Jean, Mom, and E shopping and eating cookies

A day trip along the Outer Banks

The Elizabethan gardens.

Jeff took E and me here for the day. We went to lunch at the waterfront in Manteo and then spent the afternoon touring the gardens. We also drove all the way up the Outer Banks to Duck and back through Hagshead. I think my favorite part was downtown Manteo. We ate at this fancy restaurant on the water and walked around the pier and watched some sailboats go out.

http://www.townofmanteo.com/

Russ surfing. 

Jeff and I flying our kite. 

Jean and Russ at Kitty Hawk

Grandma and Grandpa sitting by the pool with the dunes in the background. 

The Zanchelli's setting up for the day by the pool. 

Grandma and Ethan hanging by the pool. Sharp hat, eh? 

Jean and E 

Ethan on our bed. Will he EVER get any hair? 

Jean giving E a ride 

Ethan in the water for the first time! 

Jeff and Ethan in the pool. Ethan loved the water but hated the plastic rafts and floats. Go figure. 

Family beach trip

We went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to celebrate my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. Jean and I rented this great house on the beach in Waves and it had an inground heated pool and all the amenities. Here is the link to the house if you ever need a great vacation home for multiple families.

http://www.outerbeaches.com/hatteras11_pics

We visited Manteo one day and also went to see the Hatteras Lighthouse. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, standing at 208 feet, is the tallest in the United States and we climbed all the way up to the top. It was an incredible view.

http://www.outer-banks.nc.us/tourism/hatter.htm has a list of the lighthouses on the outerbanks.

Jeff and Russ went golfing on the coast one day while Mom, Jean, E and I did some damage shopping. We also went to the Wright Brothers memorial in Kitty Hawk. It was an incredible week with everyone.

Ethan on the Merry Go Round with Grandma. 

Sydney and Ethan with the Easter Bunny. 

Ethan with the Easter Bunny. 

Spring break at Pike Place Market

Seattle vacation for spring break

And we actually got spring weather so all those nancy negatives that asked why in the world we went to Seattle can just pipe down. 55 and sunny all week with great lake views and a wonderful visit with Jean and Russ. We flew in last Saturday and picked Christopher up on Sunday. We had a great time going to Seattle City Center, the Science Fiction Museum and to Pike Place Market. We went down to the lake a few times and the boys went golfing, bowling and to see how video games are made. Ethan was a total trouper on the plane and everyone could not stop commenting on what a good baby he was. I think the best part was that Ethan learned to crawl this week as he tried to constantly take Christopher's video games from him. He was really motoring all over the house by the time we left.

Here is Aunt Jean giving Ethan a bath


Jean and Russ had this amazing view from their house and a private lake front playground and beach we were able to use.


Ethan's first playground adventure at the beach area of Lake Sammammish


The kids and I at the Seattle City Center where we watched a magic show and rode go carts. Ethan watched.


Stay tuned for tomorrow as we move on to the adventures of Martini. We are picking up our newly adopted dog and hope to integrate him into our family of kids, cat, horse etc. We are starting to collect animal farm but Jeff has drawn the line at Llamas and goats. Sigh. :-)

9 months old

We had our 9 month pediatrician appointment yesterday and we were very excited to find that you don't get any shots for this well care visit. In addition, we weighed in at 20 pounds and gave credence to my theory that lifting Ethan all day did count as a gym workout. The doctor was very pleased with E's progress and he was in the 50th percentile and has 2 new front teeth breaking through the gum. He can scoot and is starting to try to crawl and can pull himself up on anything. He is babbling like a brook (and going nowhere) but does say Mama and Dada indiscriminatly.

On Saturday, before we left for Seattle, our cousins from NY came for a visit. Ethan got to hang out with his cousins Sydney and Olivia. Olivia is one month older than he is and is an absolute doll. She is so petitie and light and I am thinking of sending Danielle the Ethan diet so she can do the gym workout like I do. Ethan eats whatever I have on my plate...or he shrieks. Lately I have been giving him apple pieces, orange slices, steamed carrot sticks, mashed potatoes, rice, meatballs, graham crackers, bananas, and cheerios. He will barely even look at his formula these days and feeding him a bottle is an adventure in and of itself. He would much rather drink out of whatever glass I am using.

Hopefully we can start weaning him back to regular formula now so the transition to milk won't be as hard. We are hoping the colic and need for soy have both abated.