A few of Turner's first

In the one week that we have traveled to and have been here in Barra, Turner has experienced quite a firsts. He has had his first airplane ride, his first ponga ride, his first yacht ride, his first fiesta, his first swim and has had his first exposure to the Spanish language. Apart of our goal in bringing Turner to Mexico was to expose him to as much as possible (at his grand age of 11 weeks old) without over stimulating or overexposing him. We have taken the following approach: We will have one major outing a day, and the rest of the day will be centered around having nap and play time on the yacht. So far this plan has worked beautifully. Turner has been napping like champ, sleeping through the night, eating really well and has had some great developmental growth. During our various outings the locals have called Turner "Guero piqueño" (little white boy) and "Hermoso" (lovely). They have also told him that he is "muy bonito" (very handsome) and that "tiene mucho carne" (he has a lot of meat on his bones). Hey...we will take all the complements that we can get.

Guero piqueño with his daddy at a lookout point from the top of the hotel

Turner's first ponga ride and fiesta

Last Sunday we were walking Turner around the hotel and we noticed, across the lagoon that there was a large fiesta on the beach boardwalk. We asked around and learned that it was a fish festival, or fiesta that was celebrating the big fishing tournament that had happened the day before. Curious, we decided to venture over to town to check it out. Before we got on the water taxi, or ponga I put Turner in his sling (a piece of fabric that I wrap around my torso and place Turner in so that I can carry him hands free) to make him feel more secure and we gingerly boarded the little boat. As we sped across the lagoon, Turner - with wide eyes - tried to check out the passing water and then quickly tucked his head close into my chest in an effort to shield himself from the wind. 

At the fish fiesta there was a large stage where there was traditional mariachi and banda bands as well as traditional folk dancing. All around us there were stalls where vendors were selling fresh fish tacos with the catch from the fishing tournament the day before and a local drink called a michealada, which is mixture of beer, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce (it's really good, although I will not be enjoying one on this trip due to my number one job of feeding my little one). The boardwalk was crowded as people lined up for food, drinks and tried to peer over heads and around others to get a good view of the performers on the stage. Kids were busy chasing the candy carts, which were simply large wooden trays placed on top of wheel barrows, to buy bags of candy, roasted nuts, and fried coconut balls. Turner's eyes were glued forward as he tried to observe the busy environment around him. But, shielded in his sling he was fast asleep within 10 minutes of his first big fiesta adventure. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the fiesta because we were caught up in it all and simply forgot to get the camera out.

Turner's first swim (well....really it was just a little dip in the pool)

We knew that our sun, pool and beach time would be limited this trip to Mexico because we have to be careful about the amount of sun exposure Turner gets. We already have to contend with staying on yacht and dealing with the reflection from the surrounding water as well as being out in the sun as we transport around on pongas and the dingy. But, a little pool and beach time is a must. Turner's reaction to his first swim was very calm as his senses were heightened with new sensations of sound, sight and touch.

A little video of Turner's first swim