There's A Human in the Human Tank: A November 2011 Trip Report

So here we are, it’s June, and I’m just now getting around to posting our Thanksgiving trip report. Sigh.

I was MIA on the boards for the first few months of the year mostly due to chaos and craziness at work. Don’t those people know that’s when I get most of my trip reporting done?! While work has slowed down quite a bit since the first of April, we have remained crazy busy at home. We bought and moved into our house in mid-December so quite a bit of time has went into all that that entails, from painting, to making curtains, decorating, purchasing new furniture, etc. But that’s not the only thing that’s kept us busy…

Because, you see, there’s a human in the human tank!


IMG_2559.jpg



And well, we’ve been doing our best to prepare for the little one over the course of the last few months. So, please forgive me, my time has been spent nesting, buying every adorable baby item I see, and designing/pinning the cutest nursery on the planet.

The details...
- The little monkey is a boy, and we’re keeping his name a secret for now. But rest assured, he does have one!
- I’m at the end of my 37th week… ACK! That means, full-term. So really, he’ll be here any day now.
- He’s due to arrive on July 2nd and he’ll likely be introduced to the world via Instagram! Brett’s account, or mine, you never know.

We’re already planning his first Disney trip. You know, because that’s the first thing you do when you find out you’re having a baby! Granted, after doing the math, it became apparent that he actually came home with us at the conclusion of our Food & Wine Festival trip last fall. And he’s returned twice since, which leads us to this particular trip report – so let’s get to it.

This time around it’s not just Mr. and Mrs. Hollybelle, but Mama and Papa Hollybelle, as well! Also known as Kim and Rick! Here we all are, on one of our previous vacations, at the famed Maho Beach in St. Maarten:

IMG_3676.jpg


We planned this trip around Thanksgiving because it gave us some vacation days to work with. With Brett’s current job, he gets next to no time off, so we’ve begun to find ourselves at the mercy of ridiculous holiday pricing when it comes to booking vacations. Initially, we had made our reservations for Port Orleans French Quarter, but without an AP rate, the price was a little tough to swallow. So when my mom came across a rock bottom deal for the Dolphin, we jumped on it and switched resorts.

As has been the case with a few of my last reports, this one is going to be heavy on the photos and light on text. Heck, I’m doing good to remember which parks we went to on which days.

So, as the anticipation over upcoming summer vacays mounts, is everyone ready for a healthy dose of holiday spirit and Christmas decoration?! :cool:
 

LuvsTheMouse

Active Member
Hi Holly!!!(waves)
Congratulations, again!!! It was so good to see both you & Brett in February. Great trip report as always. I wish you well for the delivery. Can't wait to see the pictures. Enjoy every moment, as they grow up way too fast!
 

joanna71985

Well-Known Member
I totally forgot to mention this in my introductions, but your comment about my night shots reminded me... I upgraded! Ginger has a big brother now, his name is Monstro. I treated myself to an early Christmas present last year and purchased a Canon 7D. :D Seeing as how my ISO capabilities went from maxing out at 1600 to maxing out at 6400, I'd say that made a big difference in the night and low light photos. So, thank you for noticing!! While I'm fully in the "the camera doesn't do all the work" camp, upgrading bodies has allowed me to get some shots that I couldn't have otherwise gotten with my former set up.

The nursery isn't quite done yet. My mom and I (mostly my mom) are making all the bedding/curtains/fabric-related pieces, and we've run into a couple snafus along the way. All the essentials are there, but once I get it fully put together I plan to write up a blog post with lots of pictures (and maybe even submit it to Apartment Therapy). I promise to come back to this thread and link to it for anyone who is interested

Ooo, very nice! Welcome Monstro!

And definitely interested!
 

lovenerds2012

Active Member
I LOVE YOUR LEGGINGS! And yes, I know what you mean about it being ok to wear them in the World but not in the world....I do the same thing with my bright green Crocs covered with Disney Jibbitz!!!!!
 

erstwo

Well-Known Member
All caught up! Hoping you have time to finish the next one before the little man makes an appearance. :D Love your trip reports.

Also love that you got the Donald 'baby' plush and you are having a boy! What a great coincidence. :)

Can't wait to 'see' your little guy. Praying for a safe delivery. (and PS, don't listen to the delivery horror stories everyone feels compelled to tell 36+ weeks preggo ladies........ all will be well. LOL)
 

Ariel484

Well-Known Member
Just checked and they did end up updating it today... Goofy is at 82%, the full at 61%, and the half at 54%. Looks like I may have to make a decision before I'm ready to. I was hoping to get to the end of the summer and into a routine before I gauged how much training I could fit into my new schedule. As much as I want to do the full, I may end up going for the half to be on the safe side.

All along I have been sort of thinking that the full is going to sell out sooner than in previous years purely due to it being the 20th anniversary (special course, special medal, special 20th mile surprise, etc.). I feel like you probably won't need to actually pull the trigger until it's 80-90% full though. I could be wrong though.

Ginger is still in the fam. I contemplated selling her, but just couldn't do it. In fact, she's sitting on a side table in our den with my Sigma 30 permanently attached. I have a feeling the combination of she and Monstro will come in very handy when this baby arrives. Being able to keep the fixed focus lens on one camera will probably result in more variety in my pictures, seeing as I won't have to go to the trouble to change out lenses as often.

So funny that you linked to YHL... their blog has remained a staple in my blog reader for some time now - I'm a big fan of their writing style as much as anything else. As far as photo projects go... I do have one in mind and hope I can carry it out, but we'll see. I'd like to attempt a picture a day for the first year (all different types of every day things to keep it as real as possible) - a 365 project, if you will!

LOVE YHL! :D I discovered them sometime in the fall and they really are quite inspiring to read. I mean, I definitely do not have the confidence (or time - it's easier when blog DIY is your full-time job) to, say, pull off a full bathroom renovation without the pros like they did (boy would I love to be able to though)...but they certainly have motivated me to try to take on more things around the house and to put a little more effort into decorating. Some areas of our house still look pretty bland, like just-out-of college kids live there...except we've been out of college for 5-6 years now! o_O Reading YHL has made me realize it's time to make it look like a house owned by 2 adults, ya know?!

Wow, a 365 project! I hope you can pull it off. It seems like the kind of thing that would definitely take some work and planning, but I bet you would be so glad that you did it a few years down the line. How fun!
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hi Holly!!!(waves)
Congratulations, again!!! It was so good to see both you & Brett in February. Great trip report as always. I wish you well for the delivery. Can't wait to see the pictures. Enjoy every moment, as they grow up way too fast!

Diane?! I feel honored... you posted!! :D Thanks again - I enjoyed running into you and Jess, not once, but twice on our last trip!

Ooo, very nice! Welcome Monstro!

And definitely interested!

I'll be sure to come back with a link then!

I LOVE YOUR LEGGINGS! And yes, I know what you mean about it being ok to wear them in the World but not in the world....I do the same thing with my bright green Crocs covered with Disney Jibbitz!!!!!

Yay! You totally get where I'm coming from. I'm fully aware that the outer world doesn't truly understand our collective Disney obsession. So, I have no desire to be "that person."

All caught up! Hoping you have time to finish the next one before the little man makes an appearance. :D Love your trip reports.

Also love that you got the Donald 'baby' plush and you are having a boy! What a great coincidence. :)

Can't wait to 'see' your little guy. Praying for a safe delivery. (and PS, don't listen to the delivery horror stories everyone feels compelled to tell 36+ weeks preggo ladies........ all will be well. LOL)

Oh no... with certainty, the little man will be arriving before the next trip report! Haven't even started on it yet. But it WILL get posted at some point.

The plush decision was narrowed down to Donald and Goofy because Minnie was way too girly, and Mickey was all boy. And they don't have a rattle butt version of Pluto (sad face). Of course, on our February trip we acquired a big fluffy Pluto. I just couldn't help myself. ;)

Thank you so much for the non-scary words of encouragement! They are much appreciated.

All along I have been sort of thinking that the full is going to sell out sooner than in previous years purely due to it being the 20th anniversary (special course, special medal, special 20th mile surprise, etc.). I feel like you probably won't need to actually pull the trigger until it's 80-90% full though. I could be wrong though.

Agreed. I think it will taper for awhile, until we get closer to the next price increase.

LOVE YHL! :D I discovered them sometime in the fall and they really are quite inspiring to read. I mean, I definitely do not have the confidence (or time - it's easier when blog DIY is your full-time job) to, say, pull off a full bathroom renovation without the pros like they did (boy would I love to be able to though)...but they certainly have motivated me to try to take on more things around the house and to put a little more effort into decorating. Some areas of our house still look pretty bland, like just-out-of college kids live there...except we've been out of college for 5-6 years now! o_O Reading YHL has made me realize it's time to make it look like a house owned by 2 adults, ya know?!

Wow, a 365 project! I hope you can pull it off. It seems like the kind of thing that would definitely take some work and planning, but I bet you would be so glad that you did it a few years down the line. How fun!

I found an old dresser at a consignment shop and completely refinished/painted it to use as a changing table in the nursery and I followed one of the YHL tutorials to make it happen. Worked like a charm!

I know what you mean about having areas that look "bland" - for us, it's a matter of picking and choosing what we can spend the money on each month. Plus, I have all these grand ideas in my head, but it's hard to find (reasonable) pieces that fit my vision, you know? But we've tried to prioritize a bit when it comes to the big things. It's the little things though, like funky furniture pieces, lamps, and throw pillows that really make it come together and the cost of that stuff adds up fast!

I'm pretty determined to make this photo project happen... and I'm hoping that it stretches me creatively to try new and different things. I think it would be so cool to have a blurb book in the end that chronicles the day-in/day-out growth that happens over one year.
 

diddy_mouse

Well-Known Member
Sad that your report is over but I know another is just over the horizon. ^_^

I must say I loved seeing shots around the Swan and Dolphin. I have always considered staying here because of my love for Epcot and I almost booked for August, but went with Coronado Springs instead. (Found a really good discount!)

Once again, I hope you have a safe and speedy delivery! My cousin and his wife welcomed their first (a boy!) on Father's Day which was a pretty awesome gift for him. I swear with everyone getting ready to, or having babies this year I can feel my clock ticking! :eek: [insert laughing smiley here]
 

lbrad

Well-Known Member
Holly ... loved your TR ( as always)!!!
Our nursery was ALL "Disney Baby" *sigh ... where did the time go???
Our "babies" are now in college ... YIKES!!!
Treasure every moment <3
Best wishes for you, Brett & the little guy ;)
 

angieandtrevor

Active Member
I'm pretty determined to make this photo project happen... and I'm hoping that it stretches me creatively to try new and different things. I think it would be so cool to have a blurb book in the end that chronicles the day-in/day-out growth that happens over one year.

My friend who has done all of our family pictures has done this. Her little boy Will is the same age as Oliver however she only started his project the January after his birth (2011) however she has been doing it every day since. She just had her 2nd baby and she is doing it for him as well and she is actually being featured in Today's Parent as the Everyday Baby.

Here is the link to her website (hopefully it is okay to post this). This might give you some inspiration....

http://keriannebrown.com/blog/

I am just in the process of completing a photobook for Oliver's first year and I am doing it by week. I don't know if I took a picture every day but I was pretty close to that. It is so wonderful to look back at how they changed in the last year. It is hard to find the time to write a journal to keep track of everything however having the pictures is just as good. Be sure to take lots of little videos, they are some of my most treasured things I have.

You should start a blog so we can all follow along, hee hee :)
 
Congratulations to you and Brett! What great news! The only problem that I have with all of your trip reports is that they make me cry. :D I love hearing such wonderful news and I really look forward to reading about your first trip with your little man. Thanks for the update!
 

Ariel484

Well-Known Member
I found an old dresser at a consignment shop and completely refinished/painted it to use as a changing table in the nursery and I followed one of the YHL tutorials to make it happen. Worked like a charm!

I know what you mean about having areas that look "bland" - for us, it's a matter of picking and choosing what we can spend the money on each month. Plus, I have all these grand ideas in my head, but it's hard to find (reasonable) pieces that fit my vision, you know? But we've tried to prioritize a bit when it comes to the big things. It's the little things though, like funky furniture pieces, lamps, and throw pillows that really make it come together and the cost of that stuff adds up fast!

I'm pretty determined to make this photo project happen... and I'm hoping that it stretches me creatively to try new and different things. I think it would be so cool to have a blurb book in the end that chronicles the day-in/day-out growth that happens over one year.

Ooh...how crafty of you. Very nice. And yes, cost is definitely an issue. Good furniture just is not cheap, which is a big reason why we have a couple of completely empty rooms over here...

A thought for marathon weekend...5k stroller division! Baby's first race at Disney...:D
 

foreverbelle

Well-Known Member
OK so yes I have finally caught up. Man I am such a slow poke when it comes to reading.

Your pictures around Xmas time dif makes me want to take a trip during that time of the year. Believe me it is on my bucket list. But I absolutely love it.

Carousel of Progress doesn't really do it for me either but I do enjoy sitting there watching everyone singing to it. That is one catchy tune right there...love it.

As always a great trip report. Even Andy was sitting there reading it during work-although don't tell him I told you.-so you even have him hooked. I would love to see a Feb 12' report but totally understand if you don't get around to it.

As for any advice. Its going to be totally different whether little man is 4 months or 6 months, or 3 but its such a wonderful experience and so very cool. Man I can't tell you just how many moments have brought me to tears. I know I plan o doing another report within a few weeks, and will dif be capturing every moment in that little journal...it goes by fast. And I can't wait to read yours with your little one...
 

tink65

Active Member
Holly, Just now finally caught up on your TR! When I first read the title I starting thinking "now what could this title mean?" Congratualtions to both you & Brett on your upcoming (very soon) new addition! You guys will be awesome parents and the little guy will quickly go from a Disney newbie to a seasoned veteran...I predict by his 1st birthday! LOL.

Again, loving the TR and congratualions to both of you!
 

Fashionista007

Active Member
Holly I am so excited for you and Brett!! Congratulations and I hope that the next time you come down, we can meet up :) Jason and I moved to FL in April and we are talking about starting a family. How cool would it be to see our kids playing together in WDW? Ah, the thought gets me all teary!
 

Dizdutch

Member
Wow, 17 years, amazing!!!



When I read that you were about to make the big announcement to your parents I was so excited to see how you told them. Then I was laughing hysterically that you just blurted it out! I did that too! We tried to get pregnant for 17 years before it finally happened so I had tons of time to think of cute and creative ways to tell people but when the time came I was blank! Even when I knew I couldn't manage clever and just had to say it...it just didn't come out. I blame hormones! I also felt your exhaustion! Pregnancy kicked my butt! I could've slept the whole 9 months!

We saw Flights of Wonder for the first time in 2010.On our previous trips I just wasn't interested in birds for some reason and thought it would be boring. I took that trip with my Mom and she wanted to see it so we did and it was great! Now my rule is to try everything once!

Again, I love the Christmas decor pics! I can't wait to see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights up close and see my son's reaction. I saw them in 1996 but it's changed so much since then! We were there Dec. 2007...trying to remember why we missed them on that trip...hmmmm...not sure. Oh well! Getting so excited!
 

HopLow

Member
Hollyyyyyyy! Congrats, girl! And you're really down to the wire now (if not a Mama already)... hang in there! I know you and Brett will be fantastic parents!

I totally feel the same way about Disney clothing - it stays in the closet until a WDW trip. I do have a hidden Mickey necklace that I wear in everyday life, but that's it. As everyone else has said, super cute leggings! And I had no idea they were Mickeys until you showed the close up.

Anyway, best wishes for your new family! Sending you lots of positive thoughts for a quick and easy delivery!
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sad that your report is over but I know another is just over the horizon. ^_^

I must say I loved seeing shots around the Swan and Dolphin. I have always considered staying here because of my love for Epcot and I almost booked for August, but went with Coronado Springs instead. (Found a really good discount!)

Once again, I hope you have a safe and speedy delivery! My cousin and his wife welcomed their first (a boy!) on Father's Day which was a pretty awesome gift for him. I swear with everyone getting ready to, or having babies this year I can feel my clock ticking! :eek: [insert laughing smiley here]

Coronado is great. We stayed there on our most recent February trip. As far as moderates go, Coronado easily has my favorite rooms and bedding. And it has the added plus of Disney ambiance, something you don't get when you are inside the Swan and Dolphin. But you'll still have to check out the Swan and Dolphin on a future trip - I know you'll love its proximity to Epcot!

Congratulations to your cousin and his wife! And I totally know what you mean, Erin! My clock was definitely ticking away before we got pregnant.

Holly ... loved your TR ( as always)!!!
Our nursery was ALL "Disney Baby" *sigh ... where did the time go???
Our "babies" are now in college ... YIKES!!!
Treasure every moment <3
Best wishes for you, Brett & the little guy ;)

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I already feel like time flies way too quickly, so I have a feeling have a baby is only going to intensify that. Hooray for Disney babies!

My friend who has done all of our family pictures has done this. Her little boy Will is the same age as Oliver however she only started his project the January after his birth (2011) however she has been doing it every day since. She just had her 2nd baby and she is doing it for him as well and she is actually being featured in Today's Parent as the Everyday Baby.

Here is the link to her website (hopefully it is okay to post this). This might give you some inspiration....

http://keriannebrown.com/blog/

I am just in the process of completing a photobook for Oliver's first year and I am doing it by week. I don't know if I took a picture every day but I was pretty close to that. It is so wonderful to look back at how they changed in the last year. It is hard to find the time to write a journal to keep track of everything however having the pictures is just as good. Be sure to take lots of little videos, they are some of my most treasured things I have.

You should start a blog so we can all follow along, hee hee :)

Oh my goodness, Angie, your friend's blog is fabulous. And this is exactly my intention with my project, so thanks for the link, it's great inspiration.

Actually, I recently started a personal blog. I toyed with the idea of a personal blog for the last two years or so - it has just taken me an incredibly long time to put it into action. I've always enjoyed writing trip reports and documenting our adventures that way, and I figured it was time to start documenting other parts of our lives, not just Disney. Of course, there's a healthy dose of Disney (and I'm even in the process of transferring all my trip reports over). It's still a work in progress, but here's a link: http://lovelifeohana.com/

Congratulations to you and Brett! What great news! The only problem that I have with all of your trip reports is that they make me cry. :D I love hearing such wonderful news and I really look forward to reading about your first trip with your little man. Thanks for the update!

Thank you so much. And of course, my apologies for causing tears! So, are you still considering a Disney wedding?!

Ooh...how crafty of you. Very nice. And yes, cost is definitely an issue. Good furniture just is not cheap, which is a big reason why we have a couple of completely empty rooms over here...

A thought for marathon weekend...5k stroller division! Baby's first race at Disney...:D

Ugh, don't you hate having empty rooms? We have a couple of those ourselves. Our approach has been to tackle one room at a time. And while it might be the smallest room, the nursery is almost fully complete (accessorized and all), so I feel pretty good about that. Next is our den. We splurged on a couch from West Elm (even with the super deal we got, it felt like a major splurge) and I can't wait until it arrives so we can start adding other pieces. In fact, it is scheduled for delivery this Thursday, 6/28. The question remains, which will get here first... the couch? Or the baby? My money is on the little man.

Not gonna lie, the stroller races have crossed my mind!

OK so yes I have finally caught up. Man I am such a slow poke when it comes to reading.

Your pictures around Xmas time dif makes me want to take a trip during that time of the year. Believe me it is on my bucket list. But I absolutely love it.

Carousel of Progress doesn't really do it for me either but I do enjoy sitting there watching everyone singing to it. That is one catchy tune right there...love it.

As always a great trip report. Even Andy was sitting there reading it during work-although don't tell him I told you.-so you even have him hooked. I would love to see a Feb 12' report but totally understand if you don't get around to it.

As for any advice. Its going to be totally different whether little man is 4 months or 6 months, or 3 but its such a wonderful experience and so very cool. Man I can't tell you just how many moments have brought me to tears. I know I plan o doing another report within a few weeks, and will dif be capturing every moment in that little journal...it goes by fast. And I can't wait to read yours with your little one...

I can't believe you guys haven't made a Christmas trek yet... it is definitely a must! And, hooray for Andy checking in - I appreciate stealth readers, too!

Can I share a little something that happened over the weekend?! Brett randomly said, "Let's eat at Ohana on our F&W trip" And so we booked it, which then led to us booking all our dining for a four day trip!! ;) So, I'm thinking we decided on a fall trip. Now we just need to pick little man's first resort, and of course, his first park and first ride! So many firsts!!! Hooray.

Holly, Just now finally caught up on your TR! When I first read the title I starting thinking "now what could this title mean?" Congratualtions to both you & Brett on your upcoming (very soon) new addition! You guys will be awesome parents and the little guy will quickly go from a Disney newbie to a seasoned veteran...I predict by his 1st birthday! LOL.

Again, loving the TR and congratualions to both of you!

Thank you so much, Tena! I have every intention of turning this child into a Disney veteran by the time he can walk. :D

Holly I am so excited for you and Brett!! Congratulations and I hope that the next time you come down, we can meet up :) Jason and I moved to FL in April and we are talking about starting a family. How cool would it be to see our kids playing together in WDW? Ah, the thought gets me all teary!

Shelley!!! Thank you so much. I followed along with your tweets and trip report when you were moving... I'm so happy for you and Jason - if not a little jealous every time I see you are tweeting from Epcot!! You know, I can totally see myself and Brett moving to that area in the next couple of years - so maybe we can have play dates at the Kingdom!

Hollyyyyyyy! Congrats, girl! And you're really down to the wire now (if not a Mama already)... hang in there! I know you and Brett will be fantastic parents!

I totally feel the same way about Disney clothing - it stays in the closet until a WDW trip. I do have a hidden Mickey necklace that I wear in everyday life, but that's it. As everyone else has said, super cute leggings! And I had no idea they were Mickeys until you showed the close up.

Anyway, best wishes for your new family! Sending you lots of positive thoughts for a quick and easy delivery!

Thanks, Ashley! And thank you for the well wishes on a speedy delivery. I just keep telling myself that women give birth every single day. Mind over matter and all. ;)

Glad to have company in the "Disney clothes are for Disney wear."
 

foreverbelle

Well-Known Member
I can't believe you guys haven't made a Christmas trek yet... it is definitely a must! And, hooray for Andy checking in - I appreciate stealth readers, too!

Can I share a little something that happened over the weekend?! Brett randomly said, "Let's eat at Ohana on our F&W trip" And so we booked it, which then led to us booking all our dining for a four day trip!! ;) So, I'm thinking we decided on a fall trip. Now we just need to pick little man's first resort, and of course, his first park and first ride! So many firsts!!! Hooray.

I would love to make a trek down there for the holidays it just needs to work with the hubs schedule a little. Which is hard to do since its smack dab in the middle of hockey season....but crossing fingers that one day it will work out for us.

Oh yes all those firsts...its amazing....lil man's was actually AKL...man come to think of it, it seems like that forever ago...sigh they grow up so quickly.
 

WishIWasAtWDW

Well-Known Member
CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D i haven't read the report yet but i had to say congrats!! that is so exciting!! i was wondering where you have been on the boards. preparing for a baby certainly explains it! hahaha i am so happy for you and brett! the little guy will be here so soon!! ok...now i can read your report! :D
 

diddy_mouse

Well-Known Member
[quote="HollyBelle]Can I share a little something that happened over the weekend?! Brett randomly said, "Let's eat at Ohana on our F&W trip" And so we booked it, which then led to us booking all our dining for a four day trip!! ;) So, I'm thinking we decided on a fall trip. Now we just need to pick little man's first resort, and of course, his first park and first ride! So many firsts!!! Hooray.[/quote]

Okay that is too exciting! Heh, you should just splurge and induct him into Disney with a stay at the Poly. :p

Side note: I am determined to meet up with you and Brett (and the little man) during F&W one of these years. I know Brandon and I will be back for another anniversary (vow renewal for our 10th maybe?) and I can't wait to hit up Epcot again during that time of year!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom