Our Weekend at Great Wolf Lodge

Happy Monday friends! We spent the weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia at Great Wolf Lodge and had the absolute best time. Yesterday was my niece's 5th birthday so my whole family made the 3 hour trek for a fun birthday weekend. If you've never heard of Great Wolf Lodge, it's basically a big indoor water park. The perfect place to spend a cold weekend and we all know how much kids love swimming indoors. I was somewhat hesitant about taking an 8 month old but she absolutely loved it and I'm pretty sure she had the most fun out of everyone. She is a total water baby and was fearless, constantly putting her face right in the water spouts. Motherhood definitely changes your idea of a "fun" vacation! Watching her squeal and laugh and smile melted my heart. Here are a few random thoughts about our stay:

Pros:

-The kiddy area was much better than I was expecting. There were water tables, small water slides, lots of spouts and fun colorful buckets. It was about knee deep but was a "zero entry pool" so we could sit her in just a few inches of water so she could splash around.

-The lazy river was a huge hit. Vivi absolutely loved floating around and it was a fun way to "relax".

-The "grown up" slides were so fun! And scary! I was seriously impressed with how intimidating they were to be at a kids water park. There are two slides that fit 4-5 people on a huge round float and you go so dang fast! Then there are two other slides that sit 2 people in a float that are a little less intimidating but still so much fun. My mom happily volunteered to watch Vivi so we could ride all the slides a few times. (p.s. motherhood has made me a chicken! I used to not be scared of anything!)

-There is a bar inside the water park. I guess they knew parents needed alcohol to be able to handle a day at an indoor water park full of screaming kids.

Cons:

-The food and drinks were ridiculously expensive. A beer at the bar mentioned above was like $7.50! We were smart and packed tons of food and drinks. We brought bagels, fruit, deli meat, tons of snacks, and lots of alcohol. Instead of paying a million dollars for a few beers, take a yeti cup and fill that sucker with some cold wine or a beer. Also, we ate dinner off the property. There are lots of restaurants just a few miles away.

-Was this resort the cleanest place I've ever been? No. I didn't necessarily feel dirty staying there but it's definitely no Ritz.

Tips:

-Eat off the property and bring your own food and drinks

-When you check in get a list of activities going on during your stay and plan your day accordingly. There are lots of fun activities for kids during the day like bracelet making, story time, etc.

-Plan to spend a day at Busch Gardens while you're there. We didn't have time this trip but if we ever go back we'd definitely spend a day there since it's right around the corner.

Vivian Kate | 8 months

Sweet Vivi,

Time is flying! Your personality is growing and you are just so much fun. You squeal and bury your face in me when you get excited. I love watching you grow and I can't imagine my life without you in it!

Weight

21 lbs. Big girl!

Sleep

We went through a rough patch in the sleep department last week when she was sick. She woke up multiple times a night and I ended up having to rock her to sleep. I think we are finally back on the right track though. We have a strict bedtime routine. Bottle at 7:15pm, she falls asleep while I rock her, then in the crib she goes. She was waking up at 5:30am for a bottle but we nipped that in the bud. So usually she sleeps 7:15pm-6:30am.

We finally have a somewhat regular nap schedule. She is taking two naps a day. They are usually 9-10:30ish in the morning then 1:30-3:30ish in the afternoon. Sometimes they are shorter and she will take a third short nap late afternoon.

Vivi's pajamas (similar)

Eat

She drinks 5oz every 3ish hours, so typically 25oz a day. She loooves eating and hasn't met a fruit or veggie she doesn't like. She gets solids/purees 3x a day at meal times. We also just started soft finger foods like bananas, kiwis, strawberries, etc. She thinks she is such a big girl feeding herself! I am still making all of her baby food but it is getting hard to keep up because she eats so much! I think this will I am going to give her a scrambled egg and may try peanut butter as well.

Clothes

She is in mostly 12m clothes right now. She has a few 9-12m and they are getting super snug. And 12-18m are still a tad too big.

Vivi's outfit sold out but similar here

Likes

Loves to eat! Her favorites are pears, apples, sweet potatoes, prunes, and mangos. She loves her puffs. Still really enjoys her exersaucer and jumper. She is always content outside so we go on lots of walks. Her very favorite thing to do outside is ride in her ride cruiser car. She thinks she is such a big girl in that thing, it's adorable! She loves sitting on the porch waiting for her daddy to get home from work and her face lights up when we go in her room in the morning.

Dislikes

There aren't many dislikes, thankfully. She doesn't enjoy having her hands and face wiped after she eats. She also doesn't enjoy being in the car for long periods of time (but who does?!). Overall, she has become a very happy baby!

bear beanie

Milestones

You had your first ear infection and cold this month. Not a good milestone but something to document nonetheless. It was so sad! We got home from your baptism and you felt warm so I took your temp and it was 102.6*. I took you to the doctor and they diagnosed you with an ear infection. You never even got fussy... if it weren't for your fever I never would have known! I left you overnight for the first time this month when I went to Key West. It was so hard leaving you and I decided only family vacations from now on :) No signs of crawling yet, you'd prefer for us to carry you everywhere. You are trying to start pulling up on stuff though.

Vivi's pjs sold out but similar here

Where to eat in Key West

I have been trying to get this post together for weeks but #life. I have been to Key West a handful of times and now that we have a family home there, I'm sure there will be countless trips to come.  There are SO many restaurants and tons I haven't been to but I have rounded up my favorites. Whenever I have a trip planned, I love to search blogs for restaurant recommendations so hopefully this will be helpful if you're planning to visit Key West in the future!

Breakfast

Blue Heaven
A Key West landmark and an absolute must for breakfast. Fun fact: Kenny Chesney is a regular at this restaurant! It is a tiny little place where you sit under the palm trees and chickens walk around your feet. The atmosphere is what makes this restaurant unforgettable. The best key lime pie on the island!

Sarabeth's
A quaint restaurant located in a traditional, Key West house. The lunch menu looked delicious but I've only eaten here for breakfast. The french toast was soo yummy!

Two Friends Restaurant

Delicious, huge portions. Nothing fancy. Just good, old fashioned breakfast food.

Lunch

Caroline's
Located right on Duval Street, this is the perfect restaurant to go to for people watching and a good sandwich. Definitely not fancy but delicious fish sandwiches, club sandwiches, salads, etc.

Island Dogs

Located right across the street from Two Friends Restaurant. Grab a table on the front porch and enjoy a bloody mary and nachos. They have live music late afternoon/nights which is a fun touch.

Dinner

Nine One Five

The best dinner I've ever had in Key West. Located at 915 Duval Street, it is the cutest house with a swanky bar and fancy cocktails. If the weather is good you can enjoy your dinner on the porch overlooking Duval Street. The drinks are amazing and the food is top notch. We had roasted brussel sprouts for appetizer and they were out of this world. Then I had spinach lobster ravioli for my meal and I am still dreaming about it.

Conch Republic
Located at the marina. There are no walls so you are "inside" but feel like you're outside. A place to take kids because there is a huge fish tank, you can look at all the boats, and it has a loud atmosphere. Nothing fancy about this restaurant but good fried shrimp, sandwiches, etc.

Roof Top Cafe

A fancier restaurant with yummy food. Delicious shrimp and grits, pastas, and fresh seafood dishes. Sit outside under the trees if the weather is good!

Have you ever been to Key West? What yummy restaurants am I missing?!

Vivian's baptism

The past two weeks have been so busy. My poor blog got neglected but I have been dying to share pictures from Vivi's baptism. She got baptized last weekend at Garrett's family church that he has gone to his entire life. A small, quaint country church that holds so many memories for his family.

Vivi was an absolute angel the entire day. We had pictures done before the service and then went to my in-laws afterwards for brunch with our families. She was so interested in the pastor, it was precious! Right when we handed her over to him she sneezed right in his face. The whole church was dying laughing... it was pretty cute!

Vivian Kate, you are our answered prayer. You are proof that He hears us and knows our heart's deepest desires. I pray that you have a kind heart, treat others the way you want to be treated, and seek Him in all you do. With God in your heart, you can do anything!

All photos by Emilee Craft Photography