It's Spring Time!

April 26, 2009

It's finally Spring time. With temperatures in the 70's on a regular basis, everything seems to be blooming and growing (along with our allergies!). This includes Noah's first two teeth!!

Spring time also means it's time to hit the Wanderwegen. At the first sign of warmer weather, people emerge from their homes and hit their local Wanderweg in force. Wanderwegen are walking and hiking paths that are built and maintained by the government and are located everywhere. This is probably one of our favorite things about Swiss life, especially on Sunday's when everything is closed (even the manual car wash!) and there are tons of families out.

Just look for the yellow signs and off you go!

You don't even need a map

Noah trying on his wanderweging gear

Our favorite Wanderweg is directly across the street and follows the shore of Lake Zurich. In the month of November we were on it almost every night, trying to help "induce" Noah!

Noah is amazed by the ducks near the pier


This Spring, we have vowed to try out other trails in the area

On this day, we came across an amazing playground with this super long slide. I can't imagine a slide like this in the U.S. Your kids would have to sign a waiver or something just to ride it.

That same trail wound its way through an old farm. Not around it, but through it. A lady was even selling eggs and vegetables from her front door.


Hiking can make you thirsty


You can even see our apartment!! (the red roof building) After seeing this, we promised ourselves to be more diligent in closing our blinds at night!

We found this Wanderweg while driving on Forestrasse (street in the forest) and decided to finally give it a try. We were also looking for an excuse to finally use Noah's backpack carrier.


He sat back and looked around at the trees and birds

A great view of the lake

This was a great surprise. Ancient castle ruins in the middle of the woods!

It appears it was originally built in 1285. It is called the Castle ruins of Old Wadenswil (the town we live in, now). It even had a moat and drawbridge

Now that it is warm enough, we can eat our breakfast outside

Our Gymnast

April 22, 2009

So, word from daycare was that Noah was attempting some roll manuevers today. I suspect he was attempting to cozy up to the much older, Minna, since he seems to keep a close eye on her daily. Anyhow, we brought him home and planted him in the middle of the living room and stood back and watched.......

Surprise Easter Visit to Annapolis

April 2-6, 2009

Since, we couldn't wait until July to see our families again, we decided to surprise them for Easter. With Mom Cerny and Melissa and Kevin coming to Annapolis for Easter with Amanda, we had both families in close proximity. We did our best to keep it a secret (Rani did better than I, of course).

So, with Mom Cerny sightseeing in DC Friday evening, I picked Rani and Noah up at the airport and headed to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Amanda kept us well informed through text messages and we easily stalked down the group in the Dinosaurs of the Ocean exhibit. We snuck up on LC and I calmly asked her, "Excuse me, mam? Can you take our picture please?". She grabbed for my camera before she did a double take! It was the perfect surprise.

The Natural History Museum

A regular Cerny family reunion in a public museum!






We then headed to Severna Park to surprise Grandrents Price. Rani, not being the planner (or secret teller, depends on how you look at it), couldn't find her parents anywhere. We drove to their house, nothing, rolled through Bill Bateman's parking lot, nothing, back to the house, notta, past Aunt Linda's and Carla and Sean's, still nothing. Finally, we spotted them getting into their car at Hella's. We started tailing them when it became clear they weren't ready to go home yet. So, we waited in the Safeway parking lot as they chatted with Aunt Linda in her driveway. Eventually, they went home and we snuck around the side and parked. We put Noah on the front porch in his bassinet, rang the doorbell, and ran and hid. After a short time, Dad Price answered the door with a very confused look on his face. As he reached for the phone to call the cops, we jumped out from behind the trees!







Noah has recently started grabbing for things more. Here he is going for his first Easter present.


A Bumbo chair! He thinks it's the funnest thing ever.


He couldn't wait to go watch The Masters with the guys.

Opening more presents

Seems to be enjoying it

I think he is looking for more!!

Shopping in downtown Annapolis

The girls and some pregnant lady dancing at Rockfish

The father to be

Taking a walk to the beach on Easter morning

Lacy helping Noah on his first Easter Egg Hunt

Aunt Nicole


Really enoying making music!!

Noah and Elsie checking each other out

And it has been almost a year, but we finally got out sailing

March- Just hanging out

The month has pretty much flown by. I guess we have spent much of it enthralled with little Noah. Other than his two little bottom teeth starting to poke through, he hasn't added many new tricks to his repertoire. I guess he is just perfecting his old ones.

As a family, we did go snowboarding for the first time in Switzerland. We went to a local, "smaller" ski area. The locals call it small, although you can't find a resort this big anywhere on the East coast of the States!! Rani and I took turns hanging out with Noah while the other person snowboarded. It was a beautiful, warm day so it was perfect. We planned to go back the next weekend but we all ended up sick. We did make it back out this past weekend. Fortunately, we found a great babysitter and we had our first "date" since being back in Switzerland with Noah.

Noah showing off his new shades. Surprisingly, he doesn't mind wearing them.

Gaining more dexterity, he is able to wrestle with Mr. Crazy Monkey

Our little photo shoot for St. Patrick's Day

Hanging out, waiting for Mom to make it down the mountain

Waiting in the driver's seat

Crazy people jumping off a perfectly good mountain!!

Noah and I came across these weird migrating birds on a morning jog. They remind me of the dinosaur that slimed the fat guy at the begining of Jurassic Park!

Beautiful sunrise over the mountains