February

Greetings everyone! Well, things are going nicely here in sleepy Ely. (It is especially sleepy today. All three of my boys are napping. :) The last few days have been warmer than usual so I feel spring must be on its way.

Joe's parents, Joe Sr. and Lorre, arrive tomorrow for another visit. They are going to be staying for six weeks. I know that sounds like a long time to have your in-laws visit, but when you have to fly across the ocean, you need to make it count. Plus, my Joe will be in Vegas for three of those weeks so I am thrilled to have some help! (Yes, democracy must be defended on the Strip too.) I know Ben will really enjoy time with them and that warms my heart.

Speaking of Ben, he is growing and changing so much everyday. I feel like all of a sudden he is doing "big boy" things. He has discovered Thomas the Train and loves him! He's had a Thomas push train for a long time and then he got a Thomas the Train book. Without having ever seen the TV show, Ben thinks Thomas is the coolest thing on earth. Well, the second coolest I guess because his real love is Ely Cathedral. I am not making that up. Every time he sees it, he gets very excited and points to it. It doesn't matter if we are outside, in the car, or in the living room. He says "OOOH!" and points. As far as Ben is concerned, the Cathedral is a rock star.

Baby 2 is growing too. I had my first OB appointment the other day. He/She is just a teeny tiny sprout. The ultrasound said I was six weeks along and that the due date is October 18, 2010. I was a little bummed because the first due date is my mom and Kim's (my sis-in-law) birthday. To be honest though, I am much happier to have another month. There will be so many changes and I need a lot of time to prepare.

Westminster

Since I am avoiding my schoolwork, I figured I would use the free time to update you on what is going on in the world of the Howells. It is currently raining and has been all day. Although that meant that B and I (and Bastian) were stuck in the house all day, it also means that Joe didn't have to do his night sortie. Yay for a husband at home and a dinner of fish and chips! (Last night, Joe made pancakes for dinner. I could get used to this treatment.)

Last Saturday, the family packed up and headed off to London. After many tries, we finally saw Westminster Abbey!! For those of you who don't know, this is the large cathedral right next to Parliament and Big Ben. The monarchs are crowned there as well. It is very famous, and as a result, I think every famous person on earth is buried there. Joe and I have tried to see it many times on past trips to London, but it was always closed. As an added bonus, we ran into our friend Jimmy and his wife Jen as we got off the tube in London. (Sometimes, the world is a mighty small place.) We all saw the Abbey together and then headed to Bodeans for BBQ. Yummy!

Big Week

Yes, I know this picture is from Christmas and it is currently February. To be fair, we have had some camera issues lately. The old camera died, so we bought a new one. Only that one had a cracked screen when Joe brought it home from Austria. So we ordered a new screen from a Chinese man in Chicago. However, when Joe tried to install it, he shocked himself...twice. After the second time, the camera stopped working. You would think I was making this up...

In other news, it has been a very big week for the Howells. On Monday, I ran off the road and into a ditch. The road was very icy and had no grit. Fortunately, the ditch (which is very deep) was muddy and the mud kept the car from going all the way in. Even though it was a rural road, there were several people to help me as soon as the car stopped. Once Ben and I were out, a lovely man pulled out my stuck car. All was well, including the car. Considering how deep the ditch was, it could have been FAR worse. When we were stuck the rear of the car was in the air about two feet. Someone got Benjamin out just fine, but I was further down. I was afraid that if I got out, the weight would shift and the car would flip or roll on me. Turns out that the mud was very thick and the car did not budge. Phew!

On Tuesday, Joe had lunch with the Queen. Yes, the Queen of England. She visits his base once every few years and he was lucky enough to be invited to the luncheon. (I was not.) They did not chat, but I think they smiled at each other. That night I agonized over what to make for dinner. What do you make for your husband when he's had a lunch "fit for a Queen?" (We had tuna steaks and salad. Joe complained there was no bread.)

On Wednesday, we received some very unexpected news. I had gone to the base for some lab work for a procedure I was having. (An IUD--5 year birth control.) I had been home for about 10 minutes when the phone rang. "Mrs. Howell, our lab work shows your pregnant." Needless to say, I was very surprised. Baby 2 is on the way!

It is still very early on in the pregnancy. I think maybe a month or so. Such a change from last time when I found out 4 months in! I believe the littlest squirt will be here at the end of September, but I'm not sure yet. Stay tuned. Maybe by the time we get a camera that works, I will have a bump to post!

Happy New Year!

These last two months have felt like an extended vacation. We traveled back to the US, hosted family, celebrated Christmas, and are about to ring in the New Year with good friends. As a result, my waistline has bloomed and Ben has developed a taste for diet coke. Next week will force us back to reality, and I have to admit that I am not looking forward to it. Joe will be back to work full-time and have the added responsiblity of being a flight scheduler. In addition to my domestic duties, I will be working part-time and starting my Masters. Add in several TDYs, a dreary winter, and an upcoming deployment and you'll see why I'm not too excited about 2010.

However, I am currently in Salisbury drinking tea and listen to my husband sing karaoke. Ben is happily running around. Life is good and I can pretend it will stay that way.

Back in the USA

On Thursday, Benjamin and I flew back to the States. After a really hectic month, it is great to be have a break. I was really dreading the flight, but Ben was a star. We also got very lucky. The flight to Orlando was full, except for the seat next to me. Plus, we had a bulkhead seat. That meant I had three places to move the B-man when he got antsy. (which was about every 10 mintues!) There were several families on board, but I think I got hooked up because I was flying by myself. Thank you Virgin Atlantic!

We spent Thursday and Friday night at a resort in Orlando. That was just what I needed after such a stressful time. My mom and I spent the morning at the spa and then we all headed to the pool. Ben didn't love the pool, but he did like floating on my lap in the lazy river.

Unfortunately, it was during this time that we got some bad news. Joe's grandmother, Maxine Howell, had to be hospitalized with a punctured bowel and passed away shortly after. We are all saddened by the news. I just feel really grateful that it happened now so Benjamin and I can attend the service. Joe will not be able to come, but I am happy we can.

Now for some happy news. We took Ben to London on Wednesday on our way to the airport. No more helmet!! He had reached the goal we set of 10 mm of asymmetry. (I think 6 or less is classified as "normal.") They said we could keep it on another few weeks if we wanted, but we did not need to bring him back for another appointment. Joe and I think his head looks remarkably better. If we weren't going to be seeing all of our friends and family, I might have left it on a little longer. He is so handsome without it. It is also really nice not to deal with it anymore. Hooray!

Life with B

Well, Joe made us coffee around 8:30 pm. He and Bastian are passed out in bed. I am wide awake. So I thought I'd catch you up on what is going on in our lives.

As you know, things have been very busy around here, but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Joe is nearly done with his paper and Ben is over his virus. Hooray!

We're starting to notice that Benjamin is becoming more and more fun. He is starting to enjoy being outside more, which is nice for me. Case in point, yesterday I grabbed a coffee and cake to go and headed for the park. He ran around while I enjoyed my snack. To be fair, he enjoyed the snack also. He also enjoyed chasing the ducks the other day. Very cute.

There are so many cute, funny stories and I am feel like I am going to forget all of them. So here goes. In my effort to remember my little boy as he is right now, I am going to list as many recent memories as I can. Enjoy!

• He learned to climb the stairs and loves to do so. Everytime he is quiet, I get scared.




• He loves for me to carry him. I fear I will throw out my back one day soon.




• He LOVES cats. Gee, wonder where he gets that...




• He really likes it when Bastian's tail hits him in the face.




• He does this little half-step march in place thing when he gets excited. It's like a little jig. Today, he did it because he was upset though. I guess it is for big emotions.




• He enjoys watching me and Joe cook.




• He is always handing me clumps of dirt/fur from the floor. I guess it's his subtle way of telling me to clean up.




• The other day I started to sing "If you're happy and you know it" and he started to pat my head. (verse 2 is "pat mom's head.")




• He can High 5!




• He loves it when Joe makes silly noises.




• He laughed at a cartoon the other day. I was holding him while he was watching it and then all of a sudden, he started giggling.




• And last, but not least, my favorite recent memory. (I'm still laughing.) The other day, I undressed him in the bathroom right before I gave him a bath. Just as I took off his diaper, he ran out to the hallway and peed on the floor. While he was peeing, you could tell that he was really freaked out by it. As if to say, What is coming out of my body and why is it doing that? Then, he stepped in his pee, slipped and fell down. Obviously, he wasn't hurt, but it was pretty funny.

Autumn Update

I know I am really behind on this. Usually, if I don't write anything for a while, it is because nothing is going on. However, our family is so busy right now, I barely have time for the basics.

Ben is growing like a weed. He's officially walking now and wants to do nothing else. It is so wonderful to see him move on his own now. He is a very sweet boy and frequently comes over to me just to give me a hug. And even though he doesn't need me to walk him around anymore (Hooray!), he still takes my hand sometimes to make sure I am with him. He also likes to play peekaboo with the doors in the house. The other day he actually combined the two. He took my hand and we walked into his room. He went to hide behind his curtain even though I was still attached. I had to laugh when I said, "Where is Benjamin?" since I was still holding his hand.

However, Ben is sick right now. I suspect another ear infection, which would be his third one since January. So frustrating!

Joe is busy too. He has been working a lot on his Masters class. The point of the class is to do all the research for his thesis, a task he is not very excited about. He has also volunteered to be a tour guide for the cathedral, which is also no easy task. There is a class every week and a test at the end. I'm actually quite jealous because he's getting to learn all of the history behind it. Last week, I was able to go with him. We got to walk around the cathedral with the architect of the cathedral and her husband who is also a scholar of the building. They pointed out so many neat things. It was like having a private tour.

I'm not sure how I've managed to fill up my calendar, but it feels as though I don't get a lot of free time. Ben and I are always doing something or visiting someone. I thought the pace of life would slow down once I stopped working. I actually think I was less busy then.