and it was nice to have the car seat for this reason)

They decorated the table with confetti which was a very nice touch, and we ordered drinks and headed up to the buffet as the characters weren't out yet.

My plate. Obviously I hadn't yet made that leap to go dairy/soy free, but it's coming...

Soon Eeyore came out, and Aria was very excited to talk to him. She loves coming up with things to say - for Eeyore it's usually about how she wants to be his friend so he isn't so sad.

And then he bumped into the high chair that Maya's car seat was on...and she woke up...

Pooh came over next

I took Maya over to meet him

I can't wait to see what she thinks of him now

You can see lots of empty tables, we were pretty far in the back, but it was so nice because we didn't feel rushed at all with the characters.

Tigger came over next -

I went to give Maya a bottle but the server brought over a birthday cupcake for Aria, so sweet!

I think we had paid and were all packed up, as we had a BBB appointment to get to, but were waiting on Piglet. Aria reAlllyyy didn't want to miss meeting him, but we were thisclose to having to! Thankfully he came out just in time.

She even got a Piglet kiss

Our next destination was the Bippidi Boppidi Boutique, where Aria was going to turn into Ariel. She talked about turning into Princess Cinderella from May 2015 quite a lot, that I knew she would love it, and it was HER day! I know it wasn't the best use of time (well, in reality, the worst use of the 9-10AM slot!!) but I figured this way she would get to be dressed up for as long as possible. BUT more on that later