My Seashore Baby

“Seashore Baby.” It was the first book I bought for Eloise before we even knew she was Eloise. I was 8  months pregnant and miserable, wandering through a book store…my happy place…trying to avoid the absurd summer heat and distract myself from feeling huge. For the first time I discovered the wonder of the children’s section. This little board book caught my eye immediately and, if I’m going to be honest, brought tears to my eyes. It was a window into my dream of someday enjoying the beach, my favorite place in the entire world, with my future family. Splashing in the waves, laughing, taking long, relaxing walks, exploring, reconnecting. So, of course, I bought “Seashore Baby” so I could start brainwashing Eloise the minute she was born  to love the beach as much as I do. I guess it worked. Last week Mike and I had the chance to live the dream. (For real this time, after an attempt that somewhat failed nearly 6 months ago due to a tummy bug and diaper rash.) We had been planning this getaway to Hilton Head Island with my parents, a chance to escape and relax together after my sister’s (beautiful, beautiful, perfect) wedding for years, and it was just great. The weather was lovely and Eloise had an absolute blast. It’s hard to say whether she liked the pool or beach better. She got a huge kick out of motoring around the pool in her float, “winking” at us (her newest trick!) and splashing around. But the waves in the ocean brought a smile to her face like we have never seen. The bigger the wave, the more she giggled. Dream realized. We ate way too much great seafood and ice-cream, spent the 4th of July in Charleston, bought Ellie her first baseball cap (kind of a right of passage in my family!)and shared a lot of laughs. It was so special to see Ellie’s connection with her Vovo and Vu deepen over that week and we will be forever grateful to have had that time. This little trip left us all wondering, “When can we come back?!”