Figured I’d catch-up the blog a little since Trav’s been busy with flying, grad school, and organizing the move. Busy, busy boy.

Minus a couple of weeks at my parents we’ve been living the hotel life-style since early January. Needless to say, it’s been an adjustment for all of us but I think we’ve acclimated to our surroundings the best we can. The one it’s probably been the hardest on is Brenden. Since he doesn’t have too much space to run around I make it a point to get him out every day. Because the weather limits us to indoor activities, we’ve exhausted all toddler indoor play areas around. (I’m not crazy about Chick Fila but it’s worth the trip just for their play room). Brenden’s even had a few tastes of preschool with a couple of short stays at the base CDC just for the socialization aspect.

These past two weeks he’s been fortunate to have daily playmates. One of the other wives visited with her two small children and Brenden had a blast with them. I enjoyed the company as well and was just as sad to see them go.

The biggest challenge we’ve dealt with so far has been maintaining routine and discipline. Marissa is now on a schedule and has been pretty easy going with the close quarters.  What does a three month old need really? I guess that’s a rhetorical question.  Anyway, back to the point… Brenden is going through a phase where he doesn’t want to miss out on anything. He hasn’t been wanting to go to bed and will try and delay bedtime as much as possible. We’re at the point now where we’ve been having him cry himself to sleep. The problem comes in when he wakes up at 4 AM and won’t stop crying until he is picked up and brought to bed with us.

Yes, this goes against what Trav and I want when rearing children however, we do have to be courteous to our neighbors.  I know I wouldn’t appreciate being woken up by what sounds like a pterodactyl being tortured… seriously, that’s what it sounds like. So on-top of Marissa’s 4:12 (exact) morning feeding and Brenden’s separation anxiety, it’s a good thing we have a California-King size bed. Anything smaller would be the equivalent to a clown car.

Trav snapped this at 5:30 this morning on his way to work…I was woken by the flash.

I’m just hoping this is a phase and once we do get settled in May Brenden will be enjoying his big boy bed enough to want to stay in it all night. About three months and counting until that day (hopefully!) arrives.