a daytrip to maine.

Have I mentioned how grateful I am that Ryan is home these days? It rocks. ((Also, check out how many pictures I'm in! Yay for having a third person to hang out with!)

On Friday we traveled north to York and Ogunquit  and it was a perfect daytrip (including a stop at the not-so-local Chik fil a on the way home). We first stopped in York to the Nubble lighthouse and there's a great little ice cream shop that we went to afterwards to hold us over until lunch. Their wild berry ice cream was awesome and Ryan had their maple walnut, it was super rich and fantastic as well. I love a good seasonal ice cream stand...which reminds me of the time I had some pumpkin ice cream at this place around here (I've already forgotten where) and it was seriously the second best ice cream I've had (the first being this awesome, awesome coconut ice cream we had in Annapolis a few years back). Yeah, I like ice cream...

But back to Maine. After York we went up to Ogunquit to have a lobster roll at a place called The Lobster Shack. Lobster rolls are one of the 3 L's of Maine (lobster, ll bean, and lighthouses--check on two of the three!) and at this place you could get it with or without mayo so Ryan got with and I got without and I really loved mine. It was cooked, cooled lobster with a hint of lemon on a perfectly buttered and toasted hot-dog like bun, and served with chips and some cole slaw. My kind of summer meal right there.

And after lunch we wondered around the shops in the area, bought some Warheads at a little candy shop (seriously, it was a good day :) and then took a walk on Marginal Way, walking pathway with beautiful views of the sea and Maine coast.

It was a great day and we can't wait to go back, to visit other little small towns and head up to Portland to see all it has to offer. Who knew Maine was so cool??

18 weeks. Round 2.

We had an ultrasound Monday and... drumroll... we're going to wait to find out the gender.

I know, weird, right? I never thought I'd wait and called everyone crazy who did, but now I'm joining the suspenseful club and waiting just a few more months before finding out. I think there's something exciting about not knowing the gender until the actual birth, and although this may be the only babe who's gender we wait to find out (I change my mind a lot, ok?), I'm excited for the experience.

And for those of you who want to guess, guess away. My mom and sister are 1000% sure it's a girl, and Ryan thinks it's a girl, too, but I think it's a boy. Mother's intuition? Or maybe I'm dead wrong. We'll find out in t-minus 5 months!

In other news, a few differences with this pregnancy have been a)my hunger levels--I'm hungry as a wolf and b) even though "they" say you show more/faster with #2, that has definitely not been the case. Instead of cute belly bump we've got out-of-shape belly. Which is funny since I was the healthiest/best looking in a long time right before I got pregnant again, so whatev. It'll eventually look cute, right? And thanks to a sister who adds to my maternity wardrobe, at least I'll look cute throughout this pregnancy, whether baby wants to join me or not.

And one last thing, I'm already feeling second-child guilt since it's already past week 18 and I haven't gotten a shot of sib on the blog. I took one at 16 weeks (deeeefinitely don't look pregnant at all) and then things just haven't worked out in taking another one. This child already has less pictures than Henry--so sad, right? Dear sib, I'm sorry your wild brother is hogging up all my time. I think of you often, promise.

a month of ryan.

Even through we were apart for longer than either of of wished for, it's so nice to have Ryan home these days, in between school and a summer internship. I am seriously savoring these moments, since I know they won't be this relaxed for this long probably ever again. And going to the grocery store on a weekday morning without Henry in tow... words can't even describe how grateful I am to Ryan already.

This weekend of Mother's day was absolutely wonderful, with shopping with both Henry and Ryan, and then getting some alone time with our stake sisters as I went to a temple session solo, including a little dinner before, then came home to an empty house as Ryan and Henry were still out at a youth activity for another hour or so. It was seriously something else to be in an empty house for a little bit at night. Sometimes I just forget how tender the silence can be after a busy week with a 14 month old.

Mother's day was great as well, with our sweet Primary singing a song to the wonderful women in their lives and an outing to the park after church. Ryan was able to take some pictures of Henry and I (boy does that never happen!) and I'm loving them.

See? How could this weekend not be full of happiness? Spring plus Ryan plus Henry equals serious happiness.

4 years.

Happy anniversary to the most wonderful man I know. Since we aren't together today (I know, great timing, right?) we'll celebrate through skype and do the real celebration later. But either way, these four years have been rockin, and by the time we're at five, we'll have two kids to party with us. Nuts, right?

I'll be staring at out last bunch of family pictures, along with our engagement pictures and wedding photos all day long, remembering when and imagining all that we have to look forward too in the many years to come. I know Henry misses his dad like crazy and is craving his play partner, but the countdown is less than a week and then the real party of summer will begin.

Happy four years to a fantastic, driven, hard-working, spiritual, super good looking man. You really are the best.

a niece is born.

Baby June was born the Thursday before last and I'm so lucky we were in town to see her and her mama the next day.  We were actually in Indiana visiting her (along with my mom and baby sister) on Wednesday, she was having 'baby's-going-to-come-soon' feelings, but not suuper suuper intense so after a hosptal visit just to make sure we shouldn't stay, we left late that night and then she was born the next morning! So grateful we got to see her and didn't have to wait until Christmas. Luckyyyy.

She is a sweet little thing and I'm so excited for my sister and her adorable family. I know it's no picnic, but she's a fabulous mom and a terrific example. Meaning, we'll be talking even more than ever this fall when I'm in her shoes.

14 month shenanigans.

Yep, still in Ohio. And I totally forgot about Henry's month change. I mean, I think I've been saying about 14 months for a week now, but he's not "about" 14 months, he is 14 months!

I never know when you really say, "he's a walker," but, he's a walker. There's still some crawling here and there, but he can stand up on his own after a fall and likes to be on his feet as much as possible. (Note: after I wrote this a few days ago, the next day I didn't see him crawl at all. None. Kinda/totally sad. Today he crawled once, but that was just to get a ball that was speeding past him on the porch.)

Which is funny, because also in this last month he's been super clingy and loves for me to hold him, and he's also finally got down the whole, you sit when you're in the bathtub, not stand the whole time, thing. At the beginning of the month, he'd still stand a ton, and still throw all his toys out within 10 minutes or so, but then when I'd get the towel and reach out for him, he'd immediately sit down. Silly boy.

Anywho, we love this rascal of a kid. He's quite the babbler and he loves to smack things and throw toys, but I think we're slowly, ever slowly learning not to hit faces or touch things we shouldn't. I'm pretty sure every mom around this stage of their kid's life says, "they keep me on my toes" and Hank is definitely no exception. I kinda wish I could sit a little more, but I'm pretty sure sitting isn't in the job description of a mom of a toddler.

Aaand I've finally busted out the camera these last few days, so yay for non-grainy itouch pictures. And the weather got a little "spring showers" on us recently, but before that we had some glorious park weather that I can't wait to happen again.

life in oh-io.

Henry and I are safe and sound in Ohio for the rest of this month as Ryan preps for and takes his finals. It's hard for Ryan, since he doesn't get to see Hank make the little milestones each day, but it helps him make time for himself so we're super grateful to my parents for hosting me for much longer than I'm sure they would prefer (at least me. Henry, he could live here. but they'd still need me. just for diaper changing purposes of course :).

Life in the 'burbs is always so nice to us. We've already taken a walk, played in the backyard/patio, and gone out to dinner (chinese takeout, dirty franks, jeni's ice cream) more times in less than a week than Ryan and I do in multiple months. We've also had a mini rain party when a spring shower came around noon today and Henry just had to hang out on the porch and go up and down the wet stairs. It was pretty cute seeing him be adventurous and explore. Playing outside in the rain on a covered porch? They definitely hasn't happened in Boston. And Henry's got more attention than ever, so really, what's not to love?

We'll travel to see my sister tomorrow, plan on seeing a Clippers (the triple a baseball team for the Indians) day game next week, and running errands to malls and Targets and all things suburban.

I'm pretty sad not to be in Boston right now to rally behind the strength of the city, but my prayers are always right there, like we've never left.