32 weeks

Despite illness, flat tires, and a lack of preparation, we survived our move!! We are mostly unpacked and the greatest news is that Henry loves his "new house"! His sleep hasn't suffered which was a concern with the transition. We have great windows for looking at trucks (and a block from a fire station which is good and bad). He also loves our large deck. Unfortunately we've had quite a bit of rain and he can't always play outside.

Last weekend we went to Cleveland to celebrate Brennan's 6 th birthday and have a bridal shower for Danielle. It was great seeing everyone and Henry had a blast with his cousins! Shannon and Marilyn also threw a sprinkle for me and the baby. It was such a nice surprise!

This week Henry had his first dental check-up (other than the time he went in October when he banged his teeth in). He was such a good little patient. I was shocked that he let the hygienist clean his teeth and even floss them.

Next weekend we're headed to Florida for a wedding and hopefully lots of sunshine!

30 weeks pregnant and MOVING DAY is here!

It's been a very busy month, getting ready to move by slowly packing everything. Maybe too slowly... We are moving at 8 tomorrow morning and as I look around at our home I am scared. Very scared. Random boxes, toys, garbage, and toys (yes toys deserves a second mention) as far as the eye can see! Oh well, somehow it always gets done right?

Today I'm 30 weeks pregnant with baby girl. Below is a side by side of 28 weeks with Henry (left) and 28 weeks with baby girl (right). I felt so much bigger this time but they're pretty comparable. Looks like we're going to have another peanut!

Henry met the Easter bunny a few weeks ago and he didn't cry! He did tell me, "I scared" repeatedly as we waited in line, though. He's also been sick this week--a double ear infection! He's finally feeling a bit better but he is extra clingy and cuddly which is making packing that much more of a challenge.

Tomorrow is the big day. Although I'm not thrilled at the prospect of unpacking all of this stuff it will be fun to get Henry's and baby's rooms looking all cute!

Florida, snow men, and the end of the 2nd trimester

We had a wonderful (warm) trip to Florida last month. It was sunny the whole time and Henry really enjoyed the pool and the beach. He had a great time jumping in from the side of the pool doing "belly poppers" over and over again. He also got to visit the Naples Zoo with grandma and grandpa--we loved the monkey island boat tour and alligator feeding. Even though our time in Florida was wonderful, Henry has just as much fun in the snow! He loves getting all bundled up and running in the snow. He likes to make snowballs for Gracie to chase and he demands, "build snowman daddy!" We have built a lot of snowmen this winter... When the cold is too much to handle we love our favorite indoor spots. Below see a picture of Henry and Mark with a snake. Henry had a great time grabbing the poor little guy's tail. He also got to hold a turtle. Turtles are his favorite animal (for the moment) so we spend a lot of time at the zoo and nature museum.

Baby girl seems to be doing well too. Her latest ultrasound picture is below (24.5 weeks). We'll have at least one more ultrasound before she's born to monitor her growth. So far the doctor thinks she's going to be small but appears very healthy and normal. We love feeling her kick and squirm throughout the day! Henry is very excited about his baby sister. If you ask where his baby sister is he'll point to his belly and say "baby sister in here!" It's so sweet but I'm afraid he doesn't quite comprehend that she'll be staying with us for good!

Our final bit of news is we are moving next month! We are really going to love having a third bedroom :-)

It's (gonna be) a GIRL! ... And a trip to the ER for Henry.

We were thrilled to find out that baby Dillon is a girl. I was 100% thrilled and Mark slightly thrilled. For some reason he's nervous that she'll have him wrapped around her little finger... I can't imagine! Regardless, this was very exciting news because I always wanted a girl and, well, we have a couple boxes of pink girls stuff from when we were told Henry was a girl. :-) This lucky lady already has two handmade quilts, a knit sweater and hat (thanks, Grandma!), and a knit dress from aunt Carol. She also has all of her room decor including a dust ruffle and curtains made by grandma. I'm glad grandma has those projects out of the way so she can focus on making more things for her first granddaughter. And of course we are not at all annoyed by everyone's hilarious question, "Are you SURE this time!?!?" Where is the "sarcasm" font when you need it? For all of you doubters, we will be having at least three more ultrasounds to monitor growth so we can continue to check for boy parts!

In other news, yesterday Henry started potty training. It was going really well until he fell backward off the arm of the couch and through our glass end table. It was one of the scariest moments of both of our lives--I do not recommend seeing your naked 2 year old lying in a pile of glass shards covered in blood. Thankfully he's fine. He had to have a few larger lacerations glued together and he went home covered in band aids but it could've been much worse. Tempered glass creates very large, pointy glass shards, FYI. As I stood there trying to mop off some of the blood from his head, face, and back, my mind went blank. I had to call Mark because I couldn't think of where the ER is. The blank moments were followed by very clear, sensible thoughts, such as, put clean clothes in the diaper bag... Bring a snack, it might be awhile... By the time we arrived his hands were completely red with blood and he had blood running down his hair and face. His shirt was soaked through in many spots. He had calmed down and the nurses joked about how stoic he was even though he looked like he'd just committed murder.

Needless to say, yesterday was very stressful. Mark was very smart and brought me flowers. Hopefully nothing exciting happens for at least 48 hours.

Check out the pictures--obviously two are ultrasounds. There's the picture of the broken table, and two of Henry in his Toy Story underwear! PS Mark was upset I didn't snap a photo of his son covered in blood. You'll have to use your imaginations.

2 years old and Baby #2 on the way!

Henry had the best 2nd birthday a little boy could ever ask for!  And... it went on and on.... Maybe one of the only perks of being far from friends and family.  Henry received gifts in the mail all of December.  Oh, and throw in Christmas and this little kid was opening presents nonstop.  We had so much fun celebrating at his TWO birthday parties, one with his little buddies in Chicago, and another with his family and friends in Michigan.  The theme for both parties was construction because Henry is really into trucks and tools!

Henry is keeping plenty busy this winter. We recently started gymnastics and Henry's continuing his swim lessons. He still loves hanging out with his little buddies at weekly play dates. We hardly miss playing at the park. Just kidding--we miss it.

In other news, we are excited (and NOT AT ALL NERVOUS) that we'll be having an addition to the family in June.  We are 18 weeks into this pregnancy (only 22 to go....) and things are going very well.  Last week I started feeling the baby move.  It's still nothing that an outsider can feel, but I'm sure that will happen soon enough.  On Tuesday we have an ultrasound to check out the baby's anatomy.  We are hoping we'll get a good look at the goods and will have an ACCURATE prediction of baby's gender!  I think it's a girl and Mark thinks it's a boy.  I guess we'll know in about 90 hours... not that I'm counting.  Don't worry--I'll keep you posted, as I'm certain each and every one of you is on the edge of your seat!

Ok here are a ton of pictures. The one of me in black is 17 weeks pregnant. (Mark said "stick out your stomach!")

22 months

"Bruises and phrases" seems to be the theme of this month. Henry's enthusiasm and energy have been leading to scrapes, bumps, and lovely purple marks mostly on his face. On a more positive note, he's speaking in many more phrases. It's not only precious, but also so useful too. "Waffles and strawberries" he said this morning--now I know what you want for breakfast! "Love you, buddy". "I miss grandma". Etc etc.

Henry still loves all his favorites like trucks, balls, and the playground, but he's taken a recent shining to MARKERS! They are so messy, but apparently much more fun than crayons. Who knew? He calls them "tatas" (I don't know....) and recently "marks". Daddy, he's saying your name, I swear. Henry has been waking up before the sun in order to create beautiful markers and stickers masterpieces! We are very lucky.

21 months

It's hard to believe summer is coming to an end, and what a wonderful summer it's been! Henry continues to amaze and entertain us with his personal dance parties, batting practice, and his love for vacuuming and "fixing" things with Mark's tools.

We've had so many fun visits with family and friends this summer. We went to Maumee a few weeks ago for Omi's 90th birthday. Henry had a great time with Tutu, Stu, his aunts, uncles, and cousins.

This past weekend Henry kept his grandma and grandpa entertained by jumping on the bed, sprinting through the woods, and decorating the driveway with sidewalk chalk.

We're hoping for a few more weeks of warm weather because Henry loves to be outside!