We're Doing Disney Again Someday...Plus One! ~ Come Read my Trip Report!!!

[amazingact21]

Your holiday photos are great! Love the one with the stocking.

Hope your holidays with Dug Baby went well!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

OH MY ... DUG BABY IS GROWING UP... SHE'S BEAUTIFUL...

HOPING YOU HAD GREAT HOLIDAYS TOGETHER...​

 

[Xclusive2WDW]

I know I am super late but I'm just about in tears after reading about Dug baby's birth!!! I had read your previous TR's and missed exactly when she came but she is sooooo adorable and absolutely precious! Congrats you guys

 

[Leshaface]

Hope all is well with you and Dug Baby! Haven't seen you on lately, but i'm assuming it's because your busy being a mom

 

[Dugette]

Oh my goodness she's gotten so big! She's so adorable!

We had DH's family gathering yesterday and he was fussy. Probably from being passed all around. And then tonight, my DB and Dsil had a party so he was passed around a little bit there. And then there is Christmas day when i'm sure he'll be passed around again with my family. It's never-ending!

Hope you and your family have a great Christmas!

Thanks, we did. 5 gatherings, plus Christmas morning at home. Busy, but fun. I hope you had a great time with your little guy too!

She's adorable! I hear you about being back to work- not much fun being away from home and baby all day- all I want to do is cuddle her when I get home!

I love that she's so happy to see me when I get home. And she tries to talk to me a lot. But no fun to be away all day. Luckily, Dug has been using up his sick leave time and staying home with her before she starts going to daycare. He's got another month at home still. That helps, since he gives me updates and sends pictures.

Aww! She's growing so fast! I love these pics with Minnie Mouse. They're especially adorable in this set, too. I love how she's looking at Minnie. Super cute! Hope you all have a great holiday!

Thanks! Hope you and your boys had a good one too! She's getting more and more interested in Minnie each month.

Great Christmas pictures! I also love the 3 mo. pix with her sitting in the chair with Minnie - soooo cute! I can't get over how much she has grown! Hope you are having a very Merry first Christmas with Dug Baby

Thanks! I can't believe how much she's grown into a small person vs. a newborn baby. I think I am noticing it even more since I am away from her (at work) so much. Hope you had a good Christmas too!

Love all the pics! Hope she had a wonderful first Christmas!

Thanks! Hope you and your little guy did as well!

I hope your first Christmas with Dug Baby was all you hoped it would be. She is adorable.

Thank you! We had a great one! Hope you did as well.

Your holiday photos are great! Love the one with the stocking.

Hope your holidays with Dug Baby went well!

Thanks! Yeah, that's her stocking. She didn't really fit in it very well, but fun anyway. Holidays were a lot of fun - hope yours were too!

OH MY ... DUG BABY IS GROWING UP... SHE'S BEAUTIFUL...

HOPING YOU HAD GREAT HOLIDAYS TOGETHER...​

Thanks! They were great. Hope yours were as well.

I know I am super late but I'm just about in tears after reading about Dug baby's birth!!! I had read your previous TR's and missed exactly when she came but she is sooooo adorable and absolutely precious! Congrats you guys

Thank you so much. Not too late at all...heck, the trip is still 330 days away!

Hope all is well with you and Dug Baby! Haven't seen you on lately, but i'm assuming it's because your busy being a mom

You are right...I've barely been on and have been so busy. Being back at work leaves me no time for anything during the week. It's pretty much: get up early, get ready, nurse baby, commute, work, pump, work, pump while eating lunch, work, pump, work, commute, nurse, make/eat dinner, wash bottles, make next day's lunch, nurse, put baby to bed, get ready for bed, sleep, repeat. All week long. I'm staying up late tonight since I can actually sleep in tomorrow! Hope all's well with you and Calvin also. I read some of your TR (while pumping), but have to finish reading and comment...hopefully tonight still. Dug Baby is sleeping in her crib for the first time, so we'll see if she stays asleep all night!

 

[Leshaface]

Not sure if this may be too much TMI, but do you find yourself pumping a lot more now? I feel like now i'm nursing 10% and pumping 90%. As weird as it sounds, it's just way easier to pump than nurse lately.

 

[cindianne320]

I do not like pumping very much. I also pump 3 times at work, and once at home in the am. I much prefer nursing!

 

[Dugette]

Not sure if this may be too much TMI, but do you find yourself pumping a lot more now? I feel like now i'm nursing 10% and pumping 90%. As weird as it sounds, it's just way easier to pump than nurse lately.

I do not like pumping very much. I also pump 3 times at work, and once at home in the am. I much prefer nursing!

I think I'm with cindianne on this one. The first couple times I ever pumped (early on) were because nursing was excruciating and pumping was a relief. But, all the people that assured me nursing would get better and non-painful were right...I much prefer it now. No bottles to wash, nothing to set up, etc. But, I still have to pump 3 times a day at work. I usually nurse her in the morning before I leave, but I also bought a small manual pump in case she doesn't wake up or eat enough (I got sick of lugging the electric pump home, so now I just leave it at work). Then, I nurse her when I get home (maybe a couple times, depending on the day), then right before bed. Before I went back to work, I'd pump occasionally to build up a freezer stash and to make bottles for times we'd be out all day (I'm not opposed to nursing in public, but I try to avoid it if I can). Now I seldom pump outside of working hours. I generally get enough at work that I have a few spare bottles for weekend outings, etc. I will say she's close to 4 months and I've heard that they can be easily distracted at that age, making it harder to nurse, and I've dealt with some of that at times. But, overall, nursing is going pretty well and she's much faster at it than she used to be, which is nice. Well, that's more than probably most people on this PTR wanted to know...

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Congratulations on your daughter - she's beautiful!

It's so exciting that you're going to introduce your daughter not only to Disney, but to the Poly! I'm sure it will be a very magical vacation. I can't wait to see how your plans unfold.

 

[AprilRenee]

I think I'm with cindianne on this one. The first couple times I ever pumped (early on) were because nursing was excruciating and pumping was a relief. But, all the people that assured me nursing would get better and non-painful were right...I much prefer it now. No bottles to wash, nothing to set up, etc. But, I still have to pump 3 times a day at work. I usually nurse her in the morning before I leave, but I also bought a small manual pump in case she doesn't wake up or eat enough (I got sick of lugging the electric pump home, so now I just leave it at work). Then, I nurse her when I get home (maybe a couple times, depending on the day), then right before bed. Before I went back to work, I'd pump occasionally to build up a freezer stash and to make bottles for times we'd be out all day (I'm not opposed to nursing in public, but I try to avoid it if I can). Now I seldom pump outside of working hours. I generally get enough at work that I have a few spare bottles for weekend outings, etc. I will say she's close to 4 months and I've heard that they can be easily distracted at that age, making it harder to nurse, and I've dealt with some of that at times. But, overall, nursing is going pretty well and she's much faster at it than she used to be, which is nice. Well, that's more than probably most people on this PTR wanted to know...

I just wanted to say if this was on Facebook I would "like" it.
So glad nursing got easier for you! I also hate pumping. Thankfully I'm home most of the time but even when I can't be I do my very best to arrange my day so that I can still nurse him at the right times. I even had dh/grandma/grandpa bring Caden to me at the month long christmas festival i run so that I wouldn't have to pump on those weekends (sometimes 2 or 3 times during the day). Lol

 

[Dugette]

Congratulations on your daughter - she's beautiful!

It's so exciting that you're going to introduce your daughter not only to Disney, but to the Poly! I'm sure it will be a very magical vacation. I can't wait to see how your plans unfold.

Thank you very much! I'm hoping the trip will be very magical for all of us. And the Poly: I was daydreaming about the Poly at work yesterday, so while I was "working" I put together a post about the Poly. I'll add it next.

I just wanted to say if this was on Facebook I would "like" it.
So glad nursing got easier for you! I also hate pumping. Thankfully I'm home most of the time but even when I can't be I do my very best to arrange my day so that I can still nurse him at the right times. I even had dh/grandma/grandpa bring Caden to me at the month long christmas festival i run so that I wouldn't have to pump on those weekends (sometimes 2 or 3 times during the day). Lol

Thanks for your "like". That's impressive that you had Caden brought to you to nurse. That would be nice. Much better than hooking up the pump. Oh, well. Just nursed her to sleep for the night, so I decided to jump on here and get a new post up before I go to bed.

 

[Dugette]

Because we spend so much time thinking about the Polynesian (and following Tikiman’s posts), let’s discuss what we’re looking forward to about staying at the Poly!

The location is hard to beat. Easy monorail access to the Magic Kingdom and easy walk to the TTC – and therefore the monorail to Epcot (and in theory, DHS, since you can walk there from Epcot). This is nice in general, but hopefully will be really nice when we are pushing a 14-month-old around in a stroller. We won’t have to fold it up and put it on a bus for either of those parks. It will also allow us to easily go back to the resort for nap time each day. This is a big part of how we are justifying staying at the Poly this trip. Convenience.

The atmosphere is amazing. There is just something special about walking around or hanging out at the Poly. It’s a vacation within a vacation. The torches burning at night. The random “island-y” entertainment in the Great Ceremonial House. The beach. The lobby waterfall. Everything is just beautiful and you are surrounded by it everywhere you go:

Plus, it will be the holiday season, so add in some nice decorations and some Hawaiian holiday music. Beautiful:

Not to mention, all the Cast Members seem to be super nice and go above and beyond to make sure your stay is magical.

The rooms are nice and spacious and pretty. This was our (pre-Club-upgrade) room in December 2010:

However, by the time we go, the renovations should be complete. Which means even nicer rooms, new things, more light, etc. And, my two favorites: 1.) Double sinks in all the bathrooms! It’s funny, because we have double sinks at home, but rarely use them at the same time. But, on vacation, we’re constantly getting ready at the same time, so that’s where we really need this amenity. It’s about time to replace this:

2.) King bed rooms will be available. Plus, they will be the same rates as the Queen rooms. We prefer Kings in general, but I’m thinking this will also free up more room for Dug Baby’s Pack ‘n’ Play (and luggage, etc.) I wonder how that works to get a King room since they don’t exist yet and we already have a reservation? Maybe modify it once they are available for booking? Hmmm, just thought of that one.

Kona Café is one of our favorite places to eat for any meal. Tonga Toast and Lilikoi Juice at breakfast:

Kona Coffee for Dug

That bread at dinner! Yum, yum, yum:

Plus, it’s generally not too crowded and the prices are reasonable. We will have, at minimum, a breakfast and a dinner here. I think we will have at least one meal at ‘Ohana too. So much good food at the Poly!

Kona Island Sushi Bar is something Dug has been looking forward to revisiting:

I know there is talk of this combining with Kona Café, but I’m not sure when/if that will happen. At any rate, Dug really enjoyed the sushi and the experience on our last trip and can’t wait to go back for more:

I enjoyed sitting there with a nice drink (can’t wait for an Island Sunset!), since I don’t care to try sushi. Side note—Island Sunset:

After our last trip, I think I read somewhere that you can order the Kona Café bread at the sushi bar. If this is true, I will be chomping on a loaf of bread while Dug enjoys his sushi. We’ll see which one Dug Baby goes for…Dug is hoping for someone to enjoy sushi with!

Fireworks on the beach are always a must-do. This may be a good option for not keeping Dug Baby up too late to see Wishes…watch from the beach then go to the nearby room and go to bed. It’s a thought, at least. Also, just enjoying the beach in general is a must-do:

Ahhh, to be laying in a hammock at the Poly right now!

We saw the torch lighting ceremony a couple years back and enjoyed that. Would like to watch that fire-spinning guy again. Unique entertainment:

I love that boats are available for transportation to/from the Magic Kingdom and other resorts. I love riding on boats. Plus, there’s even boat rental if we are so inclined (we rented a pontoon on our last trip…haven’t gotten to that in the Trip Report yet…sorry!)

Captain Cook’s has Dole Whips! Self-serve, all the time:

We will surely make a stop or two for those and some of the other goodies at Captain Cook’s.

The Volcano Pool is fun, as long as the weather is decent (December, you never know!) It’s zero-entry, so probably would be good for Dug Baby. Also, I’m seeing that they plan to add a hot tub at some point. Hopefully in the next year? That would be nice!

Staying at the Poly might get us extra Fast Passes, depending on how this Fast Pass + program works. (Awww, I just read, after I wrote this, that the Fast Passes will not be resort-tiered). I’ll be interested to see how the whole My Magic + program rolls out. Might make this a whole new kind of trip for us (not that it wouldn’t be anyway, what with Dug Baby and a New Fantasyland).

We plan to do one of the Disney Photo Shoots at the Poly. I’ve seen this in a couple trip reports and it seems very worthwhile. How nice to have family photos in one of our very favorite places! I think this will be a lot of fun.

I’m sure there is much more that we are looking forward to, but those are some things on the forefront of my mind. I hope it’s all as magical as I remember it!

 

[Mom&RN]

Don't forget watching Wishes from the Poly beach! We did this when we were at WDW recently and it was great. I liked it better than watching them from inside the MK because there were no crowds.

 

[MeMom]

I laughed at this one. So cute! I bet she and Minnie will become good friends in the years ahead.
Thanks for sharing all the sweet pictures.

 

[amazingact21]

Those are all such great reasons to stay at the Poly. The main one is, in my opinion, the transportation. DH and I have been going back and forth on where we want to stay for our December trip, and the idea of lugging a stroller on and off a bus makes us cringe. To be able to just walk onto a monorail seems so convienent and stress-free.

Tonga Toast and the Kona Bread are two great draws to the Poly. I didn't realize just how many food selections the resort has to offer until you started to list them all. Ahhh, now I want to go book a room at the Poly!

 

[Dugette]

Don't forget watching Wishes from the Poly beach! We did this when we were at WDW recently and it was great. I liked it better than watching them from inside the MK because there were no crowds.

Yes, that's in our plans! We love doing that too!

I laughed at this one. So cute! I bet she and Minnie will become good friends in the years ahead.
Thanks for sharing all the sweet pictures.

I think they will be good friends! I showed Dug Baby youtube videos of random kids meeting Minnie today and she watched with interest!

Those are all such great reasons to stay at the Poly. The main one is, in my opinion, the transportation. DH and I have been going back and forth on where we want to stay for our December trip, and the idea of lugging a stroller on and off a bus makes us cringe. To be able to just walk onto a monorail seems so convienent and stress-free.

Tonga Toast and the Kona Bread are two great draws to the Poly. I didn't realize just how many food selections the resort has to offer until you started to list them all. Ahhh, now I want to go book a room at the Poly!

I'm 100% with you on the ease of transportation! If we are ever going to justify the splurge that the Poly is, it should be when we can get the most added benefit from staying there...and I think young-baby-in-stroller qualifies.

All the food is so good! I would happily eat any of it right now! Mmmmm, hungry....

 

[Dugette]

It's been awhile since I posted Dug Baby pictures, so consequently, I have enough picked out that I will hit the image limit twice. So, here's post #1 of 3. We'll see how many I get though before Dug Baby wakes up from her nap! I apologize in advance for the randomness of these pictures.

We'll start with the December photos. First, happy baby in her bouncy seat:

We went out to a belated birthday dinner for my dad and he discovered that Dug Baby LOVES to stand on the table and look down at him:

She wore herself out that night and was like this by the time we'd finished the 5-minute drive home:

She wore her "Chuck [Nerd Herd] onesie", as I refer to it:

I went back to work on 12/12/12 and Dug started his two months home with her. I had been taking her to a weekly new parent group, so Dug continued to do so. This is the first time he took her:

Check out the custom-made "When you wish upon a death star" onesie:

She likes her Bumbo seat:

And her hands:

Dug's brother and his girlfriend came to town for Christmas (from CA). We went out to eat with them. Dug Baby enjoyed the pitcher of beer :

We also had a cousin get-together with many of Dug's cousins. They have a "Christmas Cracker" tradition, then all wear the crowns in them. Dug Baby joined in:

Christmas morning Dug Baby got to check out some new toys. Sophie the Giraffe (teether) was in her stocking. She sampled it:

Not her favorite...yet. I'm sure she'll love it, though.

This one is her favorite. Here she is meeting Freddy the Firefly:

Loves it!

I love the look on her face seeing the Santa Yoda bobblehead Dug got her:

And Santa brought her a My Pal Violet. It's an interactive dog that says her name and sings her favorite songs, etc. Really cool and she loves it. This was the only picture I could find, though:

All the Christmas gatherings really wore her out:

I think this was when we went to my dad and step-moms for Christmas. So sweet:

Oh, and this was Christmas Eve, at Dug's parents' house. They got her a little doll that giggles. Dug Baby thinks it is hilarious and laughs along. Here they are meeting for the first time:

Since I was back at work, Dug started sending me some pictures. Here's one after he got her dressed one day. I told him that he should photoshop a lightsaber into her hand:

Here's one of her "drama yawns" (she gets this from Dug!):

Here's a cute close-up:

Here she is playing with her O-Ball (one of the first things she managed to hang on to):

For New Years Eve, we staged a mini ball drop for her before bed:

Here she is hanging out with Giggle Baby and Freddy the Firefly:

More in the next post! (when I get to it, as I think she's waking up)

 

[MeMom]

She is adorable! We also have a little girl who enjoys her Bumbo seat and chewing on her hands. Maybe Sophie and Dug Baby can cross paths on a WDW trip someday.

 

[Leshaface]

Please! No pictures of the gorgeous Tonga Toast! I was not able to eat any on this past trip, which makes me sad. It's so stinking delicious!

I love all the pictures of Dug Baby! Her and Calvins shirts both look the same...very drooly

Love the picture of her in her Bumbo. I should post a picture of Calvin in his. He looks WAY to fat for it or something! She fits perfect in hers.

What kind of bottle are you using for her? I currently have Dr. Browns bottles but hate them because they leak, and the other ones i'm using are the Playtex Vente Aire. Are the ones you using good for gas?

 

[Dugette]

She is adorable! We also have a little girl who enjoys her Bumbo seat and chewing on her hands. Maybe Sophie and Dug Baby can cross paths on a WDW trip someday.

Thanks! That would be awesome if they could cross paths in WDW someday!