Our 3rd At Sea Day

Hello Everyone!
First off thanks for checking on the pups mom! A few days away certainly makes me grateful for all of the days I have with them. Yesterday was a full day in Huatulco Mexico! Wow we thought Alcapulco was amazing (which it was) this place was insane! Very possibly the most beautiful places we have been. The thing that's great about Huatulco is that it is relatively unspoiled. Unfortunately the Mexican government has decided it will be the next big Mexican tourist hot spot...hopefully they won't build it up too much. We arrived in Santa Cruz and were stunned by the breathtaking mountains that surrounded it. Truly incredible...I can't wait to post pictures because there really isn't any way to describe it. We went on a land and sea tour which began with a motor coach tour of the surrounding area and a shopping stop. We then boarded a "party" boat which took us around to some of Huatulco's bays. There are quite a few beaches here that are just empty and can only be reached by boat. Vacation heaven! After our 4-5 hour tour we shopped around Santa Cruz and had some Queso Enchiladas at a waterfront restaurant. Oh and of course had some more Corona's!
Today was a relaxing day at sea. We took a wine seminar on how the type of wine glass can effect the taste of a wine...amazing! We also went to a lecture on Ecotourism in Costa Rica. Seas have been a bit rough the past 24 hours. Cabinets in the bathroom actually opened and shut a bit during the night. Overall not too bad though. We are sailing off the coast of Nicaragua as I write and are set to arrive in Costa Rica tomorrow morning at 7am. We are planning to travel to Monte Verde National Park where we will walk through the cloud forest, visit the butterfly and insect museum, etc. There is about a 2 hour ride to the parks from our port but we have found that the bus rides are great for Ethan. He naps through them which is wonderful because he doesn't want to miss anything when we are walking around and forces himself to stay awake. He is such a good baby and we are simply having the vacation of a lifetime with him. :-)
I will probably wait until Saturday (day at sea) to post again and will be sure to include some pictures. We have a long day tomorrow and will surely head to bed early!
Hugs and kisses to all! Kristen and John hug Ava for us we miss her and can't wait to hold her next week!
Just think guys we still have a week of traveling left!
Hope all is well! My email is being checked again so email me if you need to!
Kate

Acapulco 2

Kate and Ethan in Acapulco!

Acapulco 1

Tuesday-Acapulco

Today was an amazing day! Acapulco far exceeded our expectations. We couldn't believe the views as we pulled into port. It is so gorgeous here...unlike anywhere else we've been. We had a great excursion today as well. We went on a tour bus to the Sea Turtle Release Camp which was actually quite a distance from the pier. This was great because it allowed us a guided tour of much of Acapulco. We made two stops for picture ops and then continued on our way. Once we arrived at the Turtle center Ethan was fussed over by some local school children. (I have the best pics of this!) They loved him! We heard a brief lecture on Sea Turtles and then continued on through the hatchery. After our small tour we walked down the sandy beach to the waters edge and were given our very own baby sea turtle to release into the ocean. It was absolutely incredible! Truly a once in a lifetime experience. Ethan was fascinated by how the small turtles moved...he loved them!
After our ride back to the pier we did a little bit of shopping and then hit up a local outdoor eatery for some local food and of course a few buckets of Coronas!
Back on the ship at around 5 we stopped by the outdoor bar at the back of the ship for some live music and drinks. The perfect place to wave goodbye to Acapulco...somewhere we definitely plan to return to.
Tomorrow it is on to Huatulco (sp). At 8:30 we are joining our excursion. It is a land and sea tour complete with a stop at a local beach! Afterward we will spend some time shopping in the Santa Cruz Marina. We are so excited to visit yet another new place.
John, Ethan, and I ate breakfast on our veranda this morning watching Acapulco come into site. All I could think was...I can't believe I'm here! John and I both agree that this trip is unlike anything we've ever done before and truly truly an unforgettable journey. More tomorrow! Love Kate

PS
Thanks for visiting our babies mom! Please email us an update!

PSS
For some reason my Acapulco pics aren't posting!!!! You'll have to wait until tomorrow hehehe
Sorry!

Cabo Wabo Baby!

Ethan getting ready for 1st Formal Night

Second Day at Sea

It's Monday....our second at sea day. Sorry for not posting anything yesterday. Cabo wiped us out, we barely had the energy to climb into bed! I also have to apologize for not posting any pictures yet...I promise to get some up tomorrow. Yesterday was a beautiful day in Cabo San Lucas sunny and in the low 80's. After tendering off of the boat we explored the dock area and local shopping. Of course we had lunch at Cabo Wabo (don't worry John, no Sammy sightings :-)) and then continued on through the town. As you can imagine we ended up at a local bar on the water with a bucket of Mexican beer...aaaah vacation! Ethan had a great time in Cabo taking in the sights and charming the locals. By the time we got back on the ship he was snoring!
Today was a welcomed day at sea. We had breakfast overlooking the open sea, had a "formal" lunch, and took part in some of the laid back activities on board. We just finished dinner and Ethan has already had his bath and has headed to bed. John and I were amazed today by how many people on the ship know Ethan by name. So many people look forward to seeing him each day. He especially brings smiles to the faces of crew members who have not seen their babies in serveral months. I swear he is tired simply from smiling so much! John and estimate that we say the phrase "he's just about five months" at least 20 times per day.
Tomorrow we dock in Acapulco. The forcast calls for sun and 88 degrees!!! What's the temp in New York? hahaha At 8:30am we leave for our excursion. We are visitng a Sea Turtle rescue center where we will actually get to release a turtle back into the sea! After that we are planning to do some shopping and check out the beach situation. Back on board around 5:30.
Must say this cruise and cruise line is our favorite so far. John and Kristen we have to sign up for a cruise soon! John and I have never had our vegetarian needs met so well. We had a letter waiting for us from the staff asking to meet with us about our dietary needs, and are given a vegetarian and vegan menu for every meal!!! It's incredible and some of the best veggie meals we have ever had.
Hope everyone is doing well, we miss you all! Gigi please hug Raven and Blade for us if you happen to see them. I will email Jill tomorrow to check in! Love you all...more from Mexico tomorrow!

We're On Vacation!!!!

Well....its Saturday November 24th and we are officially on vacation. We left Albany yesterday at 7:30am and arrived in San Diego many many hours later. We are happy to report that Ethan was a perfect angel the entire way. He slept through most of the flights and when he was awake he simply smiled and played. We boarded our ship the Summit around 2:30pm Pacific time. This ship is amazing! It is very different than the other ships we have sailed on. For you Seinfeld fans the best way to describe it is Del Boca Vista. In other words Senior Citzen heaven! John and I have to admit though that its nice to have peace and quite aboard a cruise as oppossed to the usual cheesy hairy chest contests we've seen before!
Today was a day at sea and we certainly enjoyed it! After breakfast we attended an info session on our Mexican port of calls. In the afternoon we introduced Ethan to the world of wine tasting...it was great! This was our first of 3 formal nights aboard the ship. It was so much fun to see peoples reaction to Ethan all dressed up. Needless to say Ethan is quite the "celebrity" on this trip. Everyone knows him and looks forward to seeing him around each day.
Now its time to put our little one to bed! Cabo tomorrow where we will explore on our own and do some shopping. Forcast calls for abundant sunshine and 81degrees. Aaaaah vacaation!
Love and miss you all! We will post more tomorrow night and be sure to include some pictures!

It's November! Yesterday was the perfect example of a dreary November day; grey skies, blowing winds, and chilly temps. Although i always thought of it as a bit of a depressing month, I seem to have a different view now that we have Ethan to share it with. Yes, November still brings with it the promise of cold winter months, but it now also promises new holiday's to share with our little one and eventually the wonderful feeling of showing him snow for the first time. Each new month brings with it new exciting things, its as though we get to experience everything for the first time again. This year November will also bring us our big vacation! Only 22 more days until we set sail!
At three o'clock this morning I heard Ethan stirring on the monitor. My first thought I must admit was, "urgh what's he doing up at 3:30?". That thought changed to sheer joy when I entered his room and peeked into his crib. There he was looking up at me with such a look of happiness....arms and legs moving non-stop and the biggest smile on his face I have ever seen. The best feeling in the world!