A big week - part 2

We drove back to Lexington from Cincinnati on Sunday morning, actually, I drove back since B was a little hungover. This is a BIG DEAL; I kind of quit driving on the highway when my Menier's (vertigo spells) started happening a lot. They have been greatly reduced since I watch my salt intake and quit eating chocolate, so all was good.

Anyway...we finished packing and hit the road to Gatlinburg once B's family arrived (from northwest Ohio). We went with B's parents, Mimi and PawPaw, his sister, Jami, her husband, Marc, and their kids, Lilly and Zach. B drove to Gatlinburg after he rested in the morning. We had a great time. Gatlinburg had plenty to do to keep us all busy.

We went to the Ripley's Aquarium on Monday. It was soooo crowded and Anna screamed almost the entire time. The picture to the left is one of her few happy moments of the day. She loved watching the schooling fish swim by the window. I think it went downhill from there. She wasn't trying to be a royal pain; she was tired and missed her afternoon nap. Once we got outside she calmed down. I was nervous about the rest of the week.

We hung out at the pool on Tuesday. Anna LOVED the pool! This is a picture of her enjoying the waterfall with B. She was tired again so we stretched it as long as we could, but once the screaming and fighting started, we left. I was nervous about Dollywood the next day. I wasn't going to be able to just leave Dollywood and put her down for a nap.

Dollywood day....like I said, I was nervous, what were we going to do if she was screaming and hollering when she got tired? See, she gets so worked up she doesn't know how to calm herself down. Then people stare like, "what are you doing to your baby, lady." I want to say, "clearly, she has a temper, she's tired, her teeth hurt, and she's fine, I didn't pinch her or hit her, I promise :)"

Well, I got the bright idea to give her food after we would buckle her into her stroller - which is when the tantrums usually started. I am so smart! 1 piece of graham cracker, and life was good :) I'm not one to console with food, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. She even fell asleep in her stroller for about an hour. We had so much fun. Dollywood is really nice and clean. Anna got to ride the Merry-go-Round, the Dumbo ride, and cars on a track. She had a great time on the rides! I love that cute little baby, even if she is stubborn and dramatic.

Well, the graham cracker each time she was put in her stroller worked for the rest of the week. I might have created a bad habit, but what are you gonna do? We enjoyed time at the outlet mall, downtown Gatlinburg, and Ober Gatlinburg during the rest of the week. Overall, the vacation was a success and a super time. B's parents said they want to do a family vacation every other year. I don't know where we will go next, but I'm up for it.