Hello, Hamptons!

Dear Sawyer,

The last time Daddy and I went to the Hamptons, it was for our babymoon and GuhGaw was still a baby growing in my belly. Fast forward 6 years later and we returned to the Hamptons last week with our three kids! We even stayed at the same hotel (though we kind of had to, considering it's the only one in Southampton) and it was fun revisiting the places we'd first gone to before you and your siblings were born--La Parmigiana, Tate's Bake Shop, The Golden Pear. Southampton hasn't changed much and many of the same restaurants and shops we went to before are still there.

But of course, the main draw during our vacation--then and now--was the beach. GuhGaw and JieJie have been to beaches several times but this time, they were very scared of the crashing waves and terrified to walk into the ocean. Not you! This was your first time at the beach and you loved it! You were fascinated by the crashing waves and wanted to walk into the ocean; I actually had to pull you back a few times because the waves were way over your head. You laughed when the waves came in and beamed when the water washed over your feet. The first time JieJie went to the beach, she was terrified of the sand and refused to sit or stand on it. The first time you went to the beach, I plopped you down on the sand and you didn't even bat an eye but just started playing with the sand as if you'd done so a thousand times. When GuhGaw first encountered sand as a baby, he kept trying to eat it. You knew better and didn't even attempt it once, though you did keep putting sand-covered toys in your mouth (ugh).

We were in the Hamptons for five days and you actually had a somewhat rough vacation. At dinner one night, you were sitting in your high chair when you pushed your feet against the table. You and the whole high chair fell backward and before Daddy or I could catch you, you hit your head on the floor. The next day at the beach, Daddy dug a large sandpit, which served as a makeshift playard for you. You were outside of the sandpit at one point, crawled toward it and then fell face first into it and got a mouth full of sand. I wiped the sand off your face with a wet wipe but then forgot to reapply sunblock, so you got a little sunburned. And you did not get to nap as much as you needed to since we were out at the beach all day every day and it wasn't super peaceful with all of the people and kids there. But despite all those hiccups, at least you did really love the beach!

Love,
Mom