What does 2 + 1 = ?????

A whole lot less time than before!

I'm not sure what's been taking so much time recently.  Though the obvious answer is "that pesky newborn" I don't think that's the whole answer!  We've had family visiting pretty much non-stop since Marek was born, so even when he's sleeping, we're catching up on all the family and hometown news from the last six months.

I know you're reading this blog solely for the gratuitous pictures of the new baby, so here's one:



Notice Chester wrestling Ryan in the background?  It's like Battle Royale around here most days!

 Marek is now three weeks old and he's much more alert already.  He's such a great eater, I couldn't be happier with his nursing.  He also had his first bottle this week, and though I went back to work teaching just one night a week, he still needs to eat while I'm in class!  Marek is still learning to like his binky, but the Wubanub is helping a lot.  It doesn't keep the binky from falling out of his mouth, but it certainly makes it easier for me to find and put back in his mouth while I'm driving. 

Ryan and I also took a trip to San Diego last week.  Crazy, I know, but he was being honored by the AFCEA US Naval Institute with the Copernicus Award, and we don't get to choose the date of the awards ceremony it was now or never. 

Here we are at the awards ceremony- Marek was totally content to snuggle up in the Moby wrap and sleep through most of the trip.  I also used the wrap to sneak him into the convention center even though it was supposed to be ages 16+, you can barely see him peeking out of the wrap!   

Here's Marek's first trip to the Beach.  He's snuggled up in the Moby, but I managed to dip my toes in the ocean.  So now I'm up to the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean.  I'm taking suggestions for my toes' next adventure!

 We also took a few side trips while we were in San Diego.  I'd never been to California before, and it was nice to have a little extra time to explore.  This was taken at the Mt. Soledad Vetrans' Memorial.  It's so weird to be at the beach and then up in the mountains ten minutes later!  As we drove up the steep and winding neighborhood streets, I kept thinking how crazy it must be to plow them in the winter.  Then I realized this is winter and clearly there's no snow.  If we ever get stationed in San Diego, it will be a completely different experience than New England, and even Virginia!

Speaking of totally different.  Let's compare last winter to this winter.   First is a picture from this winter, with the two inches of snow we've had.  The boys played outside the one morning that we had snow.  It melted later that day.  Second is a picture from last winter.  We had so much snow that we were running out of room to put the snow after Ryan shoveled it off the driveway!

January 2012

January 2011

 Finally, we've been taking advantage of Free Friday bowling over at Hanscom Air Force Base.  The first time we went when Marek was 5 days old and I needed some activity for the boys while Ryan enrolled Marek in DEERS.  I wasn't sure how they would do, if they would be able to hold the ball, or understand the concept, but I shouldn't have worried at all.  Both Pete and Chester now love "Rolling Balls".  

First, they find EVERY six pound ball in the entire alley.

Whoever invented this thing is genius.  We also use the bumpers and they hit pins every time!

There's Pete's strike! 

So there are the updates.  I can't promise I'll be back soon, but I'll try to keep up!