Baby you're a firework... Norfolk style

Ok, so that Katy Perry song was on my playlist during this morning's run... so it stuck in my head and made the title... It seemed appropriate enough considering we visited Norfolk during the 4th of July holiday to meet Baby Luke.... AND we got to see fireworks. So there you go.

Since Camille and I had July 4th and 5th off and Nick had to work, we figured what better way to spend those two days.... Norfolk bound!

We loved getting to meet Luke. He is such a sweet baby and so laid back. He has quite a lot of entertainment with big brother Jack, so I guess he feels like he just needs to listen. I got lots of Luke snuggle time... and when I carried him in the infant carrier, I had to keep checking to see if he was asleep b/c even when awake, he is so quiet and content. I took a few selfies of me and Luke.

Jack wanted to visit the Virginia Aquarium, which worked out great since Camille had never been before! They were so excited and held hands and followed each other around a lot of the time. They both agreed that the sharks were very cool and the most fascinating. However, what held their attention the most was this submarine simulator thing. It was basically a dark space with lots of lights and buttons.... so they were in heaven. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they figured out they were actually allowed to touch all of the buttons. 

It was a fun day! I figured Camille would be so exhausted after all that fun and no nap, so we headed back to the hotel right after dinner thinking she could go to bed early. Boy was I mistaken. She saw there was an indoor pool at the hotel and started jumping up and down until I agreed to let her go for a swim. I had to drag her out after an hour because Mommy was tired! She is getting to be quiet the little fish. She loves going under..... completely.... which is actually quite funny. She will jump in and go under over and over and over and over. I guess those swim lessons are paying off. She still won't put in much effort to paddle with her arms or kick with her legs, but I figure that shouldn't be too hard.

Since it was July 4th that evening and our hotel overlooked the Norfolk waterfront, I figured I would let Camille stay up a little late to watch the fireworks. She was still pumped up from the day, so she happily waited. We had a pretty good view from our hotel room so it wasn't too loud and not at all crowded :) That was the ticket!

The next day we ventured to the park so the kids could get some energy out. It was a hot day, so we had some sweaty kids on our hands. Camille liked sliding and climbing the most, while Jack loved digging in the dirt and sand :)

They did get pretty exhausted so on the way back.....

Another fun visit to Norfolk... Thanks Allie for your great hospitality! Oh and if you wonder where John is during all this fun... that is when he was working night shifts, so he was using his daytime hours to get some sleep.

We made it home in time to see the Garner fireworks which had been postponed to Friday the 5th..... another post to come on that :) 

Elizabeth Jane McNeill

The past two months have been so crazy that I neglected to post about my newest niece, Elizabeth Jane McNeill. She is just as precious as her name! She came into the world on June 17th, 2013 weighing 9lbs 5oz of pure chunk! That date was extra special b/c Camille is a 17th baby too. Also, that was a week early, which made me very excited, as we were supposed to be 3 hours away at the beach on her actual due date. I was thrilled to get to see her before we left for our vacation, as well as when we got back! She is contagious! (especially those cheeks!) I've already had two babysitting sessions with her to which she was a sweet little angel. All of my pictures reflect her sleeping, but she is just as cute with those little eyes open. To me, she looks a lot like John when she is asleep, but the minute she opens her eyes, its all Haddock!

Cox Family Beach Vacation 2013

Every other year we take a vacation with Nick's side of the family. The past two vacations have been to Nags Head, NC. It is such a great location for a family. The beach is never too crowded and the area isn't completely overrun by tourists. This year Nick's parents rented an oceanfront house to fit all 13 of us. A full week at the beach was much needed! And we lucked out with wonderful weather. A few storms threatened some plans, but always passed quickly or held off.

On our way down to the beach, we stopped at Bodie Lighthouse. Camille was more impressed than I thought she would be. It was a windy day, so our selfie pictures didn't turn out as well as planned.

I had vowed to stay fit and healthy (as much as one can be on vacation) during the week. Since our mornings started very early (combination of a house on the water with the sun rise beaming in every room and an 11 month old that wakes up early- all of us under one roof so you get the idea), Nick & I were able to get in a few miles of running and biking before officially starting our day on the beach. Renting bikes was the best idea of the week! It was fun biking along the beach road, looking at the beautiful houses, getting some "easy" exercise, and allowing Camille to be with us. Camille noticed the bike cart when we were in the rental store and quickly exclaimed "I want that carriage!" The "carriage" ended up being popular with all of the cousins too. They all asked Nick to take turns pulling them :)

We spent most days at the beach before lunch and then at the pool after lunch. That was enough fun in the sun to keep the kids from getting bored. Camille didn't even fight her naps :)

We had many nice nights on the porch. The moon was supposedly brighter than usual on our second night, so I tried to capture the extra glow in a picture, but without much success.

Camille got her first taste of ghost crab hunting. It was quite amusing to watch everyone scramble to either get out of the way of the crabs, or try to capture them in our buckets. Camille was never scared, but loved screaming each time that cousin Emily did.

We also had our family pictures taken again this year. Though it was humid and the sun was shining bright, I know Megan did a great job is getting all 13 of us smiling and cooperating. I can't wait to see how those turn out!

We enjoyed many meals, both cooking in and eating out, but I think the kids will all agree that ice cream time was their favorite :)

It was so nice to have a change of scenery for the week and to spend time with the family, especially b/c we don't get much time together otherwise. Camille already misses all that cousin time! We are blessed with how well they get along and how cute they are together!

Thank you Maw Maw and Paw Paw for organizing another family vacation.

The Zoo!

Camille had her first trip the the NC Zoo last weekend. We met Pops, Marla, and Michael there for a day full of heat, walking, and fun!

Nick and I hadn't been to the zoo since we were kids...... my how much has changed! There are so many exhibits!

Most of the picture credit goes to Pops, as I wasn't as quick with the photo ops!

Here are Camille and Marla checking out the cute black bear. 

 Pretty flamingos!

Camille loved viewing the water animals. I can't remember if this was a seal or an otter, but it sure was putting on a show! Camille thought it was funny to watch him swim circles. 

We got some good views of the polar bear, who had just returned back to NC, though I think Camille enjoyed the polar bear cave more than the actual polar bear! She wouldn't go in without company, lucky me!

Did I mention how much walking we did?! I should have tracked it, but it was several miles for sure. Camille would walk for awhile, rest her legs while riding in the stroller, then ask for Michael to carry her on his shoulders. 

How cute is this little bee? This was a bee exhibit that featured a hive, honeycomb and all, that the kids could  go in and explore. 

The zoo even has a carousel. After our lunch we made sure Camille got a turn. I don't know who had more fun riding, Camille or Michael. 

This picture didn't come through as cute as on my phone, but this was in line for the 4D Ice Age movie clip. It wasn't too thrilling for the adults, but Camille was laughing out loud and squealing the entire time. That reaction alone made it all worth it!

Next up, the new dinosaur exhibit. How lifelike are these dinosaurs? Camille was a bit hesitant at first, but once she learned they weren't real, she warmed right up. She actually told us this was her favorite animal at the zoo! Ha!

Time for the elephants... these were my favorite as we arrived right in the middle of feeding time. The zoo keeper was feeding the elephants sweet potatoes and carrots. Quite the healthy snack!

Then Camille got to see the lions, which she had been anticipating. The lions were enjoying a nap in the sun, so Camille opted to turn her attention to the lion statue instead.

What a great, long day we had. Camille fell asleep on the walk back and Michael was in the gift shop, but we still attempted a family photo.

We had such a great time and hope to return next year!

Memorial Day 2013

I had been counting down to Memorial Day for quite some time.... mostly because I needed a day off work and a long weekend! The Cox family certainly made the most of our time off and headed to Buffalo Lake for some time with the family and relaxation.

Camille got some time with her cousin Haley too who was down for the weekend!

The temperatures weren't as warm as they've been recently, and the water hadn't quite warmed up, but that didn't stop Camille from wanting to get in the lake! Camille and Daddy lasted about 30 minutes before the teeth chattering took hold.

It was warm enough for a few boat rides and baby pool time though!

Once we got home from the lake on Monday, I wanted an excuse to put off packing for my trip to NYC, so I took Camille to the park for some more play time. While she loves the swings and slides, this time she opted to sit in the rocking chairs and "just relax and talk mommy." She is a girl after my own heart!