Real question asked today by my dear husband: “Baby (me), does the ruffle on this reusable diaper go in the front or back?”
I get why it could be confusing, but… ?!
Anyway- Day two at the beach started in a panic. I opened my eyes at 9:38am immediately wondering why I hadn’t heard from my daughter all night- was she alive? She was… and she was swimming in 12+ hours worth of pee. Turns out all those hours of uninterrupted rest can’t be contained in one diaper. So, I pulled apart the bassinet and started scrubbing. Then I also tackled the less pleasant task of scrubbing the poop stained car seat insert and outfit from the day prior that had been soaking overnight. Oh how vacation mornings have changed. By the time I was done cleaning that along with bottle and pump parts, it was no longer morning.
We eventually made it to the pool, where my parents- Daddy Don (DD) and Mama Joan (MJ)- joined us. We got a cabana today and it was a great decision. Arabella could hang in the shade and we could have sun. She was very hot at one point so my mom walked inside with her— then I dipped her in the pool. We also put her in her raft again, this time inflating the center. She was still disinterested, but still not crying.. so I guess it’s a win. My parents loved seeing her in the pool.
My parents had burgers for lunch and jarmon had a chicken sandwich. I had some fries late in the day.
The dining options near the hotel aren’t what they used to be. Our kitschy old favorite, Bahia Cabana, closed shortly after we visited last year. It was allegedly damaged in the hurricane and never reopened. A developer wants to turn the site into high end condos— the complete opposite of the dive we loved. Oasis Cafe- the restaurant about a 1/2 mile away where you could eat in giant swings- is also gone. Their lease was up and they couldn’t afford the increase in order to renew. So, we went for the next closest option— Bubba Gump’s. The food was good, but the service was dreadful. We had a 45 minute wait even though the place was empty. My parents sat outside with Arabella, while Jarmon and I got a drink at the bar. I had white wine, Jarmon ordered a beer. Much to my mother’s disappointment, Arabella slept like an angel through dinner. Jarmon and I walked to the restaurant- despite a light rain- so Arabella could stay sleeping in her bassinet. At dinner, I had crab stuffed shrimp with broccoli, Jarmon had gumbo and coconut shrimp, DD had a fish sandwich and MJ had ribs. All very good. When we got back to the hotel we decided to take advantage of our sleeping child and sit in the lobby for a bit. I ordered key lime pie for dessert, which the waiter turned into a birthday treat adorned with a candle for DD and MJ.
Arabella stayed sleeping the entire time… and didn’t wake up until 930am. And even then she didn’t cry. I only know she was awake because I woke up and went looking for her. I’m beginning to think we should move here- I mean, 13 1/2ish hours of sleep?? Just add this to the list of reasons why I love the beach.. and I love Ft Lauderdale.
Trina Orlando 