On our very first "vacation" as a family of three, we joined Nate's mom in Virginia Beach for a week. (As all parents know, you don't really have vacations after you have kids. You have trips where you do mostly the same things you did at home, just in a different place.) The incentive of built-in baby-sitting was what convinced us to make the trip. So we packed the car full of Silas' gear, and headed down the coast. Thankfully Silas handled the six-hour drive pretty well. Nate's mom and her husband Mike did baby-sit Silas a few times so we could go out by ourselves, which was really nice. There was a mild hurricane while we were there, so the weather was...exciting, you could say. There was one good beach day on our last day there (grrr, Murphy's Law), so Silas finally got his first beach experience. He loved it for about a half hour. Then he and Jen just enjoyed it from the window in the condo. Overall, it was a nice time. Some of the pictures are truly adorable, as you'll see.

At a rest stop in Virginia, Silas enjoyed the warm, southern air and glimpsed the ocean beyond the wall

On a grey morning, Nate took Silas out on the beach for the first time

Silas hanging out on Nate's lap

"How can I get this fist into my mouth??"

Taking a stroll in the Baby Bjorn

Silas fell asleep, which means he enjoyed the stroll

"I'm just resting my eyes."

Silas was newly learning to reach for his toys

Jen helps Silas discover his toes

Susan braved the elements to take a beach walk

Nate joined Silas for some play-mat action

Another morning walk on the beach

Silas and Nate are looking up some excursions (by the way, the matching was not planned)

Family photo

Finally a beach day, and Nate takes full advantage!

Our brief family time on the beach

Susan and Silas in their shades

Postcard perfect!