Myrtle Beach

The week before last, Marino and I headed down to Myrtle Beach. We had planned a trip with Jen and the kids but they have some difficult things their family is dealing with right now and couldn't make it. We missed them! But they very generously let us stay at their family's condo, which is just amazing. The resort where the condo is located is so beautiful and quiet. It's really just so peaceful there...you never even hear people talking unless you go to the pool (which is always stocked with playmates for the kids).

I don't have a ton of pictures from our trip (by my standards at least), since we spent most of our days in the water (pool and beach).

On Saturday, my friend Chandra and her daughter Hannah were able to come up from Atlanta and visit with us. Chandra and I worked together for several years in Atlanta and we hadn't seen each other since we both had babies (just a few months apart). It was great to see her and meet the adorable Hannah!

We had a rainy day on Saturday, so after swimming in the pool (in the rain), we headed over to Broadway and let the kids go crazy on the rides.

Marino riding the train with Chandra and Hannah.
Can you tell he liked this train ride?!


In this picture, he's showing me the "awesome" palm tree "with spikes on it".

Sunday was the perfect beach day. We went out early in the morning before the crowds and enjoyed the waves.
...and the sand



Marino kept telling me "the waves are kicking me!"


It was super humid (the whole time we were in SC). My camera lens kept fogging up!
Marino loved the tide pools.

Another early morning on the beach (our last day). Marino loved having so much sand to play in!
Most of our vacation it was just Marino and I and it was a good bonding experience.

He's good company!

Unfortunately, we both ended up with a cold shortly after we got there. This triggered Marino's asthma, and we ended up needing to go to the ER briefly because he was having chest retractions. I knew he just needed oral steroids, but it wasn't like I could just pop over to the pediatrician. The ER gave him a double dose of prednisone and a breathing treatment and by the middle of that night, he was breathing much easier.