Carolina in Maya's mind

Dear Maya,

Mommy didn't post last week because we were too busy having fun on our trip to North Carolina!

We left after dinner on the 22nd and drove all night so you could sleep in the car. We got to Grandma and Poppa Stan's house at about 6:30am, just in time for you to eat breakfast and get into daytime play mode. Luckily Grandma and Poppa Stan obliged as Mommy and Daddy were tired!

We hung out for a day of beautiful weather and fun. Grandma bought you a cute pair of shoes when we went for a ride around the local area. That night after dinner, we all took a walk down to the end of their road. Grandma says she's gauged it at exactly a half mile and you walked all but about 50 feet of it yourself!

The next day we got up and drove four or five hours to visit Grandpa. When we got there he took you and Mommy for a walk while Daddy rested. There's a dock and small beach out behind his condo and luckily we got some playtime in before it started to rain.  

"Mr. Ouch" used to live at your great-great-grandparents' house and when Mommy was a little girl
she was afraid to stick her hand in his mouth lest he bite her. You're a bit braver, I guess. :)

The next day Grandpa took us to Airlie Gardens in Wilmington. We saw so many beautiful blooming flowers and trees and some lovely birds, too. Your favorite part seemed to be running along the patch of tulips that were as tall as you, giving each one a gentle squeeze without damaging it. Whew!

The next day we said goodbye to Grandpa and headed to Durham. There we visited our friend Aidan, his lovely wife Keiko and their new son, Ruarc. The baby is adorable, but you seemed to better enjoy the company of their cats. Mommy and Daddy loved snuggling a newborn again and chatting with our old friends.

After a long night at Aidan and Keiko's house (their 9-week old was so much quieter during the night and early morning than you were), we headed back to Grandma and Poppa Stan's for the rest of our visit. The weather was cooler than at the beginning of our trip, but we still had a ball at the beach in the Outer Banks.

 

 

Another day we took the ferry over to the Mackay Wildlife Refuge where we saw lots of different birds. The rest of our time was spent going to thrift stores (your wardrobe is ever-expanding), relaxing, and enjoying our time with Grandma and Poppa Stan. You really thrived at their house with new skills (walking down a small step), new songs (recognizably singing a Japanese song about tulips) and new habits (giving out lots of spontaneous hugs--Poppa Stan being the most frequent recipient) to show for it.

Your first real ponytail!

One other new 'skill' is your "What you talkin'  'bout Willis?" face.

We drove home during the day and although you were well-behaved, it was a bit hairy thanks to our GPS sending us into Manhattan. We got home safely, though, but wish we could have stayed longer. You must feel the same, as your mood has been off since we got home. Hopefully our next trip to North Carolina isn't too far off and we'll get to see everyone again soon. Thanks so much to Grandma and Poppa Stan, Grandpa, and Aidan, Keiko and Ruarc for making our stay so enjoyable and memorable. Love to you all!

P.S. Your new food list these two weeks is extensive, including but not limited to: hushpuppies, fried okra, strawberries, potato salad, hamburger, flounder, Fig Newtons, croissants, popsicles and your first kid's meal--a grilled cheese and apple slices from Dairy Queen.