Football & Fairy Tales The McSwains: Maui

I am going to try to update the blog with some stories and pictures periodically while we are here so I don't miss any fun details. Speaking of details - I write this blog for 2 purposes - to keep friends and family up to date with what is going on in our lives and to use when I create our yearly book. Sometimes I put a lot of detail about things that probably don't matter to most of you - but they are things I want to remember when I look back at this in the years to come...so bear with me and all of my random details! We're having a great time! So...here goes:

DEPARTURE DAY

We stayed up way too late on Monday night watching the series finale of Lost & 24 and then got up at 7:15am EST on Tuesday morning to get ourselves ready to leave for the airport. The plan was to leave our house by 9:15am so we could get to the airport around 10am. My family is known for being late, so we were all a little surprised (especially Ryan) when we pulled out of the driveway at 9:15am on the dot! Ryan Fetz drove us down to the Atlanta airport in the Yukon with all of us and all of our luggage. We barely fit! Meredith, Patrick and I had to SQUEEZE in the third row seat and we had 3 bags on our laps. It was not the most comfortable of trips, but we made it!

We got through security just fine and before we knew it, our flight to Salt Lake City was boarding. The flight was just at 4 hours and Madison Claire did such an amazing job!! Ryan and I had been really nervous before we left about her on the plane so I was prepared with a bag of new toys she hadn't yet seen (thanks to Anne!), a portable DVD player with Blues Clues (thanks to Gary!) and a roll of toilet paper (she loves unrolling it) among other things. I didn't even have to open my bag of tricks on this flight. She was a little angel - playing with each of us and even taking about an hour and a half nap on MiMi.

When we landed in Salt Lake, I noticed that our flight to LA was fairly open so was able to switch my seat so that I was next to an empty seat to give us a little more room. The problem was, I was about 3 rows up from the rest of the family. Madison Claire did great on this flight as well until we started our descent into LAX. The plane wasn't pressurized very well so she screamed the entire time. It was heartbreaking - there was just nothing we could do to help her. I tried to get her to drink something, anything but she would have none of it. I even offered my Diet Coke which she usually loves! Mom came up to sit next to me to try to help but it was pointless - the poor punkie was just so pitiful. Once we landed though, she was just fine!

We noticed that there were 2 or 3 open seats on our flight to Maui but based on the last experience, we decided it would be better to all stay together so I had some help with MC. I was starting to feel really good about it given how great she had been on the previous 2 flights. Big Mistake!!! The flight to Maui was a total disaster. Ryan estimates that she cried for a total of about an hour and a half during the 6 hour flight. She was SO tired but she just wouldn't let herself fall asleep. She only wanted me so I didn't get any sleep either. I knew as soon as we finally landed that she would be out before we even made it to baggage claim but somehow she was still wide awake for another 2 hours. We finally made it to the hotel at about 10:30pm Maui time which was 4:30am EST. We had technically been up for 21 hours and I am not lying when I say that Madison Claire slept a total of about 2 hours during that entire 21 hour time period.

As we were driving to the hotel, I told Ryan that I wasn't going to get upset about our room at the Westin as long as they fulfilled my request for 2 double beds (me, Ryan & Meredith are in one room and mom, dad & Patrick are in another). Every other time I've been here I've always felt frustrated because I'm Platinum with Starwood and they never give us any room upgrades. Wouldn't you know that I walk up to the front desk to check in and the lady working, Grace, says "oh, Mrs. McSwain, I was just working on your reservation...I have 2 options for you and wanted to see which you would prefer". She proceeded to put us in 2 Oceanfront Suites!! I just couldn't believe it...seriously, right after I told Ryan that I wasn't going to even ask about an upgrade! So we got 2 great rooms and I'm super excited about it....and about the 2 weeks to come! It's going to be a fun, crazy ride! Here are some pictures from the flights:

The one time she actually slept

Playing trivia on the screen with daddy

Now that is my child - Diet Coke & Cheetos - what else could a girl want?

Family photo at LAX

MC with all of the luggage

DAY ONE

We are finally here!! Praise the LORD! Madison Claire woke up at 5am and was WIDE AWAKE!! Hopefully she will adjust a little better to the time change after a day or so. We were all pretty tired because of the long trip yesterday, but got up and headed out to our favorite breakfast place, the Gazebo, for breakfast. We had the best breakfast (the white chocolate macadamia nut pancakes are the absolute best!) and then all crashed as soon as we got back to the hotel. We all slept until about 11am and then headed out to the pool. I didn't think we would be able to find a place to sit because this is my 7th time to this hotel (I know...I am beyond spoiled...and extremely grateful) and every other time it has been so crowded that you can't find 2 chairs together after 9am, much less 6! To our surprise, there were tons of open chairs!!! This is definitely the time of year to come to Maui! We had fun laying out by the pool and Madison Claire chilled out in the stroller in the shade. We introduced her to the strawberry smoothies here at the Westin (they are the BEST) and to a shaved ice. She loved them both so we are thinking she may gain a few pounds while we are here. (Unfortunately, all of us will likely gain a few pounds too!)

The biggest challenge of the day came during her afternoon nap time. I tried to put her down and she just screamed bloody murder. She only wanted me and specifically wanted me to be holding her. The second I would put her down she would loose it. I swear - it seems like she has cried more in the past 48 hours than she has her entire first year of life! I ended up having to leave after about an hour because I just couldn't take it anymore. I left her with Ryan and I went and did my Pure Barre DVD with Meredith. When I came back, I found them both asleep on the bed - with Madison peacefully happy in Ryan's arms. It was so precious!!!

We were going to go to our favorite place, Sansei, for dinner on our first night but someone had rented it out for a party so we ended up going into the Lahaina town to Bubba Gumps instead. We had a great time! Here are some pictures from today:

Posing with Daddy at his favorite breakfast place - the Gazebo!

What a big girl!

Waiting patiently with mommy

Action shot waiting for breakfast at the Gazebo

Being loved on by Meredith & Patrick

My first taste of a Maui Strawberry Smoothie...YUM!!

So yum in fact that I won't stop sucking on the straw

And when I do stop, I quickly say "more, more"

And go back to drinking the best thing ever!

Getting ready to swim

One...two...three....Mrs. Kennette would be proud!

Lounging on mommy...she only wanted to be on me

Trying my first shaved ice

Yum...this is better than normal ice

Wanting to grab it all with her hands

Succeeding in grabbing it and then eating it with her hands

Realizing it is easier with her mouth

Just chilling in the stroller

Falling asleep with daddy on the bed

Gonzo...

Happy at dinner

Dancing to the music

More dancing

The gang at Bubba Gumps

Madison Claire and Aunt Mere with the shrimp

The only way I will sleep is with my mommy laying next to me (HELP!!)

DAY TWO

Today was a much better day. We were all a little more adjusted to the time change and were able to make it through the day without feeling too groggy. Madison Claire woke up at 6am and was wide awake. At least that is an hour better than yesterday. Ryan and I took her and went back to the Gazebo for breakfast. We didn't get there until 7:45 so had to wait a good 45 minutes to an hour before we were able to be seated. MC was pretty fussy during the wait...she is going to need to learn patience as she gets older! It was well worth the wait though...as always!!

Her morning napping didn't go so well...she screamed and screamed and only wanted me (once again...to my dismay). I finally just left the room to go down to the pool but had a really hard time relaxing because I knew that Ryan was up there with her by himself and that she was so unhappy :(. Oh the joys of motherhood. After about an hour, Ryan called my cell phone and said that she wasn't any better so we brought her down to the pool and she had fun with us down there. Mom took her for the afternoon nap and she did okay.

We were all really excited for dinner tonight because we were going to Sansei - our FAVORITE place on the island! We had a great meal - it never disappoints - and then headed home to put the punkie brewster to bed. She fell asleep on me but everytime I tried to lay her in the pack-n-play she would scream. Finally we just decided to put her in the bed between me and Meredith and let her sleep with us. BIG MISTAKE!! Meredith and I didn't sleep well at all...we'll have to think of another plan for tomorrow. Here are some pictures from today:

At the Gazebo trying to get a shot of both of us

That's better!

By the pool....getting MC to keep that hat on is a CHORE!

Love this little face!

So happy to be with Mommy!

The view from our room

On our way to dinner

In line with Papa Steve

Giving fist pumps

Into everything...shocker!

Our favorite...Sansei!!

DAY THREE

Today was another beautiful day! Madison Claire woke up at 6am and sweet Ryan took her out of the room for an hour so Meredith and I could sleep. Neither one of us slept very well last night because Madison Claire was in the bed with us. Once Ryan got back around 7am, we went to CJs Deli for breakfast with everyone and then headed back to the Westin to hit the pools. Mom took Madison Claire so she wouldn't see me leave and mom stayed with her all morning while she napped in the bed. She slept for a good 2 hours though, praise the Lord!!

Once she woke up, Ryan, Meredith, MC and myself went to Maui Tacos for lunch and then came back for some pool time. By the time we got MC in the pool, she was tired again, so she wasn't much fun today. We did take her under the pool waterfall and down a kiddie slide in the pool but she wasn't too sure about either one. Mom took her again for her afternoon nap, so Ryan and I got to lay out by the pool and relax pretty much all day...it was AWESOME!

Tonight, we went into Lahaina for dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise and then for ice cream at Scoops...yum! We have a new strategy for Madison Claire tonight to try to help her sleep. We took down the Pack-n-play and asked the hotel for a crib. We took the mattress out of the crib and laid it on the floor over in the corner. I was able to lay down with her on that little mattress until she fell asleep and then I could get up and get in my big bed. So far, so good...hopefully she will sleep well all night! We are excited for Sarah & Ryan to get here tomorrow night and share their news about the sex of little Baby Fetz! Here are some pictures from today: