The Hitt Family: Dubai

After a crazy few weeks, it was finally time to start packing up to head to the middle east! I had so much going on that I literally did not have the time or energy to start packing until around 6:00 the night before we left (and when I say packing, I really just mean throwing stuff into six suitcases and a backpack). To top off the insanity, we didn't get our passports and visas until about 7:00...talk about last minute! The visas didn't get put into our passports until Monday, so shipping them overnight when we had a flight to catch at noon on Tuesday was too risky. That meant we had to pay a hot shot company to drive them from Houston to Raceland after they were done. But finally, we were all packed up, said our goodbyes and boarded a plane headed for Washington, D.C. The flight there was uncomfortable, but uneventful. We were on the very last row of a small express plane so the seats didn't recline at all. I did my usual routine of praying for almost the entire flight because my anxiety was so bad while Connor watched a movie and took a nap. I wonder if my fear of flying will ever get better? I hope so. I've flown many times, but I'm sure we will be getting on planes a lot more often over then next few years. After having to get off on the tarmac while trying to manage a backpack, two carryon bags, and a 3 year old we headed to the United lounge. Thankfully, in the middle of trying to pack, I was able to upgrade our flights to business class for a decent price. Definitely money well spent! Connor was walking in front of me so that I could keep my eyes on him while we walked through the insanely busy airport. We needed to make a bathroom stop before getting to the lounge so when I saw it I told Connor to turn. I turned, but he just kept walking so I said he name again. This got his attention, but he didn't see me right away and started going into a panic while crowds of people walked by each side of him. Watching him search frantically was ~~hilarious~~ so sad. I was laughing so hard that I had to say his name several times before he finally heard me and saw where I was. Eventually we were back on a plane and heading to Dubai! I was much more relaxed on that flight which made knowing I would be in the air for 13 hours a lot easier. The accommodations in business class are top notch which also helped. Connor was an absolute angel! He watched the Scooby Doo movie four times and slept for almost 7 hours straight. Everyone kept telling me how good he was...I'm guessing they initially cringed when they saw us sit down, but were thankful when they realized I have an exceptionally well-behaved kid :)

We finally get to Dubai and this is where things in the airport got a little hectic. After getting off the airplane, we had to go up an escalator...okay, no problem. Then we had to go down a different escalator. I didn't really think twice about it because Connor has gone up and down escalators many times, but this particular time his feet started moving before the rest of his body could catch up and he was basically laying down in seconds. I guess I didn't realize that he hasn't yet mastered going down because someone is always holding his hand, but on this day he tried tackling it alone (remember...I have two rolling bags, a backpack, and my purse). He was in front of me and I hadn't gotten on yet, so I immediately initiated the mom reflex and literally pulled him up by his shirt - disaster diverted. Thankfully there were two really nice men behind me who took my bags and I held his hand and we made it down without incident, only to be faced with yet another escalator. Crap. Stairs it is. (Note: I definitely would have taken an elevator from the beginning if I could have found one. I guess in my delirium after 18 hours of traveling with only a few hours of sleep, I walked right by it. In my defense, it was a glass contraption that didn't resemble an elevator to me at the time.) At this point, I'm sweating like a pig and wondering where to go from here...visas, passport control, baggage claim??? Harry got to the airport a few hours before us so I texted him and figured out what my next move was. We go through a security checkpoint before getting to baggage claim and I'm so focused on getting out of this sauna of an airport that I don't even see him standing on the other side of the x-ray machine waiting for us. He's getting emotional and all like I'm so happy to see you guys, and I'm all like I need a shower, a bed, and an A/C NOW!! We make it through baggage claim, another security checkpoint, find the Atlantis counter and make our way to the car that was waiting for us. As they are loading the luggage into the car I get an overwhelming feeling that something is not right and I realize...we didn't get the car seat off the baggage carousel!! Harry takes off back into the airport and comes back a few minutes later, car seat in tow. We strap Connor in and off we go!

The Atlantis is amazing! Everything is done first class and beautiful. It was the perfect place to relax and get over traveling and jetlag before moving to Saudi. I was exhausted by the time we arrived so we didn't leave the room once we got there. We laid around, ordered room service, and went to bed early.

He thought it was really cool that he could watch tv while taking a bath!

Day One
Our first day was an early one. Connor and I woke up around 3:30 am...got to love jetlag! We hung out and watched tv until Harry woke up, ordered room service for breakfast and decided that we would have a relaxing day of exploring the hotel.

Connor was quite the photographer on this trip!

The first thing we did after breakfast was take a walk outside around the pool area. We stumbled on a little playground and let Connor play for a little while. I quickly realized that we were not going to be doing many outside activities until much later in the day. Can you say hot!?! We headed inside to start looking around.

The hotel has an aquarium so that's what we decided to do. I'm not a huge fan of doing the whole aquarium/zoo type of thing, but the one at the Atlantis is really nice. It really has a whole "lost city" feel to it. There were cushions in front of the large tanks along the way so you could sit and watch. Not many people were there so we were able to take our time and Connor was able to run around and enjoy himself.

After the aquarium, we headed back to the room for a much needed nap. We woke up refreshed and decided to head to the pool. Connor and Harry had a great time while I relaxed and watched from a lounge chair.

We made our way back to the room for an early supper of burgers, fries, and milkshakes :)

Day Two
We woke up pretty early again and ordered room service for breakfast...again! I could totally get used to getting out of the shower every morning and having a full spread waiting for me lol. After breakfast, I went to the spa for a massage and facial while Harry and Connor went check out the water park. Let me tell you, the spa at the Atlantis is amazing! My massage was pretty average, but it's the best I could get being pregnant. The facial was unbelievable! The whole ambiance of the place is worth the experience. Very tranquil and relaxing. The boys had a blast at the water park. Connor wouldn't stop talking about the "rabbits" (rapids) that he rode. He probably would have stayed there all day, but we had already rented a cabana on the beach for the afternoon. The cabana was a lot for just the three of us, but it was great nonetheless. It was set up with a table to eat at under the cabana with a hammock, lounge chairs, and a few beanbag chairs next to it.

We were hanging out in the water when Harry found a starfish. Connor thought it was really neat! Of course we had to take a picture of him with Spidey!

It gets really hot out in the sun so after being there for a while it was time to get in the shade with a few cold towels and cool off. The hammock was so nice to have. I was actually able to take a decent nap in it while the boys went back in the water.

We had our fill of the heat and sand after a few hours so we went back to the room for showers. The shower is pretty big and Connor had a blast playing in it. He probably spent at least 30 minutes just playing and singing and having a great time. After showers we decided it would be another room service and early bed kind of night. It wasn't long after he got his tummy full before Connor couldn't keep his eyes open any longer!

Day Three
We actually ate outside of our room this day! We decided to check out one of the buffets in the hotel. We stopped to get a few pictures along the way. The décor around the hotel is spectacular. Very over the top and Vegas-like. In fact, It reminds me of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Connor was our guide to help get us back to our room. He thought he was something else giving us directions with that map!

After breakfast, we hung out in the room until it was time for our dolphin encounter. Harry and I swam with dolphins in Mexico a few years ago, so we were excited to be able to experience something like it with Connor. We were really worried though that he would be afraid and we would be wasting our money so we talked it up and got him really excited about doing it. He asked all morning if it was time to go swim with the dolphins yet! Much to our surprise, he didn't hesitate at all. He loved every minute of the experience and asked if we could go back the next day! Our dolphin's name was Jasmine and she was four years old. Connor thought it was really neat that they were almost the same age. The whole experience was so much fun and I was so glad we decided to do it! Definitely one of the highlights of the trip!

We all got to take turns giving Jasmine a kiss and hug!

Connor tossed a ring out in the water and Jasmine hooked it and brought it back to him. He took it off her neck and then gave her a rub. I couldn't believe how he just went out there without even thinking about it! I danced with her and Harry threw a ball out for her to bring back.

Here you get to see my 7 month pregnant belly squeezed into a wetsuit. I have no idea how I got it on, but I did! And boy was I happy to get it off lol!

We were in a group of 10 people so as each person took their turn getting set up for individual time with the dolphin, another trainer had Jasmine do different things for the rest of us and gave us a little dolphin education. One of the times, while Jasmine was turned over she peed in the water...Connor thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen! Not long after we got changed and started walking back to our room, Connor was passed out! He didn't stay that way long though once he realized that we were stopping to pick up yogurt to snack on!

Day Four
Our last day in Dubai was actually the first time that we left the hotel. We decided to take the shuttle to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.

The Burj is the tallest building in the world. It is 2,716.5 feet tall! After getting a few pictures it was time to get inside to soak up some A/C! We grabbed something to drink before starting to explore the mall. We really weren't looking for anything in particular so we just walked around looking at everything. It is massive and overwhelming! They have lots of the same stores and restaurants that you can find in the states.

This is a really neat waterfall inside the mall. It is huge!!

We ended up finding an ice skating rink and Connor was thrilled to try it! Watching him ice skate ranked a close second to watching him swim with a dolphin.

Thank goodness for this little penguin! He definitely couldn't have done much without it.

By the time he kind of started getting the hang of it, it was time for us to catch the shuttle back to the hotel. He had an awesome time while it lasted though!

By the time we got back to our room I couldn't go anymore so I decided to take a nap while the boys went back to the waterpark. While they were there Harry got Connor a water gun as his souvenir. Connor said he needed to buy one too so they could play together and of course he had to! They got in the shower and played with them for quite a while before supper and bed.