Spring Break Pictures Galore

David and John Harrison on "egg" rocker

Catherine and John Harrison rocking in an egg

bottle on the beach

patio outside our room

view of the chaises and cabana outside our room

the "magic" couch (read below)

here comes the train---again...

relaxing before dinner

no, the train isn't coming---John Harrison is just excited

thankfully we brought our own baby snacks :)

fun with dad in the pool at resort #1

steak, chicken, or milk???

twice daily beach walk to get John Harrison to take a nap

We had a lot of fun in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago. I wanted to share a particular experience of the trip that sticks our in my mind. We stayed at two different resorts while we were in the DR. The first resort was by far the biggest resort we have ever stayed at. Because of the VAST size, there was a train ("parada" in Spanish) that transported people around the resort. Ok, I have to clarify---I'm not talking about a choo-choo train on a track. I'm talking about a vehicle outfitted to look like a train that pulls two trailers with bench seats and absolutely no shocks. We soon came to realize that the train was a necessary evil. The first night we were at the resort, John Harrison WOULD NOT go to sleep. We tried and tried to get him to go down...but to no avail. We finally resigned and decided to let him sleep with us instead of sleeping in his crib. However, it wasn't as simple as just bringing him to bed with us. He would not go to sleep --- period --- we tried bottles, we tried bouncing, we tried EVERYTHING! David suggested that we ride the train to see if John Harrison would calm down and go to sleep. The train ride was a bit tense---John Harrison was exhausted and on edge and would start crying every time the train stopped. We were armed with a bottle to give him to coax him to sleep. We got many strange looks from people who were obviously thinking, "These parents are such bad parents to be keeping their baby out so late." Others---a bit toasted from too much alcohol---kept trying to touch the cute baby. Finally, John Harrison went to sleep and about 40 minutes later, after the train made its loop and we were back to our stop, we got off and were able to put John Harrison in our bed and thankfully, he stayed asleep. Here is where things got bad---we created a monster---the next night, I tried relentlessly to get John Harrison to go to sleep with a bottle, which had worked like magic at home. After trying to get our VERY SLEEPY boy to go to sleep for over an hour, we gave in and decided to ride the bumpy train. Again, for the first 15-2o minutes, every time we stopped, John Harrison got very upset and again, at the busy stops, many drunk people got on making loud noise. EVERY NIGHT we had to use the train to get John Harrison to go to sleep. John Harrison absolutely LOVED the train and would start waving his arms up and down and also waving "bye-bye" to the train when it would go by. To get John Harrison to go down for naps, we took walks along the beach. After John Harrison fell asleep, we would then go back to our resort and find some beach chairs and watch the ocean while our baby slept in our arms. The last two nights, we stayed at a different resort---one with no train. I was somewhat concerned that we would not be able to get John Harrison to go to sleep since he was "addicted" to the train. However, at the second resort, instead of being a normal hotel room setup, the room was set up like an apartment---with three separate rooms. We sat on the couch and watched the news while we gave John Harrison his bottle before bed. Magically, he went to sleep no problem. At home, we always sit on the couch and watch tv while we give John Harrison his bedtime bottle. Talk about proof that babies thrive on familiarity!!! We really like the second resort (Paridisus Palma Real)....not just because of the ease in getting John Harrison to sleep. On a serious note, it was our favorite resort that we have ever stayed at. The pools, room, and grounds were absolutely amazing and the ocean and beach were beautiful. We have stayed at resorts with better food (the food was good--don't get me wrong) and much better service, but all things considered, Paradisus was amazing. We were upgraded from a regular suite to one with a covered patio, outside jacuzzi tub (where John Harrison got to take his baths:), patio furniture, and outdoor chaises and a cabana bed. All in all, we had a very fun time and really enjoyed the time together as a family. I have to say that I will never view trains the same.....