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Going to the beach in Mexico

If you’re feeling like going on a fun weekend or day trip to Mexico, try Rocky Point.  It’s about 3 and a half hours from Phoenix, which is nice.  Before you go though, there’s some things you should know.  First, Mexico does not recognize American insurance, so you must get Mexican auto insurance if you think you might get broken into and want to file a claim.  You get charged determined on your type and year of vehicle, what states you will drive in, the value of your vehicle, and the length of time you pan to be there.  Insurance for our 2015 Grand Caravan cost us about $35 for one day.  We got ours online at AAA, but I’m sure there’s a lot of other places you can get it from, including the last few towns in Arizona that you pass through.

Second, have some Pesos on hand.  You’re a couple hours into Mexico, so they don’t take U.S. dollars without some persuasion.

Third, GPS got us there, but not home.  We have T-mobile, and we didn’t have any internet connection anywhere, so GPS wouldn’t connect.  Have your return directions pre-downloaded so you don’t have a panic like I did!  (My husband, thankfully, remembered the first few directions we needed).

Number four, the main road is pretty good, but if you get off the beaten path at all it’s a mess!  Dirt roads, trash and broken glass everywhere, train cars that double as people’s homes, shanty towns, pot holes bigger than a laundry basket, and people walking all over the streets trying to sell stuff.  There was a parade that shut down the major street the day we went, or else we wouldn’t have gone onto other streets, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it, unless you choose to go on an adventure!

Look closely and you'll see the condition of the road

There was a large parking area where you could park for 6 pesos that was really close to the beach, so that’s where we headed.  There were shops on the walk to the beach where they sold fruity drinks, and then on the beach they were selling blankets, jewelry, beach toys and sunglasses.  It was an absolutely gorgeous beach at the base of a hotel, protected in a little cove so the waves never got too big.  There was an area just above us where 4 wheelers were going over sand dunes, and there were also horses to ride, but neither the horses nor the 4 wheelers came onto the beach where we were. We picked up shells, dug holes, waded in the water, which was a pleasant temperature, and took a few walks up the beach.  I didn’t feel like we were in danger, but I did carry the bag with our wallets, phones, and passports with me on our walks, and kept it within arms reach at all times, just in case.  I’m just kind of paranoid I guess, because I do that no matter where we are.  We didn’t get to the beach until 1:00 or 2:00ish, so we only had a few hours before it started to get dark, and I wish we would have left home earlier so we could have had more time to play.

  

Lastly, you must have a passport or a passport card to get back into the United States.  There are 3 different checkpoints we went through, one where they checked our passports, and 2 where they just looked in the car.  Just have your documents ready and you’ll be fine.

yeesh!

Wow, it's been a while.... I"ll update soon.  Is anyone even reading this anymore?

Update

I discovered the importance of bumper pads in the crib after Ivan started rolling.  Don't worry, we use the mesh kind.

We took a little trip to San Antonio so Benjamin could take the MCAT, and also toured around for a few days.  Our little babe loves riding around in his stroller and seeing new things.

We went to Mission Concepcion,

and the Alamo.  I'm glad we decided to see it despite the advice we got to skip it, because it was pretty cool.  Although, I did experienced my first "shut your kid up" stares when he was crying during a History Channel film.  My poor little guy was hungry and I couldn't get covered up with a blanket to feed him fast enough for his liking.

On the same trip we went to a Safari where we drove around and fed animals out our car windows.  Ivan loved it, especially the part where he got to get naked for a diaper change.

He's our cute little marshmallow baby.

They also had a petting zoo area where Ivan got to pet the baby goats.

At one of our classes in the city we met a mom and a her sweet little girl, Charlie, who is 4 days younger than Ivan.  They loved each other.  Ivan kept trying to eat her dress, and they patted each other's heads and held hands...and then Charlie put bother her hands on Ivan's shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, and Ivan freaked out.  We have a play date on Friday though, so I'm excited to see how that goes.

Future Missionary.  As you can see, he's very excited about it!My baby and my honey taking a nap together.  I told Benjamin that Ivan sleeps best if he knows you're close by, so as you can see, Benjamin made sure Ivan knew that he was there.  *swoon*  I love them!!

We had a photo shoot the other day with TinyMite's Photography, and I thought I would give you a little treat and show you a few of them.

Those teeth!

 It's like a dream!  I love our little family!

 Look at those eyes!!!   Oooh I love him!

 This one is my absolute favorite!  That sweet face!!!!!

 We wanted to have a memory of his favorite toys at this time; his giraffe, and his blankie.

 You're welcome!

Almost 5 months!!!

Our sweet little baby is getting SO big!  Here is a comparison for ya!

I was worried that Ivan's head was getting a little flat in the back and since his squishable little legs get stuck in the Bumbo, my mom suggested he sit in a box.  He didn't hate it too much.  Also, he can now reach for and grab things, like the rattle!!

These little blankies are Ivan's new favorite.  He pulls them up over his face at night and it totally freaks me out!

We flew to Utah just after Spring Break for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary.  We were lucky enough to get window seats, which we all loved!  Our baby was a fantastic flyer.

 Ivan got to meet some new friends while we were in Utah!  Just after this photo was taken Ivan scooched over and started licking Henry's head.

 We were lucky enough to have breakfast with Grandpa Fritz and Grandma Shauna.  He loved them, even though he doesn't look like it.

 We also got to stop and visit my Grandma, Ivan's Great-Grandma!  She's starting to get a little...forgetful, so I'm glad we got to stop and say hello!

 Grandma and Paul, who made Ivan giggle and giggle and giggle!  Speaking of which, his giggle is SO precious!!

 My mom and Dad!!!  Sadly, Ivan wasn't used to being around so many people so he was kind of a crab the whole weekend.  Mom and Dad still loved him though!

 Ivan sat in the high chair!  Granted, he had to be tied in (notice his favorite blankie) and only lasted a couple minutes before he got squashed, but still!

 Our celebration for Mom and Dad's 50th!  This is almost the whole family-just a few are missing.

 My brothers and sisters from oldest to youngest

 And, our little tiny family.  Look at that baby's face!!!

 Our pediatrician said that we could start feeding Ivan solids at 4 months, but with all the reading I've been doing we decided to wait until 6 months instead (that, and I'm not ready to stop exclusively breastfeeding).  However, Ivan keeps reaching for our utensils, watching us eat, and the other day he even grabbed my Gatorade bottle and stuck it in his mouth.

So, we tried rice cereal.  He gobbled it up, but promptly threw it up about 10 minutes later and fussed for the rest of the night.  needless to say, we haven't tried again.

As for sleeping, we went from a 5 hour stretch at night between feedings back to 2 hours during a growth spurt, and it hasn't gone back.  Also, we rearranged our room so the crib is no longer right next to the bed.  Ivan seems fine with it, but it's hard for me.  I miss having him close.  Jeez, I never thought I'd be that mom that can't let the kid move on... I'm gonna have to really watch that.

And finally, the first diaper blowout that got clear up into his hair.  Poor baby!

Oh how I love being this baby's mom!!!

Skin and bone to chubby rolls in 1...2...3

My sweet baby is now 3 months old!  Where did the time go!?!?!?  As you can see, he's grown quite a bit... he started at 6lbs 9.5oz, and now weighs 14lbs 11oz

We got a stroller, thanks to Fritz and Shauna who sent a giftcard, and Ivan loved his first walk out in the snow!

 

We went to a friend's house where they were making bows for their little girl's hair, so Ivan and I made bowties... I think he likes them.

And my favorite thing so far?  My sweet baby learned to smile and giggle!!!!!!!

 Oh, how I love this sweet boy!!!!!!!