Charlotte finally got to see her daddy!!

So Alex left to move to Columbus, GA on February 9, 2012. We met up with him in Greenville, SC on March 8, 2012. He had drill that weekend on Saturday and Sunday in Greenville so Charlotte and I drove up to meet him for a family day the day before his drill weekend. It's 3 hours closer for us to do this rather than drive to Columbus. So we got a hotel room at the Embassy Suites and we sat and waited for Alex to get there.

Finally a few minutes after 8, he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. We met him downstairs so that he could help get a few of the heavy things out of the car. Charlotte didn't quite know what to think when she saw him. It's like she knew who he was but she didn't think he was real. She went right to him and just looked at his face and studied him. She had this closed mouth smile going on the entire time. After about 30 minutes, she started talking to him and started showing him her toys. She was showing off and walking all over the place for him.

The next morning Charlotte woke us up BRIGHT and EARLY at 6am. You could tell Alex doesn't normally have to get up that early...and he thought maybe she would go back to sleep... HAHA.

So we got up and went to breakfast at the "free" breakfast downstairs. Charlotte was in LOVE with the waterfalls and the fish. When she was crabby and all else failed, show her the water...or the "wah wah".

Completely enamored  by the water.

She really thought she was so cool when she tried to look over the side of the balcony.

She thought she was even cooler when she walked down the hallway all by herself.

I chose a hotel with an indoor pool so her and daddy could swim swim swim.

Even though the water LOOKED warm, it was a bit chilly. Alex minded, Charlotte didn't.

This little trick used to scare her... she loves it now.

Another trick...feeling the water on the back of her head when she leaned back. She looooved the pool. She was so cute in it!

After pool time, we got ready and went a ran a few errands. Alex got his mullet turned into the classic Marine Corps haircut. We then went and purchased Charlotte's big girl carseat. Yes, she is still in her infant carrier. We weighed her while we were at the store but she wasn't 20 lbs so I just told Alex we would leave her in the carrier until she reached that weight... It seems like it'll be forever before 20 lbs.

Then we went out to lunch :) Wow she does not like to sit still.

After lunch, a nap, and a few more errands, we went outside to play on the grassy knoll... or whatever it was. Charlotte LOVED it.

She showed off for Daddy a bit.

She climbed on the big white chairs.

Daddy threw her and threw her and threw her...

She laughed and laughed and laughed.

How cute is this picture of her????

Mommy even handed the camera over for a few minutes... yes, that's me. No, it's not a buffalo...they don't have thumbs.

Since we worked up a thirst playing, we went and enjoyed the "free" Happy Hour. Charlotte included... They are drive each other to drink.... Kidding...

More pool time after dinner!!!

They were tasting the water. I should have taken pictures of the other fine specimen swimming around in the water. No one else would have drank the water if they had seen who else was swimming in this pool. Gross.

Alex was teaching her a bit about swimming. That expression is her "thinking" face."

After swimming, it was shower and bedtime. Alex had to leave the hotel the next morning at 6 am. When his alarm went off at 5:30, Charlotte sat straight up in bed like she was ready to take on the world :) "Goodbye" was pretty sad. We are used to him being away once a month, but we are used to seeing him just ONE DAY in a month.

The only good part of her being up that early was that she slept from the time we left Greenville until we reached North Charleston. That part was perfection :) I got a fairly quiet ride, even though I was exhausted.