about our beach trip

I think I could very easily be a mom that worried to leave her child and therefore never left him anywhere with anyone, at least not without worrying about him the whole time. But, I decided before Graeme even arrived that I would not be that mom.

When Graeme was eight days old, Aaron and I left him for two hours to go to dinner and to Walmart. It was what we referred to as our first "lame parents date," jokingly. After that first time, it was easier to leave him. Our first few dates, I was a little tense. Now, I don't worry about him at all.

Anyway, all that to say, we decided that since our anniversary was in June, we definitely needed to get out of town just the two of us. Next year, we will plan for a longer trip per our usual routine, but this year, we figured one night would be a great little refresher. Plus, I think Aaron was a little nervous to take me away for more than one night right off the bat. He wanted to ease me into leaving Graeme for longer than a few hours at a time.

I must say, I was pretty proud of myself. I really thought I would cry when we left him. I mean, I usually cry just to leave Penny. But, I must have been so worried about crying and starting our trip off sadly, that I psyched myself up and was able to leave tear-free.

I also thought about how by leaving Graeme to go on a trip with Aaron was actually a way to love him more and love him better. A trip away to reconnect with Aaron without the typical interruptions of typical life helps us to recharge. And by doing so, we can come back with a fresh outlook on everything and energy to press on and take care of our family joyfully. Plus, when you leave someone you love for even a day, it reminds you how much you love them and appreciate them. We missed Graeme like crazy, of course, so we came home loving him even more.

We left for Carolina Beach on Thursday morning in my dad's Jeep. With the top down, the music up, and some Chick-fil-a breakfast, we began our anniversary beach adventure.

We had a great time. The weather was perfect, the ocean was semi-warm (once you got used to it, it felt nice), our hotel was awesome, and of course we had so much fun just being together. 

View from our room

We got a room on the top floor. We were excited about that.

Graeme has still not mastered sleeping through the night, although I think he's close, so I got my first uninterrupted night of sleep since March 21st.

Graeme and Penny stayed with my parents, and my mom sent me several pictures and updates during the day to keep my mind at ease. That helped me fully relax and enjoy my time knowing he was happy and following his routine. He had so much fun.

I am so glad that Aaron and I were able to escape for a night, and I look forward to our next getaway, which will definitely be before next June. Once a year just won't cut it, I believe. I have a feeling we have four grandparents that will love to help us out.

For now, we made some fun memories on our first trip together as parents!

Some of the best ice cream 

We loved cruising around the beach in the Jeep looking at houses we can never afford.

Fireworks over the ocean that we enjoyed from our balcony.

Four years and I love him more each day.